2027 Site-Specific Art Galleries - City of Auburn, WASHINGTON

2027 Site-Specific Art Galleries - City of Auburn, WA

The City of Auburn, Washington, seeks applications from regional artists to install 3-dimensional or multi-media art installations in two site-specific gallery spaces in downtown Auburn: the Art on Main Gallery and the Vault Gallery. Both spaces provide a $1,000 artist stipend to support the creation of new work and site-specific projects, or the installation of existing work.

The deadline for this call is:  September 2, 2026 at 10:59 PM (Pacific Time)

2027 Site-Specific Art Galleries - City of Auburn, WA

The City of Auburn is seeking artists and artist teams from the Pacific Northwest (Washington, Oregon, Idaho) who:

• Can develop a site-responsive three-dimensional or immersive public art display for either the Art on Main Gallery or Vault Gallery exhibition spaces that will be on display for three-month periods over the 2027 year.
• Can successfully and fully activate a window-front space that is visible to the public 24/7 or a small indoor visitor-accessible gallery space
• Is an experienced artist seeking a unique location to exhibit artwork.
• Can create innovative artwork to engage the community and activate downtown Auburn.

DESCRIPTION
The City of Auburn, Washington, seeks applications from regional artists to install 3-dimensional or multi-media art installations in two site-specific gallery spaces in downtown Auburn: the Art on Main Gallery and the Vault Gallery. Both spaces provide a $1,000 artist stipend to support the creation of new work and site-specific projects, or the installation of existing work.

The deadline for this call is: September 2, 2026 at 10:59 PM (Pacific Time)

ELIGIBILITY

• Any individual artist or collaborative artist team in the Pacific Northwest (Washington, Oregon, Idaho) may apply.
• Past participants of Art on Main or Vault Gallery are welcome to reapply.

TIMELINE

• Application deadline: September 2, 2026
• Notification of accepted artists: October 2026
• Four time slots for the 2027 year:

January – March
April – June
July – September
October  – December

SELECTION CRITERIA
The review process is competitive and the review panel will be looking for a diversity of offerings. All applicants will be selected based on the following criteria:

• Artistic excellence as submitted in work samples.
• Strength, creativity and originality in concept, material implementation, and engagement with the site as described in proposal.
• Ability to create innovative and dynamic work that would engage passers-by.
• Be comfortable exhibiting work in a space that is locked and secure but is not humidity or temperature controlled and may encounter direct sunlight.

PROCESS

Phase One

• Submit application by 10:59 PM Pacific Time on September 2th, 2026
• Applications are reviewed annually by a rotating jury consisting of: artists, arts professionals, employees of the City of Auburn Parks, Arts & Recreation department, City of Auburn Arts Commission members, or representatives of neighborhood art groups
• Applicants notified of results in October 2025. Selected artists move on to phase two.

Phase Two

• City of Auburn art staff works with selected artists to discuss proposal and schedule their installation.
• Artists submit a more detailed proposal for the specific project at least one month before installation. The proposal will then be reviewed and approved by City of Auburn art staff.

Phase Three

• Artist receives contract, and begins installation on assigned date.
• Artist provides ongoing maintenance as needed during the duration of the display.
• Artist completes de-installation on assigned date.

SELECTED PARTICIPANTS MUST AGREE TO

• Sign agreement/contract with the City of Auburn about installation plans and procedures.
• Understand that the artwork displayed must be appropriate for the public realm.
• Install and de-install their own work, understanding that they may have limited access to their space, as required for installation and de-installations.
• Partner with the City of Auburn to market and promote the exhibition. Exhibitions are publicized through city-generated press releases, gallery brochure, and the City’s web site at www.auburnwa.gov/arts.
• Comply with all federal, state, and local laws.
• Leave the space in the same or better condition when they move out.
• Understand that initial stipend payment is made within 30 days after installation upon receipt of an invoice, and that payments cannot be made until contracts have been fully processed. A portion of payment is retained until deinstallation is complete.
• Artists are encouraged to offer their works for sale, but are not required to do so. All sales are handled privately between the artist and the buyer. The City of Auburn does not take a commission on any works sold through the galleries.

STIPEND AWARD

Selected artists will receive a $1,000 award. The City of Auburn intends that this award will help fund the creation of the project or act as an honorarium for displaying works already created. Artists are responsible for all transportation, installation and de-installation of their work and might also be asked to do a short artist talk during the selected installation dates.
 

