2027 Artworks Northwest Biennial

A regional juried and curated exhibition of work from artists who reside in the Pacific Northwest region. Umpqua Valley Arts invites artists at all stages of their artistic career to submit to this showcase of contemporary works in the Pacific Northwest. Open to all media except video, see application for more details.

Umpqua Valley Arts Association (UVA) is proud to present an open Call for Artists to submit their work to our 2027 Artworks Northwest Biennial exhibit. The Artworks Northwest Biennial is a juried invitational for artists who reside in the Pacific Northwest and is a multi-media showcase of contemporary practices happening in the region by artists at all stages of their artistic careers. It is open to all media except video, with space for 100+ works of art.

Artworks for this exhibition are chosen by a curator who resides/works in the Pacific Northwest whom UVA invites to lend their eye and their voice in the broader Pacific Northwest art scene to the exhibition.

Our long list of esteemed curators include: Grace Kook-Anderson, Steven Hayes, Marie Watt, Andries Fourie, Scott Malbaurn, Arvie Smith, and Charlene Liu

The 2027 curator: Portland artist Brenda Mallory
Brenda Mallory grew up in Oklahoma and is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation. She holdsa. BA in Linguistics & English from UCLA and a BFA from the Pacific Northwest College of Art. Mallory creates sculptures with texture and repeated rhythmic forms, which are instrumental to her abstract compositions. "Sewing" together soft, reclaimed materials - with industrial hardware, she explores ideas of dominion, disruption and repair, and interconnections. She has received grants from the Oregon Arts Commission, Ford Family Foundation, and the Regional Arts & Culture Council among many awards. Notable awards include the Joan Mitchel Fellowship, Hallie Ford Fellowship, and Bonnie Bronson Fellowship. 

Cash Awards:

• 1st Place: $500
• 2nd Place: $250
• 3rd Place: $150
• J. Lynn Peterson Award: $100

Exhibition Calendar:

• Submission Deadline: March 26th, 2027
  IMPORTANT NOTE: Entries close at 11:59PM Mountain Time, or 10:59PM Pacific Time.
• Artist Notified: No later than May 5th, 2027
• Art Delivery to UVA:  June 7th, 10am-5pm
• Opening Reception: Friday, June 9th, 4pm-7pm
• Exhibit Ends: August 21st
• Artwork Pick Up: August 23rd, 10am-5pm
• Artwork Shipped: No later than September 17th

All entries are digitally submitted with digital jpeg files through CaFE. Submissions made using slides, links to websites, physical photographs, paper applications, or resume/CV will not be accepted for jurying. If this is your first time using the CaFE system, we recommend allowing at least an hour to create a CaFE account, upload files, and complete your application.  

CaFE’s upload requirements are as follows: 

• File format: JPEG only
• File dimensions: No smaller than 1920 pixels on the longest side
• File resolution: 72 ppi/dpi (standard web resolution)
• File size: up to 5 MB maximum

If you have any difficulties with the Call for Entry system, please reach out to the Call for Entry customer support first, then reach out to the Exhibitions Coordinator at ashley@uvarts.com for further assistance.

UVA Members receive 10% off their submission fees! Email Ashley at ashley@uvarts.com for the coupon code before submitting! 
 

All submissions must follow these guidelines to be eligible for entry:

• Eligible to all established, mid-career and emerging artists residing in Northern California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Alaska, British Columbia, Western Montana, and Western Wyoming. If you recently moved to any of these states, please check your Call for Entry profile to ensure your contact information accurately reflects your current residence.
• Artwork must have been completed within the last three years and not been previously exhibited at UVA.
• Artists may submit up to (3) entries in all themes, genres, and media except video. (Call for Entry counts each photo as a "submission". We recommend limiting photo examples to 1 per piece, as it allows you to submit more works and makes it easier for the curator to review the works.)
• Entries must be original works of art and entirely created by the entrant.
• No reproductions representing original artworks will be accepted. Fine art prints (including c-prints, digital prints, etchings, lithographs, woodblock, etc.) are eligible, but must be signed, numbered and in a limited edition of 125 or less.
• No work will be accepted into this show which is in violation of any copyright.
• All artwork must not exceed 60” on its longest side, fit through a standard 3-foot wide door, and weigh less than 50 lbs. If submitting a diptych or triptych, the combined measurements or weight of the work must follow these guidelines.
• Artists may not substitute their piece with another nor withdraw the work once it has been accepted.
• All work must be display-ready upon arrival and for sale unless otherwise stated by the artist. UVA commission rates are 30% for UVA members and 40% for non-members.

UVA reserves the right to refuse upon arrival any work that does not follow exhibitions guidelines, meet UVA’s hanging criteria, work that is of unacceptable quality, and/or work that was not originally proposed or accepted for the exhibition.

UVA reserves the right to reproduce artwork from digital images for publicity purposes.