2017 Annual Betty Bowen Award

The Seattle Art Museum is accepting entries for the 39th Annual Betty Bowen Award, which honors a Northwest artist for their original, exceptional, and compelling work. The award is open to visual artists in all media working in Washington, Oregon, or Idaho. Artists of diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

The winner receives an unrestricted cash prize of $15,000 and a selection of their work will be exhibited at the Seattle Art Museum in spring 2018. Up to two Special Recognition Awards of $2,500 may also be granted at the discretion of the Betty Bowen Committee. The award was established in 1977 by friends of Betty Bowen (1918–1977), a Washington native and supporter of Northwest artists, to continue her efforts to provide financial support to regional artists.

Applicants must submit a resume, artist statement, and six images with titles, dates, media, dimensions, and brief descriptions. Artists working in film or video must upload six film stills and submit no more than three video files via Dropbox or Vimeo links to [email protected]. All entries must be submitted online by 11:00 PM PST on August 1, 2017. The entry fee is $10. Winners are selected through a two-part jury process: applicants are reviewed anonymously in the first round, five finalists are selected, and finalists present their work in person to the committee in the second round and receive a $500 honorarium for related expenses. Selection is based on the compelling nature of the artist's ideas and contribution to the field, the quality and creativity of the work, the artist's commitment to developing their work, and the impact the award will have on the artist's career.