Calls for Art and Lit Submissions from PRØOF and the PRØVE

Year one for the PROVE Collective was an exhilarating one not only for the five young men who made it happen, but also for those of us in the local arts community who watched it emerge. The big question in some minds was how long would it last. And where would things go once others in the group moved on. After all, four of the founders were newly graduated art students.

Two indeed move on and the replacement selections seem only to have strengthened the Collective in unimagined ways. Two women filled the void, both of them a little more seasoned, each bringing new artistic disciplines to this affiliation of artists: Kathy McTavish and Kathleen Roberts.

Roberts, in association with the PRØVE, founded PRØOF, a literary arts publication featuring essays, poetry, short stories and art. Each of the first two issues has been surprisingly good. I enjoy the multi-layered possibilities inherent in the themes.

Here's the announcement:

PRØOF, Duluth, Minnesota’s publication of contemporary art and literature, is accepting submissions to its third issue, ‘For the Record,’ coming out in February 2014. ‘For the Record’ will focus on the role of music in various forms of art. Any format or style of written or visual work addressing this theme is acceptable, and contributors are encouraged to think outside of the box.

Issue overview: Whether it is aural or visual, art creates a music of the mind. Moreover, our own movements as artists mirror the notes, harmonies, and pauses in our surroundings. Many artists and writers also use music as a source of inspiration. PRØOF is seeking work that speaks to the connection between music, art, and literature.

Work guidelines: 
 • Any form and style of work is acceptable. 
• Written submissions should be limited to three thousand words or fewer. 
• Submitted images should be at least 300 dpi. 
• Magazine staff reserves the right to edit for style, content, and grammar.

Cover letters are encouraged, although they are not required. Cover letters should tell us a little bit about you as a writer and include a brief statement about the work you have submitted. They should not include any pitch for or interpretation of your work. Simultaneous submissions are acceptable, provided that the author notifies PRØOF immediately if their work is selected for publication elsewhere. All works should be previously unpublished.

If you write or make art, I pass this along and encourage you to sift what you have created, or use this opportunity to create something new. For more information, or to submit work, contact proofmagazine@provegallery.com
Submission deadline is November 30, 2013.

To download copies of the first two issues visit provecollective.com and click on the PRØOF tab.

The call for art for the September PRØVE Show has also gone out. The theme will be Transplants. Here's the Show Description:

In this modern life, we all move a lot. For work, for environment, and for many other reasons, we relocate in order to better ourselves and to seek new experiences. This fosters a mixing of ideas, of cultures, and of media, across time, disciplines, and upbringings. For "Transplants," Prøve Collective is seeking works from artists who have moved to Duluth for any reason. We are in a time of change in many ways, and would like to showcase this with an exhibition highlighting the rich variety that all of this intermixing can achieve. All types of art and media will be considered for exhibition.

Local transplants will want to download a PDF for artist guidelines from the PRØVE website. (Click the øppørtunities tab.) Deadline for submissions is August 28.

If you have been making work - whether poetry, pottery or paintings -- that you're proud of but have been reticent to share, maybe this is a good place to make a go of sharing with a wider audience. It's a lot less work than assembling and promoting your own first show.

Thanks again, to everyone in the Collective who has worked so hard to bring this space to our community here in the Northland.

Eight Minutes with PRØVE Collective’s Kathleen Roberts, Founder of PRØOF Magazine

Kathleen Roberts is the newest addition to Duluth's PRØVE Gallery and Artist Collective, now springing into second year. She is also the first writer and female, bringing a new sensibility and vitality to this creative team.

EN: How did you come to get involved in the PRØVE Collective?
Kathleen Roberts: I had been in Duluth for over a year when I moved away briefly to finish my studies in Classics at Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota. When I came back, I met Steven Read through happenstance. He was looking for a replacement member, since he would soon be leaving for graduate school in Pennsylvania, and I was looking for a way to get involved in the arts. After a brief internship, I was brought on board as a full member.

EN: Where did you grow up and how did you end up in Duluth?

KR: I grew up in Cranston, Rhode Island, the town with the greatest concentration of blue eye-shadow and dropped R's in the nation. I first moved to Minnesota for college, and eventually came to Duluth to work for the Minnesota Conservation Corps, an Americorps program that works for environmental conservation. My contract with them ended in 2010, but I was hooked on Duluth, and I've been here ever since.

EN: What attracted you to the arts? 
KR: I have been writing for as long as I can remember. I love all forms of art, but my truest love is literature. When I came to Prøve, it was with the intention of giving written and spoken word a place in this already eclectic space. So far, I have done so by organizing a storytelling event featuring Rachel Nelson, Jean Sramek, and Bob Monahan and by founding our magazine, PRØOF, whose second issue will be out in January.

EN: What is your take on the Twin Ports arts scene? 
KR: My God, the Twin Ports art scene is blowing up! I feel incredibly fortunate to have bumbled into the middle of a really exciting time in Duluth and Superior. It seems like every month I see new venues, shops, and ventures popping up. This coming May will be 'arts month', and I am so excited to see this new tradition beginning. When you throw a brand-new, independent record label (Chaperone) into the mix, I think that 2012 has been a year of serious and permanent growth for the arts scene here.

