Rasanblaj Symposium IN-PERSON Information & Incubator Session

Join us for an IN-PERSON Information & Incubator Session on Sunday, January 12, and Sunday, January 29, from 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM at The Children's Art Carnival. Bring your proposal drafts or ideas to share with representatives from the curatorial committee.

📣 Exciting Opportunity for Artists and Scholars! 📣

Applications Open: December 10th, 2024 Deadline: February 10th, 2025

West Harlem Arts—a collaborative initiative by The Children’s Art Carnival (CAC) and Centro Cívico Cultural Dominicano (CCCD)—is thrilled to announce an open call for submissions exploring the transformative theme of Rasanblaj.

Ra—San—Blaj (noun): Assembly, compilation, enlisting, regrouping. Rasanblaj stems from Haitian Kreyòl traditions, uniting communities in resilience, resistance, and regeneration. It is a call to gather the pieces fragmented by colonization, migration, and modern-day gentrification.

This symposium will place decolonization at its heart:

• Why? To dismantle imposed narratives and reclaim our identities and spaces.
• How? Through arts and culture as tools of expression, healing, and empowerment.
• What? A healthier, more connected community grounded in heritage and equity.

We invite you to submit bold, creative proposals for: 🎨 Art exhibitions and installations 🎭 Performances and panel discussions 🎙 Public and private interventions 🖌 Interactive workshops And more—culminating in a community-driven action plan to sustain these decolonizing efforts.

Proposals may also contribute to the annual Arts, Crafts, and Health Fair on 145th Street, showcasing indigenous and alternative wellness practices to inspire preventative care and celebrate heritage.

Your submission should: 🔍 Challenge colonial narratives and their effects on identity, particularly in West Harlem. 🖋 Explore themes of art, ethnography, decoloniality, and history. ✨ Be as creative and impactful as you dare—think big, small, or somewhere in between!

Selected proposals will receive honorariums:

• $1,000 for large-scale projects (e.g., major exhibitions, multi-person panels).
• $500 for mid-scale projects.
• $250 for small-scale projects.

Artists who identify as BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, differently-abled, or from other marginalized communities are strongly encouraged to apply. Applicants must be 18+ years old.

📅 December 10, 2024: Open Call Launch 📅 February 10, 2025: Submission Deadline 📅 March 2025: Notifications to Selected Proposals 📅 May 30, 2025: Exhibition Opens

💡 Incubator Sessions for guidance:

• Sunday, January 12th: 2 PM–3:30 PM (In-person @ The CAC)
• Wednesday, January 15th: 5 PM–6 PM (Virtual via Zoom)
• Sunday, January 26th: 2 PM–3:30 PM (In-person @ The CAC)
• Wednesday, January 29th: 5 PM–6 PM (Virtual via Zoom)

🖼 May 30–June 8, 2025: Symposium Exhibition at CAC Galleries and other West Harlem spaces. 📅 May 30–31, 2025: Symposium Days 🎭 June 7, 2025: Arts, Crafts, and Health Fair

The Children’s Art Carnival (CAC) has been a cornerstone of West Harlem since 1969, empowering young people and emerging artists through transformative arts programs.

Centro Cívico Cultural Dominicano (CCCD), established in 1962, has been a vibrant hub for Dominican, Latinx, and African-American arts and culture in Hamilton Heights for over 50 years.

This is your chance to be part of a powerful movement reclaiming stories, identities, and spaces through art. Let’s assemble—Rasanblaj awaits!

Visit [] to apply!

Host or Publisher West Harlem Arts