Preserving a Picturesque America (PAPA) is inviting local artists from the southern Appalachian Mountains to submit original works in all media for a juried exhibition being mounted in early fall.
The subject must be a modern version of one of the original Picturesque America vantage points in North Carolina and eastern Tennessee, in the French Broad river basin. The exhibition, which is tentatively scheduled for Sept. 10 – 26, will raise awareness of the importance of preserving a picturesque America while raising funds to support the preservation of these wild, beautiful places.
When Picturesque America was first published in the late 1800s, it helped ignite the conservation movement. Artists and writers captured in words and fine art amazing scenes from across the country. A non-profit, PAPA was founded to find and re-create 1000 original pieces for the purposes of education, conservation and preservation. For more information about PAPA, please visit https://preservationthroughart.org/
Starting with North Carolina, PAPA has set out to revisit the artists’ original 1870s vantage points and capture what these places look like today. These renditions will eventually be published in a new version of the original serial.
The exhibition and art sale will showcase PAPA member artists who have chosen to contribute to the preservation of natural and historical sites depicted in the 1872 publication “Picturesque America, On the French Broad.”
New artists may join the PAPA for the annual fee of $35.00, payable by check or via the PAPA web page: https://preservationthroughart.org/product/artist-membership/. Participating artists will be guided to vantage point locations to create pieces for the show. Membership entitles artists to submit multiple pieces for consideration.
Artwork will be accepted based on meeting the submission criteria and PAPA’s mission and goals. Applications and artwork will be accepted through March 31. See https://preservationthroughart.org/call-for-artists/ for more information and the application contract.
Note: Artwork must be submitted by March 31 to be eligible for the exhibition and for the opportunity to be published in “Picturesque America, On the French Broad.” Space is limited so acceptance is made on a first come, first served basis. Artwork may be submitted by June 1 to be eligible for the exhibition only.