Posts

15 Days in to our Call for Submissions & 15 Reasons Why You Need to Submit

InFocus YEG is an open theme group exhibition that will proudly display the local talent of Edmonton and area photographers. The exhibit is open to professionals, armatures and students alike.

Here are 15 reasons you should submit to InFocus YEG:

(1) See your photography hung in the Annex of Harcourt House Artist Run Centre, one of Edmonton’s most important artistic hubs.

(2) Your work will be featured in Exposure Photography Festival, which is province-wide for the first time in history.

(3) Sell your work during InFocus and keep 100% of the earnings.

(4) Network with other photographers and professionals during the festival.

(5) Participate in this exciting group exhibition as a fun way to kick off 2015.

(6) Discover other image-makers in Edmonton and find a creative community.

(7) Have something cool to talk about on Facebook and Twitter other than what you had for breakfast (Although we’re sure it was delicious!).

(8) Snatch up a volunteer opportunity with InFocus to gain experience mounting and running an exhibition.

(9) Attend a rockin’ reception party on February 28, 2015 with live music, wine and yummy snacks (and invite your family and friends!).

(10) Have your work discussed for its merits and inclusion in the show during the Curator Talk on Saturday, February 28 at 6:30pm in the gallery.

(11) It’s easy to submit your work online through our no fuss submission form.

(12) Each photographer’s Artist Statement and CV will be displayed to educate all visitors about your work.

(13) Have a lasting keepsake in the printed InFocus program with each photographer featured.

(14) If you enter before October 24, you have the chance to have one of your images featured in the Exposure Photography Festival magazine-style catalogue to represent InFocus!

(15) Photography is awesome!

Submit to Infocus YEG here. Deadline November 30, 2014!

 

Q&A to Help Prepare Your InFocus Edmonton Photography Submission

Is there a theme for InFocus?

There is no theme or categories for the exhibition. It is an open-theme show which means you may submit photographs of any subject you like. The goal of InFocus is to exhibit the best work by Edmonton and area photographers.

Is there a limit to the number of photographs I can submit?

No. You can submit as many photographic images as you’d like. The cost to enter is $10 per three images. If you want to enter more than three, you may do so in a subsequent entry.

Am I guaranteed to be included in the exhibition?

No. As the goal of InFocus YEG is to show the best work from our city and area, and also the fact that our space is limited, only a select number of photographs and photographers will be included. Even if your work is not selected, it may just mean we ran out of space and we strongly encourage you to submit again next year.

Who can submit to InFocus?

Anyone living in Edmonton or the surrounding communities may submit. The competition is open to professionals and amateur photographers, students and young people.

How will the photographs and photographers be selected?

InFocus is curated by Alexis Marie Chute, BFA, MFA candidate. She will select the images for inclusion from all submissions. She is looking for high quality photography that exhibits the talent and interests of our creative community.

Where will the photographs be displayed?

InFocus will be hung in the large multi-purpose room in the Annex building of Harcourt House Artist Run Centre.

Why is it important that InFocus is a part of Exposure Photography Festival?

Exposure 2015 is the first year that the festival is province-wide. In past, Exposure has only included Calgary, Banff and Canmore. As it is Edmonton’s first festival, it is important we celebrate our local talent and imagery.

When will the exhibition take place?

InFocus will be open to the public for viewing on Saturday, February 21, 2015 from 10am until 10pm. It will reopen to the public again on Sunday, February 22, 2015 from 10am until 5pm.

What is the deadline to submit to InFocus?

To be considered for the featured image to represent InFocus in the Exposure magazine, the deadline is OCTOBER 24, 2014. The call for submissions for InFocus will officially close on NOVEMBER 30, 2014. There will be no extended deadline. Please submit early.

What is the schedule of when photographers will be notified, and when I would need to drop off my work and pick it up?

Please see the official call for submissions page for the InFocus Edmonton Schedule.

Do I need to resize my files for submission?

Yes. Please see the InFocus Edmonton Technical Details on the official call for submissions page.

