Call for Writing Submissions for “have i been here before?” curator-in-residence exhibition – Deadline October 22

Judith G. Levy. Albertson Square, Hopeland, MO. 2010

Have I been here before?
Opening Reception: November 2, 7pm-11pm
Runs: November 2 – December 22, 2012
Location: La Esquina / 1000 W 25th St. KCMO 64108
Exhibition Website: www.haveibeenherebefore.virb.com

What is it about a place that makes it instantly recognizable? Is it a certain style of architecture? Could it be
the townspeople? Perhaps, it is the local food? Or rather, is it us who makes a place familiar? Do our experiences
follow along wherever we go? Is it possible that our memories of place compress so that every place
becomes one?

These questions and more will be pondered in Charlotte Street Foundation Curator-In-Residence Jamilee Polson Lacy’s first exhibition, Have I been here before?, at La Esquina gallery. A coming together of Kansas City-specific and not-so-specific experiences, memories and histories, Have I been here before? will attempt to capture what is just so familiar about this place, that place or any place. The exhibition will feature artists whose work combines real places with false memories and exaggerated perceptions to create sites and situations that may be vaguely familiar to viewers. Selected artworks will incorporate sources both local and imaginary and may include collage,found-object sculpture, textual art, film and video, among other media.

Call for Writing Submissions – Deadline Monday, October 22:

Have I been here before? will additionally feature personal and collective stories and writing as wall text and ancillary reading throughout the exhibition. Jamilee Polson Lacy invites the public—from place-shapers to place-users—to submit in writing old memories, fresh interpretations and critical analyses of the greater Kansas City area and/or their travels in and out of this place. Submissions may be anything that addresses or loosely touches on the exhibition premise outlined above. The possibilities are endless, but submissions could range from travelogues to
historical accounts of Kansas City or other American cities to short fictions and non-fictions recounting the lives of place-dwellers.

Prior writing experience is not necessary for inclusion; persons of all ages and backgrounds are encouraged to submit. All submissions will be included in the exhibition in some fashion.

How to Submit:
All submissions must be in written form—transcribed into type or scanned in as a PDF—and emailed to [email protected]. Please, no submissions of visual artwork or other media-based projects.