The 6000 Circles Project

We are The Calling. Our latest collaboration, The 6000 Circles Project, focuses on the circle as a symbol of balance and unity, a never ending container of feminine energy and light. We are envisioning 6000 circles; created by a multitude of artists, of all genders, from around the globe, both groups and individuals, gathering and making for a series of interactive public and digital installations.
The initial inspiration came from the Obliteration Room created by Yayoi Kusama, where people were invited to place circle stickers spontaneously throughout the exhibition space, thereby creating an interactive and evolving installation. We would like to build upon this concept based on The Calling’s previous interactive installation as part of the Feminine Journey exhibition at the Beseder Gallery in Prague 2022. The intention is to expand its scope and reach to be a fully inclusive collaboration that honors all aspects of the feminine.

● The project will run March – November 2024 – a 9 month living project based on the nine months of gestation.
Grand kick off will be March 2024 in honor of International Women’s Month with pop-ups, exhibitions and events.
Closing will be in November 2024 to celebrate the harvest, gratitude and thankfulness and also to speak to it being another important election year for women’s rights in the United States.
● The participating artists or groups will self-define and design the parameters for their exhibitions and or individual pieces, as well as the documentation of the circle making experiences. Exhibition possibilities are open ended and can include pop-up, street style, traditional installations or virtual presentations; the only criteria is that the substrate for the images is circular and responds to the feminine journey.
● We are asking all participants to document processes, any circle making events, receptions, etc and to share with The Calling digitally. This material will be combined with documentation from other facets of the project.
Participants may also use this documentation for their own creative content.
We are excited to collaborate with all participants as we create this global celebration.

The Calling – Our Feminesto
We Embrace and Celebrate generosity, joy, inclusivity, curiosity and wonder We Honor all forms of creativity as pathways to connect to self and community We Believe supporting the expression of feminine energy, nourishing creativity, cultivating collaboration and encouraging visibility will foster a more balanced legacy for our collective future
HOW CAN I PARTICIPATE?
HOSTING A CIRCLE MAKING GATHERING
● Gather your friends, artists, family, knitting circles, coffee or wine groups, spiritual groups, school kids, set up a table to make art on the street or in a park, there are no limitations to who can make circles.
● Collect art making tools, materials, photos, clay, magazines etc and circular substrates of cardboard, wood, canvas, paper, fabrics and or wire to name a few.
● Have fun using the prompts to help get your juices flowing

INDIVIDUAL CIRCLE MAKING
● Same as above, but in the enjoyment of your own company CIRCLE MAKING PROMPTS Your circle is not limited to any size or medium as these are determined by the exhibition sites you are making the artwork for. The only two parameters we ask you to adhere to is that the substrate for the artwork is circular and that the images respond to the topic of honoring the feminine.
For your consideration and to get your juices stirring…… Feminine aspects:- energetic, joyful, creative, curious, heart centered, nurturing, compassionate, intuitive, grounding, receptive, internal focus, flow, sensual…….
Possible topics for creative exploration: Feminine Archetypes, Ancestry, Women’s Rights, Female form, Goddesses, Gender Issues, Feminine voices, Advocacy, Women Artists, Motherhood, Cultural stories, Traditional crafts, Gaia or Earth centered Prompts to further stimulate your juices…..
● What is a feminine characteristic that you most admire or embody?
● Who is an ancestor you had a connection with, either positive or negative, that you would like to explore? Is there a story or encounter?
● Do you have a female identifying artist, hero, or family member that you would like to pay homage to?
● Is there a specific culture or beloved goddess that you honor and seek guidance from?
● What is a rite of passage ritual you completed or long for? Is there an experience you have been denied?
● Where have you endured hidden shame along the feminine journey?
● What shapes, colors, texture or elements come up for you when you think of “feminine”.
● What cultural stigma, belief or ritual would you like to push against (defined gender roles or standards, limitations, dress code etc) ● Is there a favorite natural space that you like to visit that brings you peace or joy with which you feel a deep affinity?

WHAT’S NEXT?…………
● Exhibit in a self-defined / designed space or collaborate with others. Spaces can included but are not limited to; cafes, galleries, libraries, store front windows, parks, pop-ups, church halls, back alleys or any other place that feels appropriate. You are only limited by your imagination and your moxie!
● Document and post on social media and share with @the6000circle_project
● Exhibitions will be announced throughout the 9 month period (March-November, 2024) for possible inclusion
● If you are hosting either a circle making event, an exhibition or an open call for circles we are happy to share that on social media
● Mail completed circles to the Calling. Address will be provided with a call for completed art.

WHO WE ARE
Navigating through our lives is a complex and ever changing endeavor; self identifying as women we share an understanding of a fundamental reality of living in a masculine focused and dominated hierarchy. As creatives we were looking for our circle, a tribe of sensitives beyond our families and friends.
Our paths came together in 2014 through theBecoming, an online coaching program for artists, which lead to a magical and wonderful experience in Prague, 2017 for our first International exhibition. Fast forward to 2020 when we were reunited during the covid lockdown. We worked via zoom for 18 months creating the Calling made up of alums of theBecoming on a journey to reclaim and solidify our feminine creative journey, and exhibited in Prague Sept 2022, the first Calling exhibition.
Our intention is to embrace and embody our feminine attributes, how we think, how we make, what we show and where we show…breaking the cycle of waiting. Taking our power into our own hands we create our own paths, our own opportunities and our own successes as a path to fulfillment over validation. We are continuing to develop our ideology and collaboration by creating a global community project to bring awareness to and normalize the feminine journey.

Links for us www.sheilametcalftobin.com ; www.ylscreations.com ;  www.artworkarchive.com/profile/chantelle-goldthwaite @the_calling22 @the6000circle_project The Calling are proud to be in collaboration on the 6000 Circle Project with: Women’s Caucus for Art: Alabama, Florida, Chicago, Massachusetts, Colorado, Texas, Southern and Northern California Chapters Harmonia Institute …with more organizations and artists to come.

Contact Amanda Banks for more information amanda@amandarbanks.com