Does my photograph(s) need to be framed to be accepted?

Your images must be prepared in a professional manner for exhibition. What that means is that they need to be printed at a high quality and either framed or printed on canvas and stretched. All photographs must be wired for easy hanging. Any work accepted for the exhibition but then delivered without the above listed standards, will be disqualified from the exhibition.

What do you recommend for framing?

Professional framing is always best but professional quality consumer frames will also be accepted. There must be real glass, not plastic, used in the framing. Simple black frames with mated images are a classic way to present your photograph(s). Please note the type of framing/presentation method chosen when submitting your work.

How much mating should I have around my photographs?

The size of the mat is personal preference and also a consideration of style and impact. It can be visually catching to have a smaller image with a large mat, or no mat around a photograph in a simple frame, for example. Generally, a minimum of two inches of mat around an image will give the photograph room to breathe.

Do you accept mixed media art?

We will accept mixed media art as long as the primary medium is photography. If you have questions about your specific piece, please email Alexis Marie: info@alexismariechute.com

What size should I make my photographs for the exhibition?

This is up to you. If you are flexible regarding the size you print your image(s) for the exhibition, please note this in your submission form. Depending on space factors and the number of works to be shown, extremely large photographs may not fit – but this is where the curatorial magic comes in. At the end of the day, size your images to match your vision.

Why do I need to submit my CV and artist statement?

This information will be available for viewers of the exhibition. This information is often of interest to visitors wishing to purchase a photograph. Things to list on your artist CV that relate to you as a photographer: education, classes, exhibitions, publications, collaborations, memberships, volunteering, grants, etc. If you do not have anything to list in these categories – that’s okay! Maybe InFocus will be your first accolade on your new photography CV. If you do not submit a CV, that is totally fine.

What is important to include is your artist statement. This can be as short as a few sentences to a few paragraphs. In your artist statement you can talk about how you got interested in photography, how you take your photographs, why photography is important to you and the meaning behind your work.

Can I submit a series of photographs?

Yes. The whole series may be accepted or only one image depending on space.

Why is there a fee to submit?

InFocus is a 100% volunteer effort, a labor of love. The fee to submit your photographs goes to the practical aspects of mounting the exhibition. Such expenses include: listing the exhibition in the Exposure magazine, advertising the show, printing invitations and posters, venue insurance, reception party snacks and wine, and small printed programs for the show.

How do you accept payment?

PayPal.

Can I sell my photograph(s) displayed during InFocus?

Yes! One of the goals of InFocus is to support our local creative talent. All photographers will retain 100% of their sales. Volunteers will provide interested buyers with the photographer’s contact information and purchase details.

How can I volunteer for InFocus?

InFocus has many volunteer opportunities including: hanging and striking the show, distributing the call for submissions and exhibition posters, manning the show, and setting up for and clean up after the reception, for example. If you would like to sign up to volunteer, first of all: THANK YOU! Please contact Alexis Marie to be added to our volunteer list: info@alexismariechute.com

How should I price my photograph(s)?

This is a personal decision. Some things to consider: printing costs, framing costs and your own value as a photographer (your worth should never be underestimated!). Think about what price you are comfortable selling your work? Please do not value your work too low. If your photography is accepted into InFocus, you may discuss the price with the curator at that time.

What should I list for the date and medium of my photographs?

The date should be listed as the year the image was made. The medium can be something to the effect of “Photograph” or “Photograph on aluminum” or “Mixed-medium Photograph” or “Giclée print” for example.

What is the Curator Talk?

At 6:30pm on Saturday, February 21, 2015, curator Alexis Marie Chute will discuss the ideas and importance behind InFocus Edmonton as well share about the photography and photographers selected for the show.

When is the reception party taking place?

Following the Curator Talk on Saturday, February 21, 2015, InFocus will host a reception and Exposure Photography Festival party. There will be live music, snacks and drinks. If you would like an invitation to the reception party, please send your mailing address to info@alexismariechute.com. All photographers are encouraged to attend and invite their family and friends. It is going to be a great night!

