A juried exhibition at the historic Leonard Reid House
Overview
The Sarasota African American Cultural Coalition (SAACC) invites artists to submit work for “Black Joy,” a group exhibition affirming joy as a full and complex practice — spiritual, defiant, tender, and alive. This show holds space for joy as an act of resistance, a return to self-love, a source of peace, and a wellspring of pride, bliss, excitement, and empowerment. It asks: what does it mean for Black people to feel good, fully and without apology, in a world that has often denied that right?
Black Joy will be on view in the historic Leonard Reid House, a 1926 frame vernacular home built by Sarasota pioneer Leonard Reid. It was relocated to Newtown in 2022 from the city’s first Black community called Overtown and gently, lovingly restored. The house now serves as a living museum and cultural anchor for SAACC. Exhibiting inside these walls mean placing new work in direct conversation with the home’s own history of Black pride, self-determination, and community-building.
Exhibition Themes
We welcome work that explores Black Joy through any of the following lenses:
- Spirituality — faith, ritual, ancestral connection, the sacred within the everyday
- Resistance — joy as defiance, as refusal, as survival strategy
- Self-love — tenderness toward the self, the body, the reflection in the mirror
- Peace — rest, stillness, quiet, exhale
- Pride — heritage, lineage, identity claimed fully and visibly
- Bliss and excitement — celebration, movement, laughter, pleasure
- Empowerment — agency, voice, standing in one’s own power
Artists need not address every theme — we’re looking for work with a clear, personal point of view on what joy means and how it moves through Black life.
Meet Curator Clifford McDonald
Clifford McDonald is a Sarasota-based visual artist and founder of Art 4 Change, a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating positive social change through art, education, advocacy, and service. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Maine at Presque Isle, where he developed a practice centered on storytelling through portraiture and contemporary figurative art.
Inspired by culture, history, and community, Clifford’s work explores themes of identity, belonging, and social progress. His artwork has been featured in solo exhibitions at Art Ovation Hotel, Art Center Sarasota, and The Lexow Gallery, as well as numerous group exhibitions throughout Florida. Through both his artwork and community leadership, Clifford strives to create meaningful experiences that encourage dialogue, reflection, and connection.
Medium & Submission Requirements
- All artwork must be original, not Ai-generated
- Medium: 2-D ready-to-hang artwork (drawings, paintings, photography, printmaking, digital, etc.)
- Number of works: 1–2 pieces per artist
- 30×30 maximum size
- Eligibility: Open to artists at any career stage; regional and national submissions welcome
- Work must be ready to install (proper hanging hardware, framing, or freestanding stability as applicable) given the intimate scale of the historic house galleries
- Artists are responsible for artwork delivery and pick up
Venue
The Leonard Reid House offers a modest, intimate 1,400 square foot gallery footprint. The house is professionally secured with a monitored alarm system and video cameras, and all exhibited work is covered under the venue’s insurance policy for the duration of the show.
Dates
- Exhibition: Nov. 4 – March 31
- Submission deadline: Sept. 18
- Notification of acceptance: Sept. 25
- Deadline to sign agreement: Oct. 2
- Delivery of accepted work: Oct. 29
- Opening reception: Nov. 12
Programming
Accepted artists are invited (and encouraged, though not required) to participate in public programming built around the exhibition, including:
- Panel discussions on Black Joy as artistic and cultural practice
- Artist talks with participating exhibitors
- Two classes for children enrolled in the local afterschool program, introducing young people to the exhibiting artists’ work and process
Awards and Prizes:
First, second and third place awards are $500, $300, and $200.
Sales:
All work is for sale. No POR (Price on Request) or NFS (Not for Sale) unless specifically stated in the exhibition prospectus.
Artist commission:
- 70% of selling price (30% to SAACC).
- Artists are responsible for reporting and filing taxes in accordance with state and federal regulations.
Marketing & Promotion
This exhibition will receive dedicated marketing and PR support, including press outreach, social media promotion, and community programming designed to bring visibility to participating artists and their work throughout the run of the show.
How to Apply
Please submit the following to Mydahlia.Glover@TheSaacc.org:
- Artist name, contact information, and short bio (150 words max)
- Up to 2 images or files representing the 1–2 works proposed for the show
- Title, medium, dimensions, and year for each piece
- A brief artist statement (150–250 words) on how the work speaks to Black Joy
Questions may be directed to Clifford McDonald.
We look forward to celebrating the many dimensions of Black Joy with you.
