As we prepare for the 2021 Online Pelham Art Festival, we are pleased to let you know that the environmental theme…Our Planet, Our Future, chosen originally for the 2020 festival, will be carried over to this year’s event.

This theme addresses what scientists and many others agree are the most important issues of our time…climate change and the degradation of our planet.

In 2015, one of Britain’s newspapers, The Guardian, carried an article titled ‘Why Climate Change Needs the Arts’, in which economist and climate change activist Andrew Simms wrote…

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jun/03/why-climate-action-needs-the-arts

Members of the Pelham Art Festival Committee agree with Mr. Simms regarding the power and potential role of the arts as an influencer around these critical issues. So as a first and important step of the Festival’s Our Planet, Our Future theme initiatives, we invite you, the artists, to participate with a specially created work of art for the 2021 Pelham Art Festival. We hope to add other green initiatives to the 2021 Festival throughout the planning process. Stay tuned.

Join in our theme activity by creating a painting in your favourite medium, a sculpture, your glass, ceramic or wood creation, a fine art photograph, a piece of jewellery, or wearable art that is inspired by your passion as an artist to protect our beautiful planet.

From all the artwork submitted for the Our Planet, Our Future theme, a curator will select a number of works for their creativity, originality and on-theme message to be featured on a separate gallery page for viewers to visit and make purchases. One work from this gallery will be selected by the curator for a Best- in-Theme award.

When you upload the themed art piece to your gallery page, please title it… Our Planet, Our Future: (+ your own title ) so it can be identified. We would like you to include a brief artist statement about your eco-themed piece, explaining your concept, the message you hope it conveys to the viewer and what inspired your work to accompany the themed artwork on your gallery info page.

If you plan to participate in the Our Planet, Our Future challenge, just send a short e-mail
to pelhamartfest@gmail.com by April 6th to let us know. Label the email subject heading Environmental Theme Participant. This is important as the curator will be checking only the galleries of those who identify themselves as participants in this challenge.

NB: Please DO NOT send us images, etc. of your Our Planet, Our Future art challenge piece/write-ups. We look forward to seeing your special work, inspired by your desire to make a difference, on your gallery page at the Festival from May 1-15th.