Tacoma Art Museum 9th Northwest Biennial

Tacoma Art Museum's 9th Northwest Biennial considers recent developments and accomplishments by Northwest artists, focusing on current aesthetic and conceptual concerns addressed by regional artists. The biennial examines how Northwest artists adapt and shed ideas, media, and imagery to define themselves while reinventing or restating the core notion of a Northwest artist. Artists working in a wide variety of media including traditional forms, craft-based work, and digital projects are encouraged to apply. Artists exploring alternative visual forms such as conceptual, performance, and installation are also encouraged to submit applications.

The 9th Northwest Biennial is open to current residents of Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. Tacoma Art Museum employees, trustees, and their families are not eligible. Only work created since January 2007 will be considered. Applications must be submitted online by July 26, 2008 at midnight MDT. Each submission requires a completed online application, resume listing exhibition history, publications and reviews, and gallery representation if any, an artist statement of no more than 4,000 characters (approximately 500 words), and eight digital images. A nonrefundable entry fee of $25 must accompany the application, payable by credit card or check. Checks must be mailed separately and postmarked no later than July 28, 2008.

Applications will be juried by Alison de Lima Greene, Curator of Contemporary Art and Special Projects at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and Rock Hushka, Director of Curatorial Administration and Curator of Contemporary and Northwest Art at Tacoma Art Museum. Invited artists will be notified by August 4, 2008. Artwork for the exhibition will be selected during studio visits with invited artists in August 2008. The exhibition opens January 31, 2009 and closes May 3, 2009. All artists selected for the biennial will receive an honorarium of $500. One artist will receive a Jurors' Choice award of $1,500. A People's Choice Award of $500 will be selected by museum visitors during the exhibition run. Tacoma Art Museum provides shipping and insurance in cooperation with the artists. All work must be exhibition ready, and the artist is responsible for all equipment necessary for display.