Alaska Contemporary Art Bank 2014

The Alaska Contemporary Art Bank (ACAB) was founded in 1975 by the Alaska State Council on the Arts with two primary goals: to expose more 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 professional artists in Alaska through purchase of their work. The collection has grown to more than 700 art works in a wide variety of media, styles and subject matter. The Art Bank provides a circulating collection of Alaskan artwork to exhibit in public buildings other than museums.

Works submitted to the 2014 ACAB call for art will be selected for purchase by the Alaska State Council on the Arts' Visual Arts Advisory Committee (VAAC), a statewide group of artists and arts administrators. Selected artworks are then approved for purchase by the governing board of the Alaska State Council on the Arts. Artwork is purchased directly from the artist, not through intermediaries such as galleries or agents. 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. Artwork must be durable and appropriate for public areas.

Applicants must be Alaskan residents or have been Alaskan residents when the work was created. Work must have been created in the last five years and be priced no higher than $4,000. Artists whose work was purchased in the 2011 and 2013 art calls are ineligible to apply. All applications must be submitted through CaFE (www.callforentry.org). Artists can submit up to 3 images of artwork available for purchase. Due to shipping and display demands, 2-D works must be framed with hanging devices and 3-D works must be self-supporting. Artwork must be durable and able to endure public use without sharp, loose, or dangling parts. Wall-hung artwork in all media is most frequently requested for loan. Works smaller than 16" x 20" may be considered a security risk, while works larger than 40" x 60" can be challenging due to display space and transportation costs. Artwork with nudity, religious, or political imagery is less frequently selected. The deadline for submitting applications is 11:59 p.m. MDT on April 30, 2014. Artists will be notified of acceptance in June 2014. ASCA will pay for shipping of selected artworks; the artist is responsible for packing and delivery to the ASCA office. For questions, contact Janelle Matz at [email protected] or (907) 269-6604.