Dear Friend:

In response to the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and in conjunction with the Jan/Feb 2023 group exhibition, ROE 2.0, Woman Made Gallery is asking for your voice by sharing your abortion story. This is an on-going project and there is no entry due date. We'll exhibit the stories as they come in, and we feature them on WMG's website.  

We know that there are dozens of reasons why abortions are necessary and it is never a decision taken lightly.

“It was the right decision for me and for the children I already gave birth to.” “I was not ready to be a mother.” “I got my life back.” “It allowed me to complete my education.” “I was able to leave my bad relationship.” “It secured my future.” “It saved my life.” “It was medically and mentally necessary.” “I did not want to be pregnant.”

Whatever the reasons, the most outrageous part of all of this, is that half of the population has been told that they no longer have rights over their own body and that they are now 2nd class citizens.

When I had my abortion, I could not be more unprepared. I was using contraception. yet I accidentally became pregnant. I had no job and I had just been admitted to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago to receive my Master’s degree which made a tremendous difference in my life and my career, receiving the credentials necessary to teach.

There are a thousand stories. I had pretty much forgotten mine, pushed it aside. When it was over, I moved on, taught college Art, exhibited my work, and promoted other Women artists.

Even if you have not had an abortion, you know someone who has. You may have driven them to the appointment. You may remember the feelings of that day and many years afterward.

We are soliciting those personal stories now not to exceed more than 500 words. You may sign your name or stay anonymous. With your permission, your story together with others is shared on WMG’s Website.

You have a choice to sign your name, or to be anonymous and your identity will be omitted. There is no entry fee to submit your story. By clicking the checkbox in this application, you accept and agree to the Acknowledgment and Grant of Permission. If you do not agree to the Acknowledgment and Grant of Permission, you should not submit your experience to Woman Made for the Online Project: My Abortion: My Choice. 

Regards, Marcia Grubb

Lifetime WMG Member | Past President of Woman Made Gallery

Keywords:  Roe v. Wade, Reproductive Rights, Pro-Choice, Feminism, Feminist, My Body, My Choice, Planned Parenthood, Abortion Is Healthcare, Womens Rights

Land represents continuity—connecting us through time and defining space in terms of generational change. In the United States, historical discriminatory housing practices and wealth disparity have profoundly shaped present-day land politics. Juried by Donna R. Charging, this exhibition explores these dynamics while considering environmental concerns and personal histories as they relate to land.

Exhibition Description:

Maps, as visual tools, reveal how artificial boundaries have carved and influenced our understanding of land, yet they fail to capture the depth of individual human experiences. How can artistic practices in various mediums highlight these stories? How might we challenge the borders and boundaries that maps impose?

“Under All is the Land” seeks to illuminate the provisional, the transitional, and the liminal. We are particularly interested in works that engage with the intersection of environmental, social, and historical narratives tied to land. Artists must address the theme of this exhibition in their work and in their artist statement.

The phrase “Under All is the Land” originates from the preamble of the Code of Ethics by the National Association of REALTORS®, emphasizing land as a foundation for life and human connection. 

About the Juror: Donna R. Charging is an enrolled member of the Three Affiliated Tribes (Mandan/Hidatsa/Arikara). Her mother is Eastern Shoshone. Donna grew up on the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming and lives in Pittsburgh, PA. She has a BFA in Studio Arts from the University of Illinois at Chicago and has an MFA in Studio Art and Design at the University of Louisville. Donna is a Visiting Lecturer of Drawing and Painting at the University of Pittsburgh. For more information visit Donna's website: https://www.donnacharging.com/

The exhibition will be held from April 12 to May 10, 2025 at Woman Made Gallery, 1332 S. Halsted St., Chicago, IL 60607.

First Entry Due Date: February 13, 2025, 11:59 PM CST (entry fee: $30) | Final Entry Due Date (fee increases to $35): February 20, 2025, 11:59 PM

Calendar 

Exhibition Dates: April 12 – May 10, 2025 

Opening Reception: Saturday, April 12 from 4 to 7 PM CST 

Artist Walkthrough: Saturday, May 10 from 2 to 4 PM CST 

First Entry Due Date: February 13, 2025, 11:59 PM CST 

Extended Due Date (fee increase to $35): February 20, 2025, 11:59 PM CST 

Notification: February 28, 2025

Entry Fee 

*The entry fee is $30 until the first deadline. The entry fee will then increase to $35 per entry. Each entry requires a minimum of one artwork, though up to three artworks may be considered per submission. Entry fees are non-refundable. 

Members at the Enhanced Artist Level ($100) and above receive one free entry annually. Please email general@womanmade.org to receive your one-time code for free entry redemption. 

WMG offers up to 30 fee waivers per exhibition. To acknowledge the historic inequities of wealth distribution, they are mainly reserved for ALAANA/BIPOC and/or LGBTQIA+. If you require a fee waiver simply email us explaining your need and we will assist you. Please email WMG at general@womanmade.org to request a fee-waiver. 

Eligibility Woman Made Gallery is a space for women and nonbinary artists, including trans women and femme/feminine-identifying genderqueer artists. We welcome art from women and non-binary artists from our local community, regionally based, and around the world. 

Due to wall size restrictions, artworks must be no larger than 6’ horizontally and under 75 pounds in weight, unless delivered to and picked up from our gallery by the artist. Artists may be additionally responsible for the installation of oversized works. 

New media artworks are eligible. To be considered, artists must submit a sample .mp4 or URL under 10 mins for purposes of consideration. For exhibition, WMG requires a digital transfer (Google Drive, Vimeo downloads, WeTransfer) as well as a USB formatted in .mp4 file format delivered to the gallery. WMG can provide a limited number of screens and projectors with basic speakers. All other new media needs are the responsibility of the artist. 

Art Sales Accepted work may be listed for sale or be not for sale (NFS). WMG will retain a 40% commission on sold works. Work remains the property of the artist until sold. Sold artworks shall remain in the exhibition until the end of the exhibition. Artists will be paid no later than 30 days after the close of the exhibit. Artists may donate any portion of their commission to WMG. 

Terms of Exhibition An artist contract with full terms of the exhibition will be administered at the time of acceptance notification. Artists need to retrieve their work by the date noted in the artist contract or make alternate arrangements. WMG is unable to store work beyond the pick-up date. Artists may donate their art to WMG's fundraising efforts if unable to pick it up. WMG is happy to talk through preparations, offer advice, and recommend resources as requested.

Exhibition Description: Woman Made Gallery seeks entries in all media by women and non-binary artists worldwide for its 26th International Open, on view from March 1 to March 29, 2025. 

Juried by artist and educator, Savneet K Talwar, this open theme encourages entries that explore or challenge conceptual and material boundaries. The exhibition will be held at Woman Made Gallery, located at 1332 S. Halsted St., Chicago, IL 60607.

Prizes Awarded: 1st Place $500 / 2nd Place $250 / 3rd Place $100 | 4th Place Honorable Mention

About the Juror: Savneet K Talwar
Savneet Tawar is a Chicago based American Studies scholar, fiber artist, educator and art therapist. She is currently a faculty member at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in the art therapy and fiber and material studies departments. As an interdisciplinary fiber and feminist artist, her work exists at the intersection of archives, memory, language, feminist politics and questions of resistance. She is interested in the contradictions of feminist labor and archival matters to explore history and memory that questions– what and who is worthy of being a subject of discourse? What colonial narratives and images continue to define matters of the global south? 

For more information visit Savneet Talwar's website. 

 Important Dates
Exhibition Dates: March 1–29, 2025
Opening Reception: Saturday, March 1 at 4–7 PM CST
First Entry Due Date: December 31, 2024, 11:59 PM CST
Extended Due Date (fee increase to $35): * Jan. 5, 2025 | 11:59 PM CST
Notification: January 11, 2025

Entry Fee
The entry fee is $30 until the first deadline. The entry fee will then increase to $35 per entry for an extended due date.  Each entry requires a minimum of one artwork, though up to three artworks may be considered per submission. Entry fees are non-refundable.
Members at the Enhanced Artist Level and above receive one free entry annually. Please email general@womanmade.org to receive your one-time code for free entry redemption.

WMG offers fee waivers to those who request the need. WMG offers up to 30 fee waivers per exhibition. To acknowledge the historic inequities of wealth distribution, they are exclusively reserved for ALAANA/BIPOC and/or LGBTQIA+. Factors that result in an approved application include financial instability or low income status, student or recent graduate status, identification as ALAANA/BIPOC and/or LGBTQIA+, or a demonstrated need otherwise. The WMG team will approve and send a fee waiver link within 2 days of artist's request. Please email WMG at general@womanmade.org to request a fee-waiver.

Eligibility
Woman Made Gallery is a space for women and nonbinary artists, including trans women and femme/feminine-identifying genderqueer artists. We welcome art from women and non-binary artists from our local community, regionally based, and around the world.

Due to wall size restrictions, artworks must fall within 6’ horizontally and under 75 pounds in weight, unless delivered to and picked up from our gallery by the artist. Artists may be additionally responsible for the installation of oversized works.

New media artworks are eligible. To be considered, artists must  submit a sample .mp4 or URL under 10 mins for purposes of consideration. For exhibition, WMG requires a digital transfer (Google Drive, Vimeo downloads, WeTransfer) as well as a USB formatted in .mp4 file format delivered to the gallery. WMG can provide a limited number of media players, Epson projectors and TV monitors with basic speakers. All other new media needs are the responsibility of the artist.

Art Sales
Accepted work may be listed for sale or be not for sale (NFS). WMG will retain a 40% commission on sold works. Work remains the property of the artist until sold. Sold artworks shall remain in the exhibition until the end of the exhibition. Artists will be paid no later than 30 days after the close of the exhibit.

Terms of Exhibition
An artist contract with full terms of the exhibition will be administered at the time of acceptance notification.

Artists need to retrieve their work by the date noted in the artist contract or make alternate arrangements. WMG is unable to store work beyond the pick-up date. Artists may donate their art to WMG's fundraising efforts if unable to pick it up. WMG is happy to talk through preparations, offer advice, and recommend resources as requested.