City of Seattle: 2015 Seattle Ethnic Artist Roster Call

The Office of Arts & Culture maintains a juried roster of visual artists of color to increase the visibility of artists from historically under-represented communities—communities of color, immigrant and refugee communities—by offering exhibitions to artists who haven't had access to commercial gallery spaces. Selected artists will be featured in the Ethnic Heritage Art Gallery, the Mayor's Gallery, and the Seattle Presents Gallery, and will also be featured on an online database of Northwest artists of color. There may be an opportunity for the Office of Arts & Culture to purchase artwork from exhibitions for inclusion in the city's portable works collection.

This call is open to established and emerging artists residing in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, British Columbia, or Washington State. Applicants must be over 18 years of age, demonstrate previous art exhibition experience in a public location, and show the ability to stage a professional exhibition. The roster will be a juried listing of pre-qualified artists who may be selected to display 2D or 3D artworks in solo or group exhibitions. Artists should have an interest in working to give viewers greater understanding of their own culture and identity, or to create conversation questioning institutional racism.

Application deadline is 11 p.m. Monday, May 18, 2015 (Pacific Standard Time). Required materials include résumé, exhibition proposal, artist statement, minimum of five images and up to 16 images, and an image identification list (not to exceed 500 characters per image). Selection will be based on strength and artistic merit of past artworks, creativity of approach towards addressing the city's Race and Social Justice Initiative goals, experience with previous art exhibitions, and ability to meet deadlines. Applicants will be notified by email by June 25, 2015. There is no budget available for framing and transportation; however, ARTS will provide professional installation and de-installation of artwork. For questions, contact Elisheba Johnson at (206) 684-0182 or [email protected], or Deborah Paine at (206) 684-7132 or [email protected].