There's a bunch of new things to apply to, and there will be a bigger listing later today. But first, a mini-interview (miniview?) with William Etundi, Jr., one of the founders of Artists Wanted. From the Call for Entries:


3rd Ward is sponsoring Artists Wanted's latest call for new art. EXPOSURE is a nation-wide open call for photography and a search for photographers of all backgrounds who speak exquisitely in the language of lenses and aperture. The top photographer will have their work presented in a massive scale photo show on buildings in the top New York City art districts: Chelsea, Dumbo and Williamsburg. Their work will also be featured at an opening event at the Leo Kesting Gallery in Manhattan on August 9th and they will receive: $2,008 cash, a full-press promotional campaign and a feature in our upcoming publication, "The Annual". Several other prizes include a $1,000 scholarship, two $500 discretionary grants, as well as features in "The Annual". Visit Artists Wanted for more information.


*DEADLINE: June 17th



Tell me about the Exposure competition. What type of work do you hope to glean from it?

Several members of our staff are photographers so it holds an important place in our hearts. But more importantly, it has an important function in our culture. We communicate more and more through images each day. Images have the power to reach people in ways that words alone cannot. Their impact is subtle and emotional.

We are interested in art that is powerful both in its impact and its reach. We are not interested in one type of photography but in images that exemplify this power. Submissions will be rated on originality, craftsmanship, composition, and ambition.


What made you decide to show the winning images at such a large scale? Will work that performs well large therefore be favored, and how will that same work translate to the Leo Kesting gallery?

Part of what sets Artists Wanted apart from traditional art outlets is we try to present great work in unique ways. With this competition, we want to show one photographer's work in the largest most ambitious way we could think of. Showing the work via massive projections in the three top art neighborhoods will get our winning artist attention from the traditional art world, the press and the many thousands of random people who will happen by. We want to create an over-the-top event that really launches someone's career.

The core goal of Artists Wanted is to find novel ways of helping great talent skip the challenges and road blocks that the traditional art world puts up. With us, it's not about who you know or who you've worked for, it's simply about finding great talent and getting their work seen.

We also understand that there is an existing infrastructure in place in the art world and it is important to us to offer the selected photographers a traditional gallery show. At a gallery, the viewer will have a totally different experience with the work, even if they've already seen it projected. We want to make a big bang and get the best of both worlds.