Open Call • Invasive Species at CCE CG

CREATE Council on the Arts, in partnership with Mayuko Fujino and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Columbia and Greene Counties, invites artists to submit to the following open call, for an upcoming exhibition opening at CCE CG, Agroforestry Resource Center, in Spring 2027.

Invasive plants are often cast as enemies. 

This call invites artists to work with these same plants and ask a different question, such as: Can we move beyond “good” and “bad”? Can we turn our fear into curiosity? Can we coexist? You can explore these directions or your own themes and questions in this open call. 

We’re seeking artwork that reframes invasive plants as vessels for exploring complexity beyond binary thinking. It is not about denying ecological harm, but about envisioning what other relationship might be possible once we stop seeing these plants only as something to fight. Submitted work must physically incorporate plant material invasive to the region. The subject of the piece is up to you.

– Mayuko Fujino, Aug 2026

Mayuko Fujino creates hand-cut stencil paintings using invasive plants and weeds as both paint and canvas. She also hosts pigment-making workshops exploring these materials, and recently released an art zine, Beakuency: Bird-Friendly Farms in Hudson Valley!, illustrated with the same botanical sources. Learn more about her work here.

MEDIUM IDEAS/SUGGESTIONS

• Dye — using plant material to dye fabric, fiber, or paper
• Paint / pigment — extracting pigment from leaves, berries, roots, or bark to create paint or ink
• Fiber art — spinning, weaving, or otherwise working plant fiber into textile-based work
• Basketry — weaving vines, branches, or stems into baskets or woven structures
• Other approaches — printmaking, papermaking, sculpture (?) or any process not listed here that puts the plant material itself at the center of the work

SUBMISSION INFORMATION

• Submission Deadline: February 15, 2027
• Submitted work must physically incorporate the plant material.
• Artists may submit up to X artworks. 
• All accepted artwork must be wall-mounted, ready for installation by the stated installation date, and artists should be available during the installation period if needed.
• CREATE retains a 30% commission on all artwork sales, or more if the artist indicates they would like to donate. 

LOCATION
CREATE Offsite
Cornell Cooperative Extension, Columbia & Greene
Agroforestry Resource Center
6055 Route 23 Acra, NY 12405

KEY DATES
Artwork Drop-Off: TBA
Opening Reception: TBA
Exhibition Dates: April–June, 2027

If you have any questions, or are simply curious to know more, please email gallery@createcouncil.org