Ashton Gerard/MDN Emerson Eads, director of Choral Activities at Minot State University, directs the choir during one of their performances. The MSU Choir is asking for artist submissions for their Nov. 9 performance of Luciano Berio’s “Magnificat.”

In commemoration of the Centenary of Women’s Suffrage in 2020, the Minot State University Choir under the direction of Emerson Eads is pleased to invite North Dakota female artists to participate in a special art exhibition in conjunction with their Nov. 9 performance of Luciano Berio’s “Magnificat.”

Based on the biblical “Song of Mary,” Berio’s composition was completed 70 years ago this year and is one of several on the November program celebrating the empowerment of women as embodied in the passage of the 19th Amendment.

As part of their performance, the MSU Choir is extending a special invitation to North Dakota female artists to submit work that visually represents one of the movements of Berio’s “Magnificat.”

Artwork selected will be displayed in the foyer of Ann Nicole Nelson Hall during the concert, and images of the works will be projected on a large screen behind the choir during the performance. Following the concert, the artwork will be exhibited at the Walter Piehl Gallery, Northwest Arts Center, from Nov. 14 through Dec. 5.

There are 11 sections in Berio’s textual layout of the “Magnificat,” and artists may choose any one of the 11 movements to represent. The artwork may directly reflect the meaning of the text or it may reinterpret Mary’s experience in the context of the empowerment of women as represented in the women’s suffrage movement.

Artists should submit, by Oct. 15, a JPG image of their work for consideration. Works will be selected for the exhibit based on their interpretation of the theme. Selected artists will be notified by Oct. 25, and the physical artwork should be delivered to the Northwest Arts Center at Minot State University by Nov. 4. Artists are asked to provide a brief rationale for their work and a short personal biography.

There is no entry fee, up to three images may be submitted, and original works in any medium are acceptable. Works may be for sale; a 30% commission will be charged on sales. Commissions or donations will be divided equally between the Northwest Arts Center and the MSU Choir and will be used by the choir to support in-state travel and performances. More details and entry forms can be found online at https://www.minotstateu.edu/.