At one point or another, we all experience rupture—be it the grief of loss, the weight of intergenerational trauma, or the struggle to navigate and affirm our identities. For QTBIPOC communities, these wounds are often deeply rooted in histories of oppression, displacement, and cultural erasure. ‘Healing our Roots’ explores the ways we reclaim our wholeness, mend our lineage, and transform pain into power. This exhibition invites artists to share original works that illuminate the practices, rituals, and imaginations that guide us to personal and collective healing, directly from the root. From ancestral wisdom to modern resilience, we seek art that envisions a future where we witness our wounds, repair, and rise.

Because healing is such a deeply personal experience, we want artists to reflect on the following questions in their submissions:

• How have your racial, familial, and ancestral backgrounds impacted the connection to your surroundings?

• How have your ancestral and racial identities been pivotal in your relationship to healing and transformation?

• In what ways has healing from the root informed how you maneuver through hardship?

We are particularly excited to receive submissions that engage with viewers through an interactive component that helps immerse the audience into a somatic experience (we welcome your interpretation of interactive here). If interested in submitting an interactive art piece, consider the following:

• How will exhibition viewers experience,feel, and interact with your work?

• How can you pose a simple, yet thought provoking question to the viewer?

• How will you track/collect interactions between viewers and your work?

If you want to include an interactive component to your submission but aren’t quite sure how, you may request assistance from the curator to explore solutions. Please include a written list of questions/reflections you want your interactive component to provoke in the viewer.

Submission Guidelines:

• Submissions are open to artists of all backgrounds and levels of experience.

• We accommodate 2D and stationary sculptural installations. For site-specific work, we leave the installation to the artist and ask you please include in your submission thorough sketches of your work in The Fishbowl. If you haven't visited before, we recommend attending any of our weekly events to see the space before you submit.

• Artworks can encompass various mediums (e.g. photography paintings, mixed media, 2D and 3D art etc.) but must provoke thought and discussion around the theme of healing and transformation.

• Submissions should include an artist statement that delves into the philosophical and emotional aspects of your work.

Submission Requirements:

• Incomplete or late submissions will not be considered.

• Please include high-quality images of your work and sketches.

• Artists are responsible for arranging their own sales. Please include a QR code for sale of your work if desired.

Healing our Roots is part of the Guest Curator program at The Fishbowl and is funded by the City of Seattle Department of Neighborhoods.

Submit your artwork here

Art submission deadline — May 4th 11:59PM, 2025