2021 Alaska Contemporary Art Bank Call for Art

The Alaska Contemporary Art Bank (ACAB) was founded in 1975 by the Alaska State Council on the Arts to expose Alaskans to high quality work by contemporary Alaskan artists through the loaning of original art to public offices throughout Alaska, and to provide support to artists in Alaska through purchase of their work. The collection has grown to more than 700 artworks in a wide variety of media, styles and subject matter. The Art Bank provides a circulating collection of Alaskan artwork to exhibit in public areas other than museums.

Works submitted to the 2021 ACAB call will be selected for purchase by the Alaska Council on the Arts' Visual Arts Advisory Committee (VAAC), a statewide group of artists and arts administrators. Selected artworks are then recommended to and approved for purchase by the Arts Council. Artwork is purchased directly from the artist, not through an intermediary entity such as a gallery or agent. Art Bank artworks are loaned for display in public areas owned and operated by the State of Alaska, University of Alaska departments, the State Legislature, and in the offices of Alaskan members of the U.S. Congress.

All Alaskan artists are encouraged to apply. Applicants must be an Alaskan resident or have been an Alaskan resident when the work was created. Work must have been created in the last five years and must be original, not a reproduction or copyright violation. Artists can submit up to 6 images of artwork available for purchase. Due to shipping and display demands in public areas, work must be durable; 2-D works must be framed with hanging devices and 3-D works must be self-supporting. Imagery must be generally suitable for display in public buildings. Works must be priced no higher than $4,000. The Alaska State Council on the Arts will pay for shipping of selected artworks; the artist is responsible for packing and securing delivery to the ASCA office. Artists will be notified of acceptance approximately five weeks after the call closes. Applications must be submitted through CaFE by 9:59 PM Alaska Standard time on October 31, 2021. Contact Jade Aldridge at [email protected] or (907) 269-6607 with questions.