APPLICATION CHECKLIST

1) WORK SAMPLES

• 3-10 digital images that demonstrate the artist’s past work (required)
• Images can, but are not required to, include drawings or mock-ups of the proposed installation idea (this can help the selection panel visualize your piece more effectively)
• Artists applying as a team who have no examples of joint work in the past should submit 3-5 images of each artist’s work. Individual artists are recommended to submit 10 images.
• File Format: Submit only “High” quality JPG files (do not use GIF, TIFF, or other formats.) Do not embed the images into PowerPoint or submit moving image or audio files.
• Image Size: Images must meet the CAFE website standards
• File Labeling: Files must be titled with the applicant’s last name followed by a number indicating the viewing order. Use a “0” in front of single digit numbers and use only letters, numbers, and underscores. For example: Smith_01.jpg; Smith_02.jpg. If using Mac OS 8 or later, be sure to include a “.jpg” extension at the end of each image title.
• File Upload: In the online application, please upload your images in the order to be viewed.
• 3 online videos that demonstrate the artist’s past work (optional)
• Please provide the exact web address(es) where the online videos can be viewed. The panel will view a minimum of 1 minute and a maximum of 3 minutes of each video.

2) WORK SAMPLE DESCRIPTIONS
Provide the following information for each image:

• Title of each work represented in the image.
• Media & dimensions (H x W x D”), if applicable, or description of activity.
• Long description if needed. If work is presented as part of a collaboration, explain your role in the larger project (100 words/500 characters or less).
• For videos longer than 3 minutes, note which 1-3 minute segment you want the panel to review.

3) ARTIST STATEMENT
Provide us with a brief artist statement to give us a sense of your work. Feel free to describe your work overall, or describe a past project or body of work. Please be as concise as possible.
(500 words/3000 characters or less).

4) PROPOSAL
Please write a brief statement outlining the work you would like to create or display if selected for the site specific gallery exhibition opportunity, either in the Art on Main Gallery or the Vault Gallery. We encourage proposals of sculptural or installation work that is dynamic, innovative and would show well in the space both day and night. The proposal should briefly outline the materials, concept, any necessary technical installation details or needs in terms of electrical, mounts, and plans of how to hang/display your work. (500 words/3000 characters or less).

5) RESUME (3 pages or less)

• If submitting as a team/group, a current resume should be submitted for the contact person and all relevant team/group members.
• Save as pdf and upload to CAFE in application form.
• Name your resume file with your last name like this: “Smith_ Resume.pdf”

6) WHICH MEDIUM
Please identify which medium you could work in for a potential exhibition. Choose from the following list, you may choose more than one.

• 3-D
• Video
• Multimedia
• Installation

7) WHICH GALLERY SPACE
Please identify which of the two site-specific exhibition spaces you prefer to be considered for, or both. The Art on Main Gallery exhibition space is viewable through glass windows on Main Street in Downtown Auburn and is visible 24 hours a day. The Vault Gallery is within a larger art center building, which allows visitors to enter the space and is visible during building open hours (dimensions are 9'W x 6'D x 7'2"H).

LEGAL WAIVER

Artists are required to sign an “Agreement to Exhibit” liability waver. The artist/artist groups agrees to allow the City of Auburn to reproduce and use submitted images and other submitted materials for the purpose of education, promotion and publicity of the 2027 exhibition programs and the 2027 schedule of events and programs. Submission of your application constitutes agreement to use the artists' materials in this way. Artwork displayed is at the sole discretion of City of Auburn Staff and content deemed not appropriate for public audiences will not be displayed.

QUESTIONS
Contact:
Allison Hyde, City of Auburn Arts Program Supervisor
ahyde@auburnwa.gov  -  253.804.5043

1) WORK SAMPLES
2) WORK SAMPLE DESCRIPTIONS
3) ARTIST STATEMENT
4) PROPOSAL (500 words/3000 characters or less).
5) RESUME (3 pages or less)
6) WHICH MEDIUM
7) WHICH GALLERY

ELIGIBILITY

• Any individual artist or artist team in the Pacific Northwest (Washington, Oregon, Idaho) may apply.
• Past participants of Art on Main or Vault Gallery are welcome to reapply.