“Wild Home” Community Book Creative Illustration Project
Request: A collaborative community arts project seeks original illustrations for a one-of-kind book that serves as an artistic representation of the North Fork Valley’s struggle to protect its community and public lands from the ravishing impacts of oil and gas development, inspiration and guide to others. This book is a collaboration between Notch Theatre company – producers of the Wild Home play, North Fork Valley Creative Coalition, and Citizens for a Healthy Community. The book will feature “Wild Home” theatre scripts, advocacy tools, maps and information about the North Fork Valley, reflections on social justice-driven theatre, and multi-media illustrations from artists in the community.
Intent: Produce a book with many authors and many illustrators. The intent is for this book to be special– not one that simply sits on a bookshelf– but lives in someone’s home or office as its own work of art. The text will consist of theatre scripts (Wild Home plays), community reflections, information about the biological wealth and value of the North Fork Valley, information about socially-engaged theatre, and more. The purpose of the illustrations is to bring these words, chapters, and play scripts to life through visual art, and capture the hopes, fears and dreams of the community represented in each Wild Home play.
Goals of the project:
- Create a comprehensive, multidisciplinary creative arts expression project that connects the literary, visual, and performing arts around environmental justice and preservation of the North Fork Valley
- Celebrate the past, present and future process and possibilities of Wild Home
- Create a book that is both art and guide—a model for others both within and outside the North Fork Valley community
- Collaborative engagement, artistry, and fundraising for a shared cause
- Honor the role of artists in social and environmental change
- Time capsule, yet forward looking and timeless
Book outline:
- Introduction
- History and importance of social/environmental inspired theatre
- The Inspiration: Too Wild to Drill Report—North Fork Valley
- Wild Home Concept—Process—Community Interviews
- Wild Home Play Scripts
- Impact: Call to Action, presentations outside community, partnerships, citizens/people that were inspired to get involved—new activists
- Guerilla Theatre—plans for distribution/awareness/execution
- Conclusion
Submission Requirements:
We are looking for visual artists of all kinds who are interested in illustrating and creating artwork to visually represent the importance of protecting the North Fork Valley from extractive industries. Open to all mediums, forms, and styles that can be printed on a page.
We are calling for artists who live in the North Fork Valley, so others may be inspired through your passion for your home, and so we may stimulate the local artist economy.
If interested, email natasha@chc4you.org for a copy of the “Wild Home” script PDF.
We ask that interested artists submit the following:
- Sketch or a concept for one or more of the following
o 3-4 illustrations per Wild Home play
o Given the content outlined in the table of contents, a different illustration or visual idea that inspires you
- The artist should own the overall artistic expression and reflection of each play or chapter. The proposal should reflect the artist’s interpretation of the visual expression needed, which may result in more than the minimum illustrations requested per chapter.
- Specs: The product will be 8.5 x 11 size, traditional book binding on thick heavy paper
Review Criteria:
- Artistic merit
- Interpretation of the plays
- Range of artistic expression
- Applicability to handmade paper printing materials
Honorarium: To honor each artist’s time, skills, and creativity, an honorarium of $150 is available per illustration.
Deadline: (extended) October 1, 2020
Submit proposal or questions to:
Natasha Léger
Citizens for a Healthy Community
PO Box 1283
Paonia, CO 81428
Or via email at: natasha@chc4you.org
