Fleisher Art Memorial (FAM) is excited to announce the call for entries for the 47th exhibition season of the Wind Challenge. Established in 1978 as The Challenge and now known as the Wind Challenge, Fleisher's annual juried competition is committed to enriching people’s lives through art by featuring the work of exceptional artists living in the region. Artists living within a 450-mile radius of Philadelphia are welcome to apply. 

For this series, nine selected artists will be featured in a trio of Wind Challenge Exhibitions—each featuring three artists—to be hosted at Fleisher in 2026. The jurors for this year’s competition are Natalie Kuenzi and James Claiborne. The selected cohort of artists will work closely with the Director of Exhibitions in curating their work and exhibition-related programming.

The Wind Challenge Exhibition Series is made possible thanks to generous support from the Wind Foundation.

SELECTION PROCESS

Applicants are reviewed in a two-stage selection process:

Round 1: Jurors review submitted artwork online. From this initial review, finalists selected to advance to the second round will be notified via e-mail or phone call by May 9, 2025. 

Round 2: Finalists deliver one original artwork to Fleisher by May 15, 2025, reviewed along with their original image submissions by the jurors. (Installation artists being considered as finalists will be encouraged to come to Fleisher for a site visit if interested in submitting a specific proposal for the Fleisher galleries. The resulting round 2 submission could include a plan for the space and/or physical work related to the proposed installation). During this round the jurors will select 9 artists to be part of the Wind Challenge 2026. They will also assign the exhibiting spaces in our gallery (please note that there are three available spaces with different dimensions).

FINAL NOTIFICATIONS to selected artists sent by Friday, May 30, 2025.

2025 JURORS

Natalie Kuenzi is an interdisciplinary artist based in Philadelphia, PA. She creates installations and sculptures from found and altered materials. Her practice explores traditions of craft and art making that celebrate the artist and viewer as agents of change and connection. Through reclamation, material innovation, and the liberating power of the imagination, Kuenzi seeks to transform how we make, how we consume, and how we connect through creative expression.

Natalie was a Wind Challenge artist in the 2022 series. 

James Claiborne is a curator and educator specializing in program and visual arts, boasting over 17 years of experience within the nonprofit cultural sector. He is presently the Deputy Director for Community Engagement at the Barnes Foundation. Prior to this role, he held the position of Senior Vice President of Exhibitions and Programs at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit. Additionally, he was a curator of public programs at the Barnes Foundation, where he curated the Center-supported exhibition "William Edmondson: A Monumental Vision," and served as the director of programming at the African American Museum in Philadelphia.

ELIGIBILITY

• Applicants must live within a 450-mile radius of Philadelphia.
• Selected artists must not be showing the same major body of work in a local gallery or alternative space in the same year as the Wind Challenge exhibition.
• Selected artists must be available to install their work, participate in the Wind Challenge Artist Exchange public program (a panel conversation led by the selected artists in which they ask each other questions and share insights into their creative process), and be present at the opening reception.

Please note that students enrolled in a full-time degree/certificate granting program during the year of the exhibition and previous Wind Challenge artists are ineligible.

EXHIBITION SCHEDULE

The Wind Challenge Exhibition Series will be held in the Dene M. Louchheim Galleries at Fleisher Art Memorial. The exhibitions are scheduled throughout the 2026 year and each exhibition will run approximately four-weeks. Exhibition dates will disclosed to artists in May 2025. 

SELECTED ARTISTS RECEIVE:

• The opportunity to display recent work in a three-person exhibition.
• The opportunity to work with Fleisher’s Director of Exhibitions in one of the country’s first community art centers, helping to curate their work in the selected gallery space.
• $800 honorarium.
• Opportunity to gain exposure and promote your practice through participation in the Wind Challenge Artist Exchange and public reception.
• Promotion in Fleisher publications, online materials, and related marketing.
• Optional: Opportunity to engage with Fleisher's audience by creating a one-hour workshop. Please keep in mind that clearances are needed to engage with youth.

DEADLINE: 11:59 pm on Sunday, April 27, 2025

For more information about the Wind Challenge Exhibition Series, visit fleisher.org.

Please direct inquiries to:
    Gerard Silva, Director of Exhibitions and Community Outreach
    gsilva@fleisher.org / 215-630-0501

ABOUT FLEISHER ART MEMORIAL

Founded by industrialist Samuel S. Fleisher in 1898 as one of the nation’s first community-based art centers, Fleisher Art Memorial is renowned for its long-standing mission of making art accessible regardless of economic means, background, or artistic experience. In 2024, Fleisher is celebrating its 126th anniversary as the center continues to provide free and low-cost studio art classes along with opportunities for emerging and seasoned artists to exhibit their work. Extensive arts education and community-based programming also reflects the organization’s commitment to serving and strengthening communities in Philadelphia by developing, sharing, and promoting creative resources.