 

If you have questions not addressed here, please email info@alexismariechute.com and you will receive timely answers. Odds are that if you are wondering, others are as well.

Best wishes for submitting to InFocus Edmonton! We look forward to seeing your work!

Click here to read the InFocus YEG Call for Submissions.

Click here to submit to InFocus YEG!

Follow us on Twitter: @infocusYEG

 

 

Hot off the Photographic Presses: The InFocus Edmonton Call for Submissions!

On October 1st we launched the Call for Submissions for InFocus Edmonton, or InFocus YEG for short. The submission deadline is November 30, but with Thanksgiving and Halloween in between, the time will slip away quickly. Rummage through your negatives or digital files to find your best images and submit them here!

InFocus YEG strives to exhibit the amazing local talent of Edmonton and area at Harcourt House Artist Run Centre during the month of February 2015 as a part of Exposure Photography Festival. This is the first year that Exposure is province wide and the first time ever Edmonton is included in the creative festivities.

InFocus is an amazing opportunity to exhibit your work in a professional space with province-wide recognition. Plus, we are going to have a rockin’ reception party with a chance to celebrate the photographers that make our city and area distinct.

As a special incentive to enter early, the photograph for the magazine-style Exposure Photography Festival catalogue will be chosen from the images submitted before October 24, 2014! This is a huge opportunity to have your work seen across the province – and likely the country! Don’t wait to submit!

To learn more about InFocus YEG and how to enter your photos, click here.

Exposure Photography Festival broadens its scope to include all of Alberta

PRESS RELEASE

Exposure, a festival that celebrates the art of photography, is taking a bold new direction today by expanding its reach embracing an even wider geographical area and, more importantly, providing greater opportunities for photographers and lovers of photography across Alberta to become involved in a visual arts festival of the highest calibre.

“As the Chair of the Festival I am pleased to announce that Exposure 2015 will be a province-wide photography festival,” said Peter Duthie.  “Now galleries and independent photographers from across Alberta will be able to participate in a month-long  photography Festival this February.

Adding, “During the previous decade Exposure has proven itself to be one of the premiere visual arts events in Canada by attracting diverse photographic expression from Alberta and other parts of Canada and the world and showcasing it through collaborative exhibitions and special events.”

In Its first 10 years, Exposure programming was focused on the communities of Calgary, Banff and Canmore.

Exposure will continue to operate throughout the month of February with submissions now being sought from Alberta-based artists and gallerists. Exhibitions and events will be featured in a professionally published guide and on the festival’s website.  Exposure also hosts photography related presentations and workshops during the month of February.

Internationally recognized photographer Larry Louie is an example of an artist who now has the opportunity to participate in Exposure. Based in Edmonton, Louie will present an exhibition of his sumptuous black & white works capturing the daily life and struggles of people in the developing world. Another Edmonton venue already booked for Exposure 2015 is Harcourt House featuring the photographic works of award-winning artist Alexis Marie Chute.

Exposure is truly a celebration of photography in all its forms,” said Duthie. “Tens of thousands of people each February have participated in Exposure and now all four million Albertans are invited.”

For more information go to expsourephotofestival.com, or contact Festival manager Wes Lafortune at T. 403-919-2502 or email at: exposurefotofest@gmail.com.

www.ExposurePhotoFestival.com

The 2014 Mayor’s Celebration of the Arts in Pictures

It was an honor to be shortlisted for the Northlands Award for an Emerging Artist. The Mayor’s Celebration of the Arts in Edmonton was great celebration of our city’s creativity. As always, it was nice to bump into other artsy folks and enjoy each other’s work. Here are some photos from the night:

Alexis Marie Chute Edmonton Mayor's Celebration of the Arts Emerging Artis 16 blog Alexis Marie Chute Edmonton Mayor's Celebration of the Arts Emerging Artis 18 blog

