Application for 2028 Bear Gallery Exhibition

Fairbanks Arts Association is now accepting applications for a 2028 exhibition in the Bear Gallery. 

Fairbanks Arts invites artists over the age of 18 residing in the state of Alaska to apply for a solo, group, or curated exhibition in the Bear Gallery. An individual artist or group of artists may have an exhibition in the Bear Gallery once every four years. Artists and/or groups who have had an exhibition before 2024 are eligible for consideration this year (curated exhibitions are not subject to this policy).

Artists residing in Alaska are invited to submit digital images and/or videos of their artwork for possible solo, group, or curated exhibitions in the Bear Gallery in 2028. February through November, the Bear Gallery typically hosts two exhibitions per month by Alaskan artists/artist groups working in a variety of media for local and out-of-town visitors. Applications are selected on the merit of the work samples and artist statement. Applicants will be notified of their application status in early 2027.

Exhibition types include:

• Solo Exhibition: One artist
• Group Exhibition: Separate works of two or more artists with no designated curator
• Curated Exhibition: Curator selects theme, conceptual focus, and included artwork; proposals for curated, juried exhibitions are not permitted.

Submitted applications are reviewed by a panel of professional Alaskan artists. The panelists will not have access to the applicant’s name or other identifying information so that the application can be reviewed without outside influences. Work samples should be cohesive and illustrate the artist’s ability to create a strong body of work. The accompanying artist statement is an opportunity to meaningfully supplement your work samples.

If your work samples are recent pieces that you intend to exhibit in the Bear Gallery, you may use your artist statement to specifically describe your planned exhibition, providing context that augments the submitted artwork.

If the work samples are NOT representative of your intended exhibition, the artist statement can provide general insight and context regarding your techniques, concepts, and/or perspective as an artist to strengthen the panel’s understanding of your approach. 

Fairbanks Arts’ goals for the exhibition year include:

• Showcasing contemporary artwork created by Alaskan artists. If selected for an exhibition, artwork in the exhibition must have been completed within the last 3 years.
• A diverse range of exhibitions in media, subject matter, and artists’ backgrounds.
• Exhibitions that facilitate community engagement and dialogue. Fairbanks Arts strives to create connections among our community through the arts: exhibitions that bring together individuals, groups, organizations, or various parts of the Fairbanks/statewide community further this goal.

Application Notes: Artists may submit only one solo application. Curated applications consisting of a juried component or a call for entry that would take place in the gallery, or that ask for an exhibition-specific entry fee, cannot be submitted for review. Curated and group exhibitions must have an organizing representative who serves as the main point of contact for Fairbanks Arts Association. 

Application submission constitutes an agreement to meet the gallery’s scheduling needs for the exhibition year beginning February 2028. Any selected artist unable to meet the gallery’s schedule is invited to reapply for the following exhibition year.  

Additional Considerations:

• The Bear Gallery is located in a Fairbanks North Star Borough facility and receives visitors of all ages from around the world. As such, Fairbanks Arts Association retains the right to refuse the exhibition of artworks containing violence, inappropriate language, political, or religious motifs that are ill-suited for the borough facility. Artworks with discriminatory or culturally appropriative content will not be exhibited.
• Artworks in the exhibition must not shed, deteriorate, or produce odors. They cannot incorporate living materials or organisms (i.e., plants, bugs, or small animals).
• Artworks in the exhibition must not include AI-generated imagery.
• Framed or encased artwork that is larger than 18” x 24” must use plexiglass instead of glass.
• For the safety of your artwork, the following hanging hardware is prohibited: sawtooth hangers, triangle hangers, command strips, string, and tape.
• The Bear Gallery is equipped with power outlets in both galleries. Fairbanks Arts’ owned technology inventory is modest; exhibitions requiring screen displays, speakers, or other special equipment should reach out to Fairbanks Arts’ Visual Arts Coordinator.
• Fairbanks Arts Association is unable to pay for traveling exhibition shipping costs.

• Up to 10 images/videos of work completed in the last 5 years.
  • No less than 7 and no more than 10 work samples must be uploaded in the "My Portfolio" section of CaFE. Samples should reflect high-quality work completed within the last five years. Up to three video files may be uploaded (this is included in the maximum of 10 uploads).
  • Work samples should be cohesive and illustrate the artist’s ability to create a strong body of work. Samples submitted do not commit the artist(s) to show specific artwork in the gallery.
  • Signatures and names that are visible in work samples should be blurred, removed, or covered to keep the jury process blind.
  • Group exhibitions: Please submit at least one image/video of an artwork by each participating artist.
  • Curated exhibitions: Please provide work samples from at least three artists who have agreed to be part of the exhibition. The curator may be one of the three required artists. Work samples should demonstrate the curator's ability to select a cohesive body of work from multiple artists. Experienced curators may provide work samples of their previous curated exhibitions.
• Artist statement: The review panel will review the artist statement. The inclusion of any names or studio names will result in Fairbanks Arts discarding the statement. See the artist statement section for more information.
• Artist resume: Applicable for solo and curated exhibitions only. The document is not to exceed two pages and must be submitted as a PDF. Resumes should include relevant education, training, and gallery exhibitions. The artist resume is not visible to the review panel. Resumes are not required for group exhibitions.

Entry Fee: 

*Current Fairbanks Arts Association Members at the ‘Artist’ level or higher: $30.00

Non-member: $35.00. Become a Fairbanks Arts Association Member here. 

*Must contact gallery@fairbanksarts.org to receive coupon code 

DEADLINE: October 31, 2026, at 9:59 pm AKDT

Visit our website for more information about Fairbanks Arts Association.

Email: gallery@fairbanksarts.org

Phone: (907) 251-8386 ext. 3

This call is open to residents of Alaska ages 18 or older. To be considered a resident for this application, artists must reside in Alaska at least six months out of the year. An individual artist or group of artists may have an exhibition in the Bear Gallery once every four years. Artists and/or groups who have had an exhibition prior to 2024 are eligible for consideration this year (curated exhibits are not subject to this policy).