Sioux City Art Center Selects 2021

May 21 – September 12, 2021

Opening Reception: Friday, May 21, 2021, 5 - 7 pm

CALL FOR ENTRIES

Deadline: Thursday, December 31, 2020

OVERVIEW

Sioux City Art Center Selects is a regional juried/curated exhibition with accompanying programing designed to create a more meaningful experience for both the selected artist and the audience; the call for submissions is open to all artists in Iowa, as well artists living within a

300-mileradius of Sioux City. Eight artists will be selected based on digital images of artwork, with specific selections for the exhibition chosen during follow-up studio visits. The goal of the exhibition is to showcase contemporary regional artists of superior quality, outstanding creativity, and displaying a consistency of aesthetic vision. The Sioux City Art Center organized the inaugural Sioux City Art Center Selects exhibition in 2016, hosting a second installation in 2019. The Sioux City Art Center is pleased to offer a third installation in 2021 with grant funding from the National Endowment for the Arts

In addition to the exhibition, during the opening weekend exhibiting artists will participate in a program called The Artistic Experience. Due to ongoing uncertainty about the Coronavirus Pandemic, plans for The Artistic Experience remain flexible. During the weekend of May 21-23, 2021, the selected artists will give presentations (either in person or via a digital platform) on the creative development of their work.

 

THE SELECTION PROCESS

This exhibition welcomes entries of bodies of original work, created within the last five years. Artists 18 and older who currently work in Iowa or within 300 miles of Sioux City are eligible to apply. Works in all media are acceptable (please note: artists who use electronic equipment to present their work should be prepared to supply the necessary equipment). The jurors are looking for consistent quality connected to a thoughtful artist statement about the work. The jurors’ review of submissions will result initially in the selection of artists rather than the selection of individual artworks. However, artists should only submit work that will be available for the exhibition. 

The Art Center curator will meet the selected artists in their studios in early 2021 and will work with them to assemble a group of works for the exhibition (the number will vary from artist to artist), with the Sioux City Art Center’s curator making the final selections. The goal is to exhibit a group of works that best exemplifies each artist’s current artistic goals. Selected artists may be asked to share additional works for consideration.

HONORARIA AND BENEFITS

The Sioux City Art Center will:

• provide each selected artist with a $1,000 honorarium for participating in The Artistic Experience and the exhibition;
• cover lodging costs for the selected artists in Sioux City if the presentations are in person;
• publish a catalogue of the exhibition with each of the participating artists having his/her/their own page;
• cover shipping costs and insurance for the selected artworks.

JURORS

Todd Behrens, Director, SCAC; Mary Anne Redding, Curator, SCAC.

Todd Behrens became the director of the Sioux City Art Center in 2020; previously he served as curator from 2009 through 2019. He has served as curator in art centers, museums, and university galleries for more than 20 years.

Mary Anne Redding is the new curator at the Sioux City Art Center, she has more than 35 years’ experience working in art center, museums, archives, and libraries.

CALENDAