Seattle Public Utilities Mid-career Artists Portable Works Purchase

The Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs, in partnership with Seattle Public Utilities, invites mid-career artists to submit images of available work for direct purchase. Mid-career artists—those who have been working professionally for at least 10 years with significant exhibition history—are eligible to apply. A total of $100,000 is available for this direct purchase. Purchases are chosen by a panel of arts professionals and advised by Seattle Public Utilities staff, who select artworks of high quality reflecting diversity of expression for SPU's Portable Works Collection.

Eligibility is open to mid-career artists who are residents of the Pacific Northwest (Washington, Oregon, British Columbia, or Alaska). Students are not eligible. All types of media will be considered. Maximum artwork measurement for two-dimensional work is 48 x 48 x 5 inches. Sculpture and three-dimensional objects should be no larger than 24" x 24" x 16" and under 50 pounds in weight. Artists may submit up to six images of available work. Artists from outside the Seattle area must include shipping costs for each artwork as a separate line item.

Applications must be submitted by 11:00 p.m. Pacific Time on September 30, 2009. Required materials include six images of available work, image descriptions (not to exceed 500 characters per image) including title, year made, medium, dimensions, and price, and a résumé. Artwork will be selected based on artistic merit, appropriateness for the public setting and existing collection, artistic diversity, and completeness of application. Artworks containing graphic depictions of violence, sexually explicit imagery, and/or nudity are extremely difficult to display. Artists will be notified of selection decisions by mid-November 2009.