Southern Tier Biennial

The Southern Tier Biennial is a regional exhibition presented by the Tri-County Arts Council and the Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation, made possible by an endowment from the estate of F. Donald Kenney. The exhibition runs September 25 – November 6, 2021 at Tri-County Arts Council, 110 West State Street, Olean, NY 14760.

Eligibility is open to all artists 18 years of age or older currently residing in New York State's Southern Tier (Allegany, Broome, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Chemung, Steuben, Schuyler, Tioga, and Tompkins counties). All works must be original and completed within the past two years. Work previously submitted to the Southern Tier Biennial is not eligible. Works created in all visual media are eligible. Entry fee is $25, and artists may submit up to three works for consideration. Accepted work must be finished, dry, and ready to install.

Work samples must be submitted as images (JPEG/JPG, 1,200 pixels or greater on longest side, under 5 MB, sRGB color profile) or video (MOV, MP4, WMV, 3GP, AVI, ASF, MPG, M2T, MKV, M2TS, under 100 MB, minimum 640 x 480 resolution, 4:3 or 16:9 aspect ratio). Applicants must submit a minimum of 1 and maximum of 3 total samples. Notification of acceptance will be sent by July 3, 2021.

Accepted artists will receive a $175 stipend to help cover costs associated with travel, shipping, and production. Five cash awards totaling $5,250 will be presented: $3,000 to the Best of Show winner (including a $2,000 stipend towards a solo show in 2022), a $750 Juror's Choice Award, and $500 for three Honorable Mention winners. The Best of Show winner will also receive a solo show in Fall 2022 at the Tri-County Arts Council Gallery with a four-color catalog and a $2,000 stipend for show expenses. Accepted artists' work will be reproduced in a color catalog. Sales are optional, with the Tri-County Arts Council receiving a 25% commission on works sold. Accepted works must be received by September 4, 2021. Artists are responsible for all shipping costs and insurance. Hand-delivered work must be picked up between November 9 and 20 at the TCAC Gallery in Olean, NY.

For questions, contact Sean Huntington, Gallery Coordinator, at (716) 372–7455 or [email protected]. General information available at www.myartscouncil.net and www.southerntierbiennial.com.