The Bridge Project!

Open Call for Artwork and Writing for The Bridge Project

Front Royal, VA: United ShenValley Artists (USVA) invites community members of all ages to submit artwork and writing to The Bridge Project, a community art project that will explore and promote connecting across differences. Participants should write, paint, draw, or collage on 5 x 7 paper or postcards to celebrate the connections we make or would like to make to people who may seem different from ourselves.

We will affix finished artwork to a wooden slat rope bridge to be displayed in public spaces in Front Royal and will hold an event to unveil the final bridge.

If you would like to create a piece of art or writing, free watercolor paper and instructions can be found at Happy Creek Coffee, Blue Wing Frog, and the Samuels Public Library. Or you may use your own paper. Submissions are due March 1, 2018 and can be submitted to boxes in these three locations or mailed to Stover Insurance at 214 East Jackson Street, Front Royal, VA 22630.

The USVA will also hold two free workshops at Samuels Public Library to help community members create their postcards. Workshops will take place on two Saturdays: January 20 and 27 from 10 am to 12 pm. The January 20th workshop will be led by artist Tammy Ruggiero and writer Heather Davis. The January 27 workshop will also be held led by artists Mark Cooley and Beth Hall. The workshops are intended for participants age 12 and above, but younger children may attend with adult supervision.

Please email Heather Davis at hdavis67@gmail.com to register for the workshops. Walk-ins also accepted and materials will be supplied.

Postcards must be family-friendly and can be anonymous. Please include your name and email on the participant form, if you wish to be contacted about the unveiling event. Postcards will not be returned. A selection of postcards will also be displayed on a project website.

Sample Ideas for Postcard Art/Writing

  • A collage of various people and places you connect to in a meaningful way.
  • The story of how your family or ancestors came to America from another country.
  • A poem about your connection to a person who is differently abled.
  • An essay about working with someone from another political party or religion.
  • A drawing about the connections you would like to make.
  • A painting about friendships with people of different races and cultures.
  • A mini-essay about a time someone reached out to you across differences.

The Bridge Project is sponsored by United ShenValley Artists, an outreach of Selah Theatre Project that promotes the positive power of the arts in our homes and community.  For more information, visit: https://www.selahtheatreproject.org/usva.