CALL FOR VISUAL ARTISTS 

We are holding our annual fall concert on October 26th at Portland State University’s Lincoln Recital Hall. The koto, a traditional zither, is the national instrument of Japan and has a roughly 1300-year history. In addition to performing koto music and spreading cultural awareness, part of our group’s mission is to collaborate with local artists.

At our upcoming concert we will feature 4 large art works, 2 per artist, 48” by 66” (w x h)  on stage behind the musicians. For producing these art works, artists will be compensated with a $500 honorarium, concert tickets, and their information featured in promotional materials.

This year’s concert will feature popular western and Japanese music arranged for the koto as well as original works. The general theme of the program and submitted artworks should be along the lines of “East Meets West” and “Old Meets New”. The first half will include songs written by western composers, arranged for the koto, and the second half will transition to more contemporary Japanese arrangements. The theme is open to interpretation by the artist and we are looking for art that would complement the aesthetics of the instruments and stage.

Submissions should be received by September 7th at midnight.  

Decisions on the two selected artists by September 10th (by a panel of 6 judges)

Both new works and previously created works with proper dimensions will be considered. All works will be judged on their fit to the theme and overall aesthetics.

Finished piece due by October 11th.

*The due date can be negotiated based on medium, printing time needed, etc. Commissioned artists can work with Oregon Koto-Kai staff directly to plan details.

We are primarily looking for artists local to the Portland Metro Region, but exceptions could be made if you are able to present your work at Portland State University’s Lincoln Hall on the day of the concert.

You can view the typical stage setup in Lincoln Recital Hall and visual art from previous concert footage below.

We look forward to receiving your submissions.