ACCEPTED ART WILL BE ACQUIRED FOR PERMANENT COLLECTION
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ACCEPTED ART WILL BE ACQUIRED FOR PERMANENT COLLECTION .
A unique CALL FOR ART:
Artists Touched by Addiction
Call opens end of November and runs until mid January -or- until we reach desired number of artworks.
JUNIPER RAG has partnered with Spectrum Health Systems, Inc., a leading nonprofit organization providing a comprehensive continuum of addiction treatment and behavioral health services to assemble an art collection to be displayed on the walls of the beautiful new treatment facility on Main Street in Worcester, Massachusetts.
Juniper Rag is proud to share this unique call.
Juniper Rag's mission is to elevate artists, driven in our ability to showcase exceptional contemporary artists and create opportunities. Founded to bring a new platform for ambitious emerging and mid-level artists, Juniper Rag has established a dynamic community of art-makers, collectors and nonprofits who advocate for the arts. It is not every day that you enter a call and an acceptance can indicate interest in an automatic purchase. An in-person viewing will determine that final decision.
We are very proud to offer this opportunity to local artists . This call is unique—
The call is free and open to all visual artists.
This art will be purchased and enter a permanent collection at Spectrum location on Main Street.
Artists touched by addiction or any artist with whom this call resonates is invited to submit work.
Selected art will be purchased, details below.
Please share this page with anyone you know that would be interested in participating.
To submit work:
Artists can submit a piece of art in the form below.
Founded in 1969, Spectrum Health Systems, Inc. is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of individuals impacted by addiction and/or mental health disorders.
Founded in 2021, Juniper Rag is a curatorial project offered by Atelier ID Global, LLC., Inc. is a private partnership co-founded by Michelle May and Payal Thiffault with a mission to elevate artists and provide opportunities and pathways for growth.
Juniper Rag invites visual artists from the local community and beyond…
whose lives have been touched by addiction from the Main South neighborhood and beyond in a call-for-art for a very important project with our corporate partner, Spectrum Health Systems, Inc. to create a vibrant and impactful atmosphere on the walls of their beautiful new treatment center on 1023 Main Street in Worcester with artwork from individuals that have been personally impacted by addiction.
Unlike our other calls for art, this call is to be a part of the permanent collection of Spectrum and hang on the walls of their new location. Addiction does not discriminate. We are opening this call to all ages (but please be over 18, unless your parents or guardian approve) because we know so many young people are affected by drugs and alcohol that shapes their lives and we want to include the stories of all, no matter how you have been affected, either personally or by someone you care about. Making art is a process for healing and with each piece that will be purchased for this collection, the intention is to bring the vibrancy of hope and healing into the center through this collection.
This call-for-art is very important to Juniper Rag and we hope you will share the call with anyone you know that would like their story (optional) or their art to be a part of the visual impact of this new treatment center. We are very proud to provide our services in partnership with Spectrum for this project in Worcester, Massachusetts.
A collaboration with local artists touched by addiction.
Spectrum Health Systems, Inc., a not-for-profit organization providing a comprehensive continuum of addiction treatment and behavioral health services throughout Massachusetts. The mission of Spectrum’s new Main Street treatment center in Worcester is to create a healing environment where local artwork speaks to the journey of recovery and the profound impact of addiction on individuals within our community. The Main South neighborhood is comprised of generations of proud, hardworking people, devoted to strengthening community. Main South is often overshadowed by drug use and higher crime. Spectrum aims to accentuate the positive sense of community by collaborating with local artists to create a safe, judgment free program that is representative of the community in which it resides.
By filling the space with powerful, thought-provoking pieces, Spectrum aims to provide a compassionate and reflective atmosphere, highlighting both the struggles and triumphs of those affected by addiction. Each piece will be carefully selected to inspire hope, resilience, and empathy, while honoring the diverse personal stories that shape the path to recovery.
This collaborative art initiative with Juniper Rag underscores Spectrum’s commitment to fostering a supportive and inclusive space where people feel seen, understood, and motivated to heal.
