2026 Sioux City Art Center Biennial: Interstates

The 2026 Biennial: Interstates invites artists to create new work that reflects on movement, connection, and distance as they shape life in Iowa and the Siouxland region. Interstates control how we move through and understand the area. Interstate 29 follows a section of the Missouri River, carrying people and goods through Sioux City. I-80 runs east and west, connecting the Great Plains to the rest of the country. I-35 cuts through the middle of the state, an artery that includes Des Moines, the Twin Cities, and Kansas City. Together, these highways link local life to a much larger network, placing Iowa at a crossroads of movement and exchange.

Artists are encouraged to consider how these networks of travel, exchange, and crossing can be understood in visual, material, or conceptual ways. Work might respond to the history of rivers and roads, the everyday experience of traffic and bridges, or the ways art and culture travel across borders. Proposals can be rooted in personal perspective or public life. The guest curator is Matthew Fluharty, Founder and Executive Director of Art of the Rural.

Eligibility: Original work created in 2024-2026 by artists 18 and older who currently live in Iowa or within 300 miles of Sioux City. Artists may submit up to 5 artworks in any combination of 2D or 3D media. Images should be .jpg files no larger than 2MB. Acceptance notification: March 9. Artwork delivery deadline: March 30. Exhibition opens April 16, 5-7pm and closes August 9. Artwork pickup: September 9. Artists using electronic equipment must supply necessary equipment and troubleshoot technical problems during the exhibition.