Need to blow off a little steam in the face of the constantly, purposefully deflating socio-political onslaught of war and deportation centers and public murders and back and forth tariffs and bullshit and and and and and? It's pretty clear from here that another round of collective catharsis is in order to hold each other up and bolster our community. We held the first VENT! last year when everyone was reeling from what now seems like a naive, innocent time. Now, things have gotten worse and it can look like dystopia all the way down from here on some days. The process of making art helps. a lot. So VENT! is back, as artists should only get louder and we should shout together. In that light, we invite you to tap into those feelings you either don't want to face or can’t unsee right now and put them on the canvas, or in the clay, or in a spoken word poem or short play, or in whatever medium you want. Put them over there into that work, and then bring that work to VENT!

Call for Artists: VENT!

June 28th, 2026

an all day, pop up art event
at the Georgetown Steam Plant

Need to blow off a little steam in the face of the constantly, purposefully deflating socio-political onslaught of war and deportation centers and public murders and back and forth tariffs and bullshit and and and and and? It's pretty clear from here that another round of collective catharsis is in order to hold each other up and bolster our community.

We held the first VENT! last year when everyone was reeling from what now seems like a naive, innocent time. Now, things have gotten worse and it can look like dystopia all the way down from here on some days. The process of making art helps. a lot. So VENT! is back, as artists should only get louder and we should shout together. In that light, we invite you to tap into those feelings you either don't want to face or can’t unsee right now and put them on the canvas, or in the clay, or in a spoken word poem or short play, or in whatever medium you want. Put them over there into that work, and then bring that work to VENT!

Please fill out the form below to be considered for VENT! You do not need to submit a completed work—samples are fine. If you have an idea of what you’d like to make for the event, please include that. The Steam Plant is open each second Saturday for public tours so you can check out the space if you need more info as you plan your work.

created by asiren productions

VENT! Submission Form

Deadline: May 31st, 2026

This is something of a DIY event and you’ll need to make sure you have what you need to display the work in a big concrete building. Panels for hanging things, tables or pedestals for standing things, monitors for digital things, etc.

We will set up the show that morning, hold a private artists-only walk-through, and then open to the public. Tear down at 6pm that evening.

Note that this is an artists community building event. We will not be facilitating sales nor taking fees from the artists. If someone wants to purchase your work, good for you! We ask that you don’t list prices or come in with the plan to set up a store or to vend as that isn’t the point here.

a sampling of Photos and videos from VENT! 2025: a socio-political rantfest for artists

here are a few of the 70-ish impactful works that artists shared during the first VENT! in 2025. works ranged from paintings to installations to interactive pieces and videos. every one was powerful.

By the Authority
site-specific installation
Trista Baldwin, Cyra Jane, and Max Sarkowsky

Going to Hell in a Handbasket
installation (detail)
MJ Anderson