EN: What have you learned thus far from running a gallery? 
KR: Running a gallery could be compared to, I don't know, wrangling a rabid zombie cat herd. It's a really tough job, and communication is vital, but often challenging. That said, nothing is more satisfying than watching a show go up, as work is delivered and comes together to create a cohesive space. After weeks of working on an exhibit, there's nothing better than finally standing back, pouring a glass of wine, and watching the community come together to enjoy art.

EN: What prompted you to start the PRØOF magazine? What is you aim with this eZine?

KR: When I first joined, I had no ambitions of starting a publication. I wanted to begin to incorporate literary events into the gallery's schedule, but the idea of creating a magazine had not crossed my mind. Shortly before he left, Steven brought up the idea and told me that he thought I was the one for the job. I was overwhelmed, and still am sometimes, but I am so glad that we just went for it. The first issue was almost 40 pages long, filled with art and writing, some of it from nationally acclaimed artists. As far as my goals, I am hoping to continue to have a varied and interesting group of contributors making it great. I am also entering the process of signing on advertisers so that we can put it into a limited print run. I'd love local businesses and artists to be able to pick up a copy of PRØOF.

EN: Do you make art as well, and if so, what kind? 
KR: I have been writing poetry for about ten years now. I have not been widely published, but hey, I'm workin' on it, and this past year I won a fairly significant literary prize, which was exciting in that it was my first time being financially compensated for creating art.

EN: Who have been your biggest influences thus far in your life? 
KR: Other than my mother, father, and brother, who are all great inspirations to me, most of my major influences have been terrifyingly rowdy and/or weird people. As a teenager, I idolized Jack Kerouac and basically aspired to be a journeyman drunk. Fortunately, that career kind of fell through. At this point, I would say that my greatest modern literary influences are probably Bukowski, Faulkner, e.e. cummings, and Toni Morrison. I also love ancient writers, since they are not as bashful about philosophizing or making dirty jokes; my favorites are Lucretius, Ovid, and Cicero.

EdNote: Stay current with what's happening at the PRØVE by bookmarking their website provegallery.com.

PRØOF Magazine Call for Submissions

Kathleen Roberts is the newest addition to the PRØVE Gallery and Artist Collective, which is now in its second year. Though having grown up in Rhode Island (her mother is currently Lt. Governor there) she went to school at Carleton College in Northfield where she studied Classics. She had worked here in Duluth with the Conservation Corps for a year and fell in love with the place. The opportunity to become a member of the Collective occurred through a serendipitous encounter with Stephen Read, a co-founder who was now leaving the region for grad school.

Roberts brought a new energy to the team and new skill sets. Her literary background and support from the team here has reulted in the new publication PRØOF Magazine. What follows below is a call for submissions from Kathleen Roberts, the editor and publisher.

PRØOF Magazine has announced an Open Call for Submissions to its second issue, ‘(re)collection’

PRØOF, Duluth, Minnesota’s newest quarterly publication of contemporary art and literature, is accepting submissions for its second issue, ‘(re)collection,’ coming out on January 15, 2013. ‘(re)collection’ will focus on the forms and functions of memory in art. Any format or style of written or visual work addressing this theme is acceptable, and contributors are encouraged to think outside of the box.

Issue overview: None of us comes to our art innocent. Our perceptions and creations are inevitably shaped by our pasts. PRØOF is seeking any type of written or visual art that explores the role of our memories, both individual and collective, in the creation of art.

PRØOF Quarterly: PRØOF is a quarterly publication through Prøve Gallery of Duluth. Our mission is to showcase the talent of local, regional, and national artists and writers and foster the discussion of important ideas about arts and culture. PRØOF is proud to be based in Duluth, and it will focus on one local artist in each issue, bringing them into larger discussions of regional and national art.

Work guidelines:
o Any form and style of work is acceptable.
o Written submissions should be limited to three thousand words or fewer.
o Magazine staff reserves the right to edit for style, content, and grammar.

Cover letters are encouraged, although they are not required. Cover letters should tell us a little bit about you as a writer and include a brief statement about the work you have submitted. They should not include any pitch for or interpretation of your work.

Simultaneous submissions are acceptable, provided that the author notifies PRØOF immediately if their work is selected for publication elsewhere. All works should be previously unpublished.

Submission guidelines:  E-mail submissions to ProofMagazine@ProveGallery.com or mail with return postage to Prøve Gallery 21 North Lake Ave. Duluth, MN 55802

o E-mailed documents should be in .doc or .docx format.
o Up to three separate pieces may be submitted.
o If not providing a cover letter, writers should include a separate sheet with their name and contact information.

Deadlines:
o Submissions due by December 20.
o Selected writers will be notified by the end of the day on January 2.
o PRØOF (re)collection will be published electronically on January 15, 2013

EdNote: To learn more, check out their first issue, endless timeless limitless nothingness. 
To Follow on Twitter: @PROOFmag