Learn more about Spectrum Health Systems.
Our Goals for a healing environment
The goals of the curation and design team are to incorporate the benefits of environmental sustainability while designing an uplifting environment conducive to healing. The artwork selected is serene-based, with the most common theme being nature, color and vibrance. Nature-themed, landscapes and abstract artwork would be best.
The artwork specified for this building will be complimentary to the architectural design of public spaces and private offices and meeting rooms and the art will add to the ambiance and mood of the spaces.
Artwork is part of our collaborative equation to introduce a harmonious and uplifting environment for clients and staff.
We are hoping for some larger pieces and we are offering stipends on a scale based on overall value and size of the piece.
At this time, we will be accepting 2D artwork, like paintings on canvas or hangable substrates, framed drawings and works on paper, or photographs for consideration.
What is the process when I submit my art for consideration?
SUBMIT here
GET AN EMAIL of interest
DELIVER to drop off location
AWAIT CONFIRMATION for purchase
This submission is free. Just fill out our easy form below with your images and documents ready for upload. Dates for this call are a bit fluid, but we are looking at mid January to close the call if we have enough art to work with.
OUR PROCESS for this call:
Curation: Once the call for art closes, we curate the work to create a cohesive collection looking for uplifting work to hang in the offices. We check for skill, quality and overall presentation.
Notification of Interest: We will select a grouping of art and will give instructions via email to further review in person.
Delivery: Each piece of art must be delivered to Spectrum, Main Street in Worcester aat the date specified in your acceptance email. We will provide more information and deadline in an email after the call closes, when we get enough artwork. All work should be wired and ready to hang.
Final Confirmation: your possible acceptance will happen after this standard process of inspection.
Pricing: We are working within a budget for this collection. Juniper Rag is acting as a dealer. The commission for this opportunity is 60 artist/40% JR. Our selections will be chosen considering prices carefully for this call. See Q&A below for more info.
Payment: Artwork must be assessed for payment, with the final acceptance and pricing being determined after we view the work in person to verify quality. Photos are not sufficient enough to estimate value.
*Gallery price is the artist’s retail price, or public price. Usually galleries and artists have an agreement of a split percentage of the total value.
Submit your artwork here.
Artists Touched by Addiction | Juniper Rag & Spectrum
This collaborative art initiative with Juniper Rag underscores Spectrum’s commitment to fostering a supportive and inclusive space where people feel seen, understood, and motivated to heal.
BASIC SUBMISSION DETAILS:
Eligibility: Visual artists making 2D artwork—paintings, drawings and photography are encouraged to submit.
All artists over 18 can submit, artists under 18 can submit with parent’s permission.
Artists do not have to be in recovery or live in Worcester, MA. Anyone touched by addiction or with whom the call resonates is welcome to submit.
Requirements: High-resolution quality, images as they will appear on the wall, include frame if framed. An additional detail shot or a side view to show edge or texture is great too.
REQUIREMENTS
Submission Fee: There is no fee for this call for art. We want the call to be completely accessible to the local community.
Limit of Submitted Artworks: One per entry. You may submit more than one, however.
Bio Word Limit: 300. If you would like to maintain privacy, we will absolutely respect that, but we need this information to curate the artwork and to access value.
Statement Word Limit: 300. Your statement defines your artwork.
UPLOADS:
Clear photos of your artwork submission from the front, cropped or showing frame if you have it framed, and a side view.
The size of the piece (with the frame) and price.
A statement about your art or your journey with some optional positive and uplifting words to share. Your statement may be included next to your art, if you wish to share. We will ask before sharing. Your privacy is important to us.
Dates to Remember:
Deadline to submit artwork will be fluid (roughly in mid January) based on responses. Our goal is 20 pieces of art. Follow our social media @juniperrag for updates.
Art drop-off will be the end of January at Spectrum in Worcester. Artists are responsible for drop off. Date will be in your email stating that we would live to view in-person.
