BOUNDARIES
A CURATED EXHIBITION

'Boundaries' is a curated exhibition, an ambitious step forward for the Creative Network, and presents a new opportunity for our members. Open submission, themed, selected shows are common place in the UK but few of this nature have taken place on the Isle of Man. We hope to make the open show a regular feature and aim to create strong, curated bodies of work which could perhaps tour off Island in the future – taking Manx art to a broader audience and raising the profile of the Manx art world. We sincerely hope that many of you will support this venture.

Exhibition Curators

From artists’ submissions a selection panel of artists, educators and curators will choose which works should be included to create a powerful exhibition which presents thought provoking and relevant issues connected with the theme to a broad audience. This will be a blind selection process, where pieces will be chosen on their own merit, and importantly, how they work alongside other pieces.

Professor Keith McKintyre rsa

A visual artist based in the Outer Hebrides. A graduate of DJCA Dundee he taught at the Glasgow School of Art before moving to Northumbria University where he was Head of the
Department of Arts up to 2018. Keith is currently a Professor and Interim Director at the Centre for Rural Creativity at the University of the Highlands and Islands.
Keith has had numerous solo exhibitions both in Britain and Internationally. His drawings, paintings, and prints are represented in numerous public and private collections. He also has a considerable profile as an artist working in collaborative theatre, performing arts + film projects.

Helen Fox

After training at the Slade Art School, London, Helen has had a career in art education and is currently Head of Art, Design and Media at University College Isle of Man. Helen is also a
practicing artist and in recent years has furthered her own art education by completing an MA at Northumbria University. As part of her MA, Helen curated the exhibition ‘Turning Point’ at the Sayle Gallery, which included the work of five international artists. Helen has curated other gallery exhibitions and was instrumental in developing the Market Hall in Douglas as a temporary art centre study base for Manx degree students.

Ian coulson

​Ian has practiced as an artist and art educator on the Island most of his life. He himself trained under Norman Sayle and then went on to inspire countless young Manx artists as the leader of the Art Foundation course at Isle of Man College. Since retiring, Ian has managed a more prolific output of artwork and a recent project about Peel driftermen has
been bought in it’s entirety by the Isle of Man Arts Council for their Loan Collection.
Assisted by:
Kirsty Neate, Manx National Heritage and Carola Rush, Creative Network.​

the theme - boundaries

Despite the advent of a highly mediated world, where communication is enjoyed at levels not experienced before, it can be argued that all artists still work within (or indeed with), boundaries. These boundaries/restrictions/containments may be of a physical nature but may equally be of the mind. A boundary may be imposed upon an artist or may be self-imposed; a boundary may be a negative or positive creative force. Boundaries may form an integral part of an artist’s working process; a pencil line, a slip trail, the cropping of a photograph etc. Or boundaries may come into being through socio-political issues connected to where and in what type of community an artist practices. Do you as an artist working on the Isle of Man still feel cut off from a broader art world elsewhere? Or with the advent of the internet, is living within the confines of an island still a restriction in terms of audience, markets, creative stimulation of a broader art world? The theme of this open show was decided upon before Covid 19 entered our consciousness but it has perhaps become an even more relevant topic in the light of recent months? With new restrictions and boundaries imposed upon us through home lockdown and closure of Island borders all of us have altered outlooks. How has this affected you as an individual and your practice as an artist?
​

submissions

Artists are invited to submit work, (sculpture, painting, mixed media, photography, digital/AV, textiles, ceramics etc.), around the theme of ‘Boundaries’. The exhibition will be displayed in the temporary exhibition gallery at the House of Manannan in Peel, opening on April 1st and continuing through to the Autumn in 2021.

