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Call for Proposals
Frack, Crack, Boom, Bang: A call for artists to uplift voices of those touched by fracking and extraction from our landscapes.
The application portal is now closed.
DVAA is pleased to announce a call for artists to uplift the voices of those touched by fracking through artistic exploration that will create visibility and increase public awareness, knowledge, and care for the impacts fracking and extraction have on communities.
Proposals in any artistic form are welcome, including but not limited to visual art, installation, music, film, live performance, immersive theatre, and beyond. Projects should be public-facing to allow for in-person community engagement.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
We have partnered with Damascus Citizens for Sustainability (DCS) and the Ohio Valley Allies to collect oral histories and narratives from people living on the front lines of “frack country”.
Living in “frack country” has been described as living in a war zone. Big oil’s insatiable hunt for fuel has fractured lives, divided communities, and threatens delicate ecosystems we inhabit and rely on. Our land. The air we breathe. The water we drink. Everything that becomes part of us builds our bodies and landscapes or poisons them.
Everyone is affected by fracking in some way. Yet there are no solutions until we as a culture, feel a need for them.
As artists, we are called to bridge the gaps between science and emotion, culture and communities — what can you create from frontline narratives that sheds light not only on fracking’s impact on people and the planet but the traumas and lived experiences faced every day by those on the front lines?
We invite artists to choose one or more narratives to act as a spark, a springboard, for a creative work. If selected, there will be further opportunities to collaborate with narrators, community members, and the Ohio Valley Allies.
NARRATIVES
Richard Cummins — The story of a brine truck driver. Highlights health scares and concerns, lack of equitable pay, and negative economic impacts.
- Jill Hunkler — Fracking came to her homeplace and has completely usurped her life. She talks about losing connection to the landscapes she loves, how changes were rapid and uncertain, disturbances to daily life, and negative health impacts. “[Fracking] is destroying everyone’s children’s future and right to a happy, healthy life…”
Link: https://youtu.be/dxLYXXLWmBw?si=Q9oA6xbmEvElJ4vC
- Sean O’Leary — Senior researcher at Ohio River Valley Institute (ORVI); research on failed economic promises of oil and gas.
Link: https://youtu.be/65zTZRLoDlA?si=yohdshfszwYp7Zjh
- Bob and Darlene Williamson — The Fracking industry has taken away their attachment to their home, community, and land. The couple faces constant anxiety from fracking activities, noise, stress about health and contamination, and concern for their animals. They discuss health impacts and air quality and the fight to obtain and present data on contaminants.
Link: https://youtu.be/igoyAFMk_jw?si=56GUz-PgWrlnJIhI
For more information on hydraulic fracturing and its environmental impacts, take a look at these resources:
ABOUT OUR PARTNERS
Damascus Citizens for Sustainability (DCS) endeavors to protect the community’s right to clean water, air, and land. In 2008, they spearheaded the fracking fight in the Upper Delaware River Basin, which led to the ban on fracking within the basin, and continue to fight for local and regional environmental justice issues.
A community organization built with a grassroots spirit, the Ohio Valley Allies spreads awareness about the dangerous impacts of fracking and empowers people by providing resources, education, and support to protect their health, environments, and communities.
DETAILS
- Two projects will be selected.
- Stipend of $2,500
- We invite proposals from any artistic medium that will culminate in a physical presentation.
- We welcome collaborations or multi-artist proposals
- We will provide housing and transportation, technical support, and expertise
- Projects will be presented by DVAA in Narrowsburg, NY over the weekend of July 18th — 20th, 2025 during Upstate Art Weekend.
TIMELINE
- All proposals are due by Friday, April 11, 2025
- Applicants notified by Friday, April 25, 2025
- Marketing/Promotional materials due by June 13, 2025
- Installation week – July 14 – July 18, 2025
Presentation weekend – July 18 – 20, 2025
QUESTIONS?
Have questions about submitting a proposal? Contact Project Coordinator, Willow Gatewood
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Community Arts
Community Arts Mini Grants
Individual Artist Fellowships
Applications currently closed.
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