Unfortunately, not all artwork submitted may be selected for this unique opportunity. The work is juried and there is a selection process. Just clarifying for folks that do not normally submit work to calls for art.
This project is a wonderful opportunity to work with our partner Spectrum Healthcare as they invest in the local art community and bring creative vibrance to their new Main South location in Worcester, Massachusetts. Thank you for allowing us to view and consider your work for this permanent collection. All submissions may be kept private if you wish, just indicate in the message area of the form below. We do hope to receive some heartfelt and uplifting stories about your art journey in connection with being touched by addiction to share either on the wall or in storytelling about this collection. Your privacy is of utmost priority.
See our Q & A below for possible questions.
Thank you, Michelle May and Payal Thiffault, Juniper Rag
We don’t normally collect submissions this way, so please let us know if you notice any glitches.
info@juniperrag.com
Q&A
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If you make visual art that can hang on a wall and this call resonates with you, whether you have been touched directly by addiction, or someone you love has or maybe you just want to support the missions of Spectrum and Juniper Rag —we encourage you to share your work with us. You just might be selected. It’s free.
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Absolutely. We welcome all.
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The call will run until after the holidays and we will begin looking at submissions mid-January. Follow @JuniperRag on social media for announcements and watch your emails.
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If you are not local and would like to submit, we are willing to make arrangements with the artist to have a zoom call to assess artwork to avoid shipping costs in the case that you are selected at the first round and move to the second, in-person viewing.
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Galleries and dealers typically take between 40 to 50% from the sale of artworks. Artist are familiar with this exchange. While we want to include as many pieces as possible to support as many artists as we can, we have decided to make the commission 60% to artists and 40% to us, instead of 50/50. * This will allow us room to waive our commission, so that a piece will qualify for purchase. The artist would get paid, but we would not in that case. The task for us is to acquire the work we need in the budget we have set. A piece that costs a higher price will have less of a chance of getting in that a piece around $300, for example.
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Yes, most people do. Just make sure we can see your art well and understand what we are looking at. Renaming your files “name_title_size” is requested. Google “how to rename image files on my phone” if you do not know how.
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Absolutely. If you have no idea what the value is, we can help you figure it out.
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The call is open to all. These days many people are tangentially touched by addiction. If this call speaks to you, please submit work.
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Yes. Anyone affected by addiction in any way can submit. [My children have had many high school friends lost to addiction, for example.]
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An artist statement is a written description of an artist's work that helps the audience understand it. It's a brief, first-person text that aims to inform, connect with an art context, and present the basis for the work. An artist statement should:
Explain the artist's main idea and approach to the work
Demonstrate your personal style
Explain what the work means to the artist and their personal experience.
Connects the art with the audience, so philosophical and esoteric jargon is not ideal.
Viewing art can have many benefits for people in addiction recovery, including:
Self-awareness: Art can help people develop self-awareness and explore their emotions.
Stress reduction: Art can help lower stress levels.
Social skills: Art can help people develop positive social skills.
Emotional management: Art can help people learn to identify and manage their emotions.
Relapse prevention: Art can help prevent relapse with regulation of emotions.
Emotional conflict resolution: Art can help people reconcile emotional conflicts.
Behavior management: Art can help people manage their behaviors.
Reality orientation: Art can help people improve their reality orientation.
Anxiety reduction: Art can help reduce anxiety.
Self-esteem: Art can help increase self-esteem.
Fear facing: Art can help people face their fears.
Guilt and blame: Art can help people face feelings of guilt and blame.
Inner critic: Art can help people understand their inner critic.
The Impact of public art
Research has found creating and engaging with art more generally can offer mental and physical health benefits. Public art projects can promote these public health benefits, particularly for residents involved in their creation or for those who can connect to their local community through installations close to their homes. [via urban institute.com]
Important Dates
Call for art: The call is open through December 1, 2024, 11:59pm.
Notification: Artists will be notified for an in-person viewing by Jan 30th, 2025.
Drop off dates: TBD
Opening Reception: TBA
