Southwest Contemporary Vol. 11 — The Hyperlocal
In a world that is increasingly networked and extremely online, and an art world that has often thrown shade on the “local artist” and the “regional” market, we choose to honor artists in the hyperlocal context.
Southwest Contemporary Vol. 11, our Spring-Summer 2025 issue, will center local practices and micro-pockets of art activity across the Southwest region, and will feature artists whose work is rooted in hyperlocal conversations.
What does a hyperlocal artistic practice look like? The hyperlocal engages in deeply knowing a place. From rural to urban, neighborhood to artist colony—hyperlocal practices are embedded in communities. Regardless of size or location, a hyperlocal practice can be a catalyst, spurring a ripple effect that has broader relevance. While national narratives often feel abstract, we witness the realities of lived experience on the hyperlocal level.
How are artists responding to their immediate environment and community? Can the conversations happening in local art scenes help us see the bigger picture? Do hyperlocal art practices help guide national and global discourse?
We encourage submissions from artists who incorporate locally derived materials, imagery, or narratives into their work. We welcome socially and politically engaged artists. We’re interested in artists who descend from a regional creative lineage and are wholly focused on aesthetic or conceptual innovation in art.
Here at SWC, we learn from local artists and appreciate their knowledge. They have great impacts within their immediate communities, across generations of creators, and beyond, echoing over time and place.
We invite artists (18+) in the Southwest whose work, in any medium, responds to or is engaged with community or locality to apply. In your submission, please tell us how you or your practice relates to the theme of the Hyperlocal. Artists are encouraged to think broadly about these ideas.
As activist adrienne maree brown says, “The health of the cell is the health of the species and the planet.”
Watch the Information Session Recording
To learn more about this open call for artists, the theme, and the submission/jurying process, watch the recording of our virtual info session and Q+A on Thursday, October 17.
Selected Artists Receive:
- A two-page spread featuring their work in Southwest Contemporary Vol. 11.
- A profile article written by an SWC contributor.
- A feature on SWC‘s newsletter and social media channels.
Guest Juror: Jaime Herrell, Associate Curator, Ballroom Marfa
Currently residing in Santa Fe and Marfa, Jaime Herrell is an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation with European heritage. Her career and education span over a decade, including roles in historical museums and nationally renowned institutions, as well as direct work with distinguished Native and non-Native artists. Herrell has immersed herself in significant cultural centers and contemporary spaces, providing her with a broad spectrum of unique expertise.
Recently accepting the position of associate curator of Ballroom Marfa, Herrell is deeply committed to fostering dynamic environments that prioritize artists and community and aim for a long-term unique impact. Her inaugural projects at Ballroom Marfa promise to be a multidisciplinary exploration of contemporary kinship between artist and art, and artist to viewer, designed to challenge traditional theoretical evaluations and offer immersive understandings to Ballroom audiences and beyond.
Who Should Apply:
SWC invites artists and artist collectives at any stage of their career to submit work in any visual arts discipline. All media are accepted: painting, sculpture, new media, performance, printmaking, fiber arts, photography, mixed media, music, video, installation, and more.
Eligibility:
- Artists (age 18+) primarily residing and working in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Northern Mexico, Texas, or Utah.
- Artists previously featured in print by SWC within the last 18 months are not eligible.
Requirements:
- Submissions are only accepted through the form linked below.
- Submit 5 images/videos/audio files of different artworks (each file no larger than 10 MB).
- Artists must ensure high quality of images in JPG format. (Print-quality images will be requested at a later date if needed.)
- If video files are larger than 5 mb, please submit a PDF with a web link to the full video (Youtube, Vimeo).
- Collectives should make a single submission.
- Artist Bio must be no more than 300 words and no more than 2500 characters.
- Artist Statement must be no more than 300 words and no more than 2500 characters.
- Artwork does not need to be for sale.
- Artwork should be recent within the last five years.
- $15 submission fee.
Important Dates:
- Entry Deadline: Friday, November 1, 11:59 pm MDT.
- All artists will be notified of the final decision in late November or early December 2024. If your work is selected, you will receive further information at that time.
- Published: March 2025.
Submission Reviews (Optional Offer)
If you would like constructive, one-on-one feedback on your submission, we offer consults with members of the Southwest Contemporary editorial team. If you sign up for a Submission Review, you will be assigned to one of SWC‘s editorial leads, and we will contact you to coordinate your 25-minute consult:
- Natalie Hegert, SWC arts editor, art writer, and curator.
- Jordan Eddy, SWC editorial director, art writer, and curator.
- Lauren Tresp, SWC publisher, editor, and consultant.
These 25-minute Submission Reviews will take place via Zoom and are priced at $50. **This offer is completely optional and has no impact on the jurying process.**
About the $15 Submission Fee
All submission fees go toward supporting the writers, editors, contributors, and staff who make our publications possible. If you are unable to pay at this time, we understand and urge you to submit your work for general editorial consideration instead. To do so, send 3-5 samples of your artwork, your bio, artist statement, website, and any other relevant links to editor@southwestcontemporary.com. Please note that submission fees are nonrefundable and editorial coverage is not guaranteed.
About the Submission Form:
- While this form will save your progress, we recommend preparing your responses in a separate document to save your text in case of disruption.
- Have your bio, statement, and artwork media files ready for upload before you begin.