The shortlisted artists for the Northlands Award for an Emerging Artist: Jason Blower, Nuela Charles, Alexis Marie Chute, Ainsley Hillyard, Doug Organ, and Elizabeth Withey

The shortlisted artists for the Northlands Award for an Emerging Artist: Jason Blower, Nuela Charles, Alexis Marie Chute, Ainsley Hillyard, Doug Organ, and Elizabeth Withey

Alexis Marie & Aaron Chute

Alexis Marie & Aaron Chute

Alexis Marie Chute and Derek Brooks, Harcourt House Artist Run Centre's Executive Director

Alexis Marie Chute and Derek Brooks, Harcourt House Artist Run Centre’s Executive Director

Alexis Marie Chute and Writers Guild of Alberta Executive Director Carol Holmes

Alexis Marie Chute and Writers Guild of Alberta Executive Director Carol Holmes

The powerful words of Poet Laureate, Mary Pinkoski, made me shiver.

The powerful words of Poet Laureate, Mary Pinkoski, made me shiver.

Musical performance by Jeff Stuart and the Hearts with Shannon Johnson

Musical performance by Jeff Stuart and the Hearts with Shannon Johnson

Cheryl Slater-Roberts, Alexis Marie Chute, Charlotte Robb, and Sherwood Park Mayor Roxanne Carr

Cheryl Slater-Roberts, Alexis Marie Chute, Charlotte Robb, and Sherwood Park Mayor Roxanne Carr

Doug Robb and Alexis Marie Chute

Doug Robb and Alexis Marie Chute

Musician Ariane Mahryke Lemire and Alexis Marie Chute

Musician Ariane Mahryke Lemire and Alexis Marie Chute

Mayor Don Iveson

Mayor Don Iveson

Mayor Iveson taking a selfie on stage.

Mayor Iveson taking a selfie on stage.

Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson and Alexis Marie Chute

Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson and Alexis Marie Chute

Edmund Haakonson, Harcourt House Artist Run Centre president of the board and Alexis Marie Chute

Edmund Haakonson, Harcourt House Artist Run Centre president of the board and Alexis Marie Chute

Sherwood Park Mayor Roxanne Carr, Alexis Marie Chute, Cheryl Slater-Roberts and Bill Roberts

Sherwood Park Mayor Roxanne Carr, Alexis Marie Chute, Cheryl Slater-Roberts and Bill Roberts

Cheryl Slater-Roberts and Alexis Marie Chute

Cheryl Slater-Roberts and Alexis Marie Chute

International Call for volunteers for The Quiet Rebuild Portraits

Have you experienced tragedy, hardship, struggle? Are you rebuilding your life after this event?

The Quiet Rebuild Portraits feature individuals, couples, families and support groups that have been through many types of life challenges but continue to pressing on. I find these people wildly inspiring. I wish to give them a voice and put a face to the often unspoken sorrow and resiliency of the human experience.

Please get in touch if you would like to participate. Being photographed for The Quiet Rebuild can be a healing step in itself and many of the models have told me it was a milestone and moment of pride for them along a challenging road.

The photographs in this body of work are already being exhibited internationally and will, in the not too distant future, be made into a book. This is a great opportunity to be a part of something truly profound.

In 2014 I will be traveling to the following locations and am looking for volunteers in these cities. (If you are from elsewhere, anywhere in the world, please still contact me – I’d love to photograph you. I will soon be booking other locations, specifically based on interest.)

 

CANADA

Toronto, Ontario

Edmonton, Alberta

Calgary, Alberta

 

USA

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Boston, Massachusetts

Chicago, Illinois

San Antonio, Texas

Phoenix, Arizona

Scottsdale, Arizona

 

European locations TBD 

 

Please contact me by email (info@alexismariechute.com) for more information.

 

Shortlisted for Northlands Award for Emerging Artist

To be shortlisted for the Northlands Award for an Emerging Artist is extra special this year as I feel so passionate and connected to my work, and tremendously thankful to see how it is touching people and making a difference. The Quiet Rebuild is an ongoing labor of love.

The above picture is from the press conference at City Hall downtown Edmonton announcing the shortlisted artists and organizations in all award categories.

The complete shortlist for the 2014 Northlands Award for an Emerging Artist:

Jason Blower

Neula Charles

Alexis Marie Chute

Ainsley Hillyard

Doug Organ

Elizabeth Withy

The winner will be announced at the Mayor’s Celebration of the Arts on April 28, 2014.

 

Shortlisted for a Yeggie!

Is being nominated for a Yeggie like an Oscar or Grammy nomination? Well in the case of Edmonton new media – a Yeggie’s where it’s at.

I want to give a huge THANK YOU to everyone who nominated my blog writing for a Yeggie. My blog, Wanted, Chosen, Planned – Life after the Loss of a Child, made the shortlist for the category Best in Family & Parenting.

First of all I want to say that writing about my late son Zachary and our family’s journey after his death is more than an honor. Wanted, Chosen, Planned is dedicated to Zachary and I am so thankful that the legacy of his short life is that I may encourage and support others who have also lost a child. It is truly the greatest gift Zachary could have ever given me – apart from his life. I miss him daily but am glad to be making a difference. That part makes me smile. 

Yeggies photo copyright Alexis Marie Chute WRITE BLOG

The category description: The Best in Family or Parenting award is given to those who share insights into their own families or family in general online. They may call themselves Mommy Bloggers or Daddy Bloggers (though of course these categories are medium agnostic). Regardless of self-applied labels, they let us into their homes, and allow us to get to know their families — and perhaps even our own — through storytelling.

No word yet on the date of the awards night, but I’m sure it will be quite a party.

 

An Artful Start to 2014

 

2013 was a great year. I started my MFA in Creative Writing at Lesley University and wrapped up my yearlong artist residency at Harcourt House Gallery and Artist Run Centre. People opened up about their struggles and healing in my portrait series, “The Quiet Rebuild,” and one of those images won first place in a photography competition at Method Art Gallery in Scottsdale Arizona.

My Harcourt art studio is already full of sunshine thanks to my daughter.

My Harcourt art studio is already full of sunshine thanks to my daughter.

As great as 2013 was, 2014 is already off to a wonderful start.

 

 

  • You can now find me either in my home art studio where I will be painting, or in my new studio at Harcourt House where I will be continuing with my wood sculpture explorations.

 

 

 

  • Opening in February is my solo show, “The Quiet Rebuild” the portraits. This exhibit is a part of Exposure Photography Festival and will be held in Calgary Alberta. I will also be hosting a number of artist talks and presentations during the month. (“The Quiet Rebuild” will also be shown at the Glenrose Hospital gallery later in the year.)

 

  • Also coming up in 2014 are two solo exhibitions of “Unfulfilled Precognition” which features the documentary-style art images that I took leading up to and following my son Zachary’s death in 2010.

 

I share my home studio with a very messy little artist indeed!

I share my home studio with a very messy little artist indeed!

I want to take this opportunity to thank the many people in my life who have supported me along the way. Thank you Aaron for always encouraging my dreams, having a positive attitude and making my passions your passions. Thank you Mom for always having a listening ear and taking such great care of my kids while I work. Thank you Candace for hanging out with me throughout undergrad while I painted and for modeling for me and generally being the best best-friend a girl could ask for. Thank you Dad, Bob, Randy and Gloria, Kaila, Kim Kelly, Robert Sinclair, Paul Freeman, Derek Brooks, Sharon Moore Foster… There are too many people to name. Hugs and love all around.

 

Photo copyright Alexis Marie Chute

Photo copyright Alexis Marie Chute

 

Cheers to 2014!  

Watch CTV News at noon

I’m waiting in the green room as I write this, the CTV news at noon show is already on the air. In less than 30 minutes I’ll be talking about my art in “The Quiet Rebuild” and about being named a Top 40 Under 40 by Avenue Magazine.

Thanks for all the love and support from the amazing people in my life who have helped me get to this point. Love and hugs to you all!