The BRAVA Awards 2025

The BRAVA Awards 2025 is a biennial awards program supporting contemporary visual artists and craftspeople. Four awards are offered: Native American & First Nations Artist Award, Artists' Books Award, Emerging Artist Award, and the 2025 Special Choice Award for Children's Book Illustrators. Each awardee receives an unrestricted award of $15,000, recognition in BIMA media and publications, participation in an online or live event featuring the awardees, a short video produced about the recipient, an invitation to the Award Ceremony (likely held at the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art), and an invitation to serve as a juror on the next biennial award panel.

Eligibility varies by award category. The Native American & First Nations Artist Award is open to artists 18 years or older who self-identify as Native American and/or First Nations and live and work in the Salish Sea Region (including specified counties in Washington and British Columbia). The Artists' Books Award is open to artists 18 years or older in the United States working in the genre of artists' books. The Emerging Artist Award is for artists 18 years or older from the Puget Sound region who have not had a solo exhibition at an art museum. The Children's Book Illustrator Award is for artists 18 years or older from the Puget Sound region whose work is designed for readers 16 years or under.

Applications require an artist's biography (1,000 words or less), an artist's statement (1,000 words or less), and work samples. Work samples may include 1-12 images (minimum 1,200 pixels on the longest side, under 5 MB, JPEG/JPG only), up to 1 audio file, and up to 1 video file (limited to 3 minutes). Entry fee is $25.00. Deadline: 5/11/25 at 11:59 p.m. MDT. Contact: Sade McInnis, [email protected].