Contemporary Appalachian Craft Open Call

Belonging: Contemporary Appalachian Craft (working title) The Eleanor D. Wilson Museum at Hollins University invites artists and craftspeople to submit work for a planned publication and an upcoming group exhibition (Fall 2028) celebrating the evolving landscape of contemporary craft in the Appalachian region. At the close of the exhibition, three artworks will be chosen by the Hollins community to be acquired by the museum for its permanent collection. Hollins University is a historic, private liberal arts university set on a 475-acre campus in Roanoke, Virginia. Nestled in the Roanoke Valley at the foot of Tinker Mountain, the campus sits roughly 20 minutes from the Appalachian Trail and the Blue Ridge Parkway. Located on the Hollins campus, the Eleanor D. Wilson Museum features three modern, interconnected galleries spanning 4,000 square feet. Admission is free and open to the public, showcasing contemporary and modern art from regional, national, and emerging artists. Exhibition Overview In Belonging: A Culture of Place , bell hooks explores the meaning of home through her return to Kentucky after years away. At the end of the preface, hooks notes that the collection pays “tribute to the past as a resource that can serve as a foundation for us to revision and renew our commitment to the present, to making a world where all people can live fully and well; where everyone can belong.” Our exhibition, Belonging: Contemporary Appalachian Craft , asks a similar question: What does it mean for regional artists and craftspeople to create contemporary works that respond to current issues while remaining firmly rooted in history and tradition? We are also interested in understanding what “Appalachia” means to artists from or living in the region. Is it a place, a people, a history or culture? And how does their work speak to this idea while creating a shared space of belonging? Appalachia has a deep connection to craft production. Historically born from utility and necess