requirements

The selection of artwork will be made through submitted digital image(s) and accompanying artist statement, which outlines the ideas behind the work and how it links to the exhibition theme, along with other details such as installation instructions/requirements, dimensions, media used etc. Artists will be notified if they have been selected for the final exhibition and will be requested to deliver their artwork(s) to the House of Manannan for hanging.
  • Works must respond to the theme of the exhibition
  • ​Images must be in jpeg format and of high resolution (around 5mb in size). These images will be used in the accompanying catalogue where suitable (there will be an opportunity to create new photographs if needed)
  • ​Digital images should be accompanied by: an artist’s statement outlining the concept behind the work; a description of the work (i.e. is it a single piece or a series of images which makes up a single work?); dimensions; installation requirements; the artist’s name; artist’s contact details; title of work and medium​
  • No more than 7 images per piece should be sent. These can be of the whole piece plus detail images or a representative set from a work made up of multiple images
  • ​Images and accompanying information (as a Word document or equivalent) must be sent via We Transfer (www.WeTransfer.com) to boundariesiom@gmail.com​
  • By sending images for the exhibition artists agree for the images to be used for the purposes of the exhibition and accompanying publicity material. Images will be used solely for the purposes of the online and physical exhibition/publicity and any exhibition catalogue.
  • There is no restriction on the number of entries each artist can make
  • Entries may include multiple images/objects which form a single piece of work
  • There is a submission fee of £10 for each piece of work (this applies to works which comprise both single or multiple images) which will cover administration costs for staging the exhibition. This payment can be made via Bank Transfer to the Creative Network bank account (To The Creative Network, Isle of Man Bank, sort code 55-91-07, account number 14068621). Please clearly indicate  what payment is for i.e.Boundaries submission and who it is from. Or, by cheque, made payable to 'The Creative Network', and sent to: Maureen Kennaugh, 41 The Promenade, Castletown, IM9 1BG, Isle of Man.
  • All works must be ready to hang/exhibit and be suitably labelled. Please note that all 2D works will be hung with mirror plates which will be fitted by MNH technicians, so work should be handed in with no hanging fittings left on frames (unless they already have mirror plates)
  • Any queries re submissions can be made to boundariesiom@gmail.com.
  • ​Please note that submissions will only be accepted from current Creative Network members. For details how to join visit www.creativenetwork.im/join

faqs

​Q   Does the work have to be new?
 
A   Although it is desirable to see new work, old works are not excluded. A work may have been made in times gone by where the theme of Boundaries has been brilliantly dealt with or explored. It would be a great shame to exclude this work as it may be a valuable addition to the exhibition.
​Q    If the work is not selected is the £10 fee refunded?
 
A    Unfortunately not. The whole project is being run and administered by volunteers in their own time. The extra administration of returning fees would be unmanageable. Each entry will require the same amount of administration whether successful or not.
​Q    What does the £10 entry fee cover?
 
A    The £10 entry fee will cover administration, publicity and promotional materials and events directly related to the project. We will be seeking sponsorship funding to separately cover the production of an exhibition catalogue.
​Q    Is there any size limit?
 
A    There are no restrictions on scale or nature of works which might be submitted but we ask artists to bear in mind the size and nature of the temporary exhibition gallery at the House of Manannan. 
​Q    Are plinths etc. supplied? 
 
A     There will be a certain number of standard plinths available to us for the exhibition. If a work has particularly complex display requirements, please specify and we can discuss and hopefully find a suitable solution. 
​Q    Can I sell my work?
 
A     Works can be for sale this year, (MNH will take a small commission) but equally they do NOT have to be. This exhibition is not intended to be, primarily, a selling show. If we are able to develop this format into a touring show in the future, we would want to keep all works together unsold.
Q    Can I submit a work made up of many parts?
 
A    Submissions should be made of one piece of work, however, that one piece of work may be made up of several parts. For example: a series of photographs/paintings/drawings which all explore one idea and together make up one response to the theme, can be considered one work. Equally, the same could apply to 3d work where one idea is explored through a number of related objects. If in doubt, please email boundariesiom@gmail.com for advice. 
​Q  How do I use WeTransfer to make my submission?  
 
A     Visit wetransfer.com and follow the instructions to upload your files. You can upload and send several files at one time. Fill in the recipient email address (boundariesiom@gmail.com), and your own email address, then click 'transfer'. You can choose to register  a free account with them, if you do, you will not need to follow the next step. If you choose not to register, you will need to verify your transfer. An email will be sent to the address that you specified, containing a 6 digit verification code which remains valid for 60 minutes. Enter this code on the WeTransfer screen when prompted. Your file will then be transferred, and will be downloaded by the exhibition team.

important dates

  • Deadline for submission of artwork via digital format is the 15th January 2021.
  • Artists will be notified in early February if the curators have selected the work to be included in the exhibition.
  • The selected artworks should be delivered to the House of Manannan on the 22nd March, between 11 am and 4pm.
  • Exhibition opens 1st April 2021.
  • Art Festival Launch party and Exhibition celebration will be held at the exhibition on Thursday 22nd April 2021 at 6.30pm.
  • Exhibition closes Sunday 3rd October 2021.
  • Collection of artworks Monday 4th October 2021 between 11am and 4pm​

click here to download the submission checklist