Welcome to ARTvision Atlanta 2014!

[ARTvision-9] art20: within the oceans


Posted by Will Pollock, director: 20 July 2014 (updated 24 October 2014)




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You now have an additional week to submit to our jury! Please read the entire prospectus below and, when ready, go directly to the submission page.





Artist call and prospecus—for new and returning artists
Thanks for taking a few minutes to read more about our exciting 9th year of fundraising for Positive Impact!



Our theme for 2014 was “Chaos/Order,” but after some consideration, I wanted to take it a step further. Our oceans, lakes, rivers and other waterways are in a state of increasing peril—and we, as artists, have a chance to make a statement of awareness. Why is this issue important?


image courtesy of The Independent

  • The Pacific Ocean is the world’s largest, and is home to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch—containing 3.5 million tons of trash, roughly the size of Europe.
  • Plastics comprise a significant percentage of that trash. What’s more, fish in the Pacific Ocean ingest between 12,000 and 24,000 tons of plastics each year.
  • A study of 560 Fulmar birds revealed large amounts of ingested plastics; the stomach of one Fulmar that died was found to contain 1,603 separate pieces of plastic. (read more)
  • According to Robert B. Gagosian, President & CEO of the Consortium for Ocean Leadership, we’ve only explored 5 to 7 percent of the ocean floor, and only about half a percent of the oceans themselves. (more)

So, “art20: within the oceans” will ask, What is our responsibility in protecting oceans? What do bodies of water mean to you? How does water itself inspire your creative processes? How can we explore the oceans artistically and with our collective, creative energy? (In case it’s not immediately clear, “art20” is a mash-up of art and “H20,” the chemical formula for water.)

If we can raise even a little awareness to the issues affecting our oceans, then we are, in fact, bringing a measure of order to a chaotic situation.


Again, take this information and allow it to ferment in your mind. If you’ve already started successfully pursuing the previous theme, reach out to me and we’ll talk about how it can be relevant—no problem!

As in previous years, our theme is merely a suggestion, not a hard-and-fast rule. We encourage artists of all mediums to submit pieces. Your submissions (just the concepts/images, submitted online) are due 29 October 2014; our jury will convene in early November; and notifications go out via e-mail out soon afterward. our event will be held once again at Stone Four Studios in December.

I’m also thrilled to announce the return of “#AVSquared: Images with Impact.” This is an Instagram competition in conjunction with the main event that garnered nearly 50 entries last year - and participating is easy. We’ll post more about this in the coming months; for now, though, keep shooting and posting to Instagram with the theme in mind using #AVSquared as your hashtag.

To submit your piece or pieces to ARTvision’s Main Event, go to our submission page now. To submit to our #AVSquared Instagram competition, simply tag your photos with #AVSquared. Remember: keep those submissions directly related to our theme!



What is ARTvision?
ARTvision Atlanta is an online and in-person celebration of the arts, representing works from emerging and established artists that create new funding and resources for our beneficiary, Positive Impact. PI provides critical, culturally competent mental-health, prevention and substance-abuse services for those living with HIV in Atlanta and surrounding areas - and will benefit greatly from your participation.

ARTvision was originally an online-only art show as an outgrowth of Will Pollock’s annual New Year’s Even gourmet-pizza party. Today, we’re in our third year of holding ARTvision as a stand-alone event.

We will once again be a juried show, so the more detailed you can be in your submission, the greater chance it will be accepted for our final show.

ARTvision & Positive Impact: By the Numbers
The funds we raise for PI are critically important to the agency. Keep in mind two important metrics as we enter into our seventh year of fund-raising:

• For every $100 raised, Positive Impact is able to provide one hour of mental-health counseling to those affected by HIV.
• For each $1,100 we earn, PI can provide an entire year of counseling for one individual.

Since ARTvision raised more than $9,000 last year, those funds will support approximately nine individuals for a full year of counseling.



There’s much more to what PI does, and ARTvision directly support those other areas as well. The agency pays out $330.75 for each individual risk reduction; at the same time, for each HIV infection the agency prevents, there is a public health cost savings of more than $110,000. A study done at the agency in 2008 indicated 11 new infections had been prevented.

On PI’s substance-abuse side, the treatment program has a success rate that is 50% higher than the national average. PI clients receive more than DOUBLE the national average number of mental health sessions per year, resulting in significant treatment success.

With a budget of more than $2.5 million, PI serves more than 6,400 clients annually. The agency provides nearly 10,000 clinical hours – all free of charge. Which means that funds raised through ARTvision create essential support for that effort. PI is the only HIV-service organization in Georgia (possibly the Southeast) to be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities.

The agency has been hit hard by sequester cuts, so our fundraising is more important than it ever has been. And what we raise is unencumbered by strings or benchmarks - it goes directly to the agency to help support their mission.

ARTvision Inspiration
Launched in 2006, ARTvision was conceived by Will Pollock to honor his aunt, Betsy Weedon, who was a philanthropic leader in San Francisco's Bay Area for more than 40 years. Betsy lost a fight with cancer in April 2006. Since its inception, ARTvision has proudly raised more than $40,000 for three separate charities. Positive Impact has been the beneficiary since 2008. (read more)

Our event will once again be held at Stone Four Studios at Studioplex Atlanta #131. Our preview night also will be returning, followed the next night by our gala evening, complete with entertainment, food and drinks. More on that to follow.

For those of you who don’t know, Will Pollock published “Pizza for Good,” a chronicle of how ARTvision sprung out of his annual themed-pizza party on New Year’s Eve. The book is published by Agate Digital and is available for purchase and download here. A portion of PFG proceeds will be donated to Positive Impact.

What are Next Steps?
Do not send physical pieces first. We would like you fill out our submission form so we know what you’re intended to show if your piece(s) are accepted by the jury. Submissions will be open for about six weeks - please put these deadlines on your calendar:

• Deadline for submissions (for the Main Event): 17 October 2014 (**now 29 October 2014!**)
• Deadline for #AVSquared is Thanksgiving 2014, but please start tagging your photos now! (what’s AVSquared?)
• Notification e-mails sent: early November 2014**
• Deadline for physical pieces to Atlanta: Wed. 12 Nov. 2014 (preferably earlier)

** If for some reason our production schedule doesn’t adhere to this date, please hold your submissions until you hear from us. Reach out to Will Pollock or Michael Baker at any time with questions.

Remember: Your submitted piece represents a 100% donation—meaning, the buyer claims the tax deduction and gets to bring the piece home. Any pieces not sold will be returned to you or submitted to the ARTvision permanent collection, on display at Stone Four Studios in Atlanta. Important to note: the piece or pieces ALWAYS remain your property until sold through donation. You also have the option to donate your piece to Positive Impact rather than have it shipped back to you. In return, we do not charge an entry fee and we offer lots and lots of free exposure for your artwork and other artistic pursuits.

Ready to submit? Go directly to our submission page and fill out the form. As always, e-mail us with any questions or problems you may have.

Thank you so much for reading, for your generosity, and for your friendship! Please take some time to review and contact us with any questions.