Virtual Exhibition
Re-Imagining Democracy
On View Now: 2021 Future Art Awards Virtual Exhibition
This year’s 2021 Future Art Awards Virtual Exhibition is an arts-based exploration of the changing meanings, practices, paradoxes, and futures associated with Democracy. Welcoming hundreds of artists ranging from 17 years to 75 years of age and representing submissions from 62% BIPOC artists across 38 U.S. states, MOZAIK Philanthropy’s 2nd Annual Awards program drew inspiration from the top of social and environmental justice movements of the recent past, including Black Lives Matter, Stop Asian Hate, Me Too, Times Up, Keep It In The Ground, Resist, and Love Wins, among others.
The 2021 Awards celebrated the theme Re-Imagining Democracy by inviting artists of all backgrounds and creative expressions to submit their art as a commentary on the current and future state of U.S. democratic values. Between May 30th and June 10th, an independent group of arts professionals assessed each art submission in a blind review, selecting 10 featured artists to receive $2,000 honorarias and an additional 40 special mention artists to receive $1,000 honorarias.
The 2021 Future Art Awards celebrates the creative achievements of all 50 winning artists in a virtual exhibition curated by cultural historian, educator, and curator, Dr. Shiva Balaghi. The exhibition is now open and free to the public.
The Circle
Re-Imagining & Democratizing Art Spaces
Many cultures across time have drawn on the circle as a symbol of unity, one that creates non-hierarchical spaces for communion. In the arts, circular structures center audiences as active participants in the creative process. Visitors can choose their own path around the virtual gallery. The artworks selected by the jury as finalists are positioned on either side of the entrance; those that received honorable mentions complete the circle. In the curatorial essay featured in the exhibition catalogue, Dr. Shiva Balaghi highlights the work of the ten finalists, pointing to thematic and formal flows threaded throughout the exhibition, “Re-imagining Democracy.”
Official Exhibition Hashtags: If you enjoyed The Future Art Awards virtual exhibition, please don’t forget to give these extraordinary artists a special shout-out on social media. Post and tweet using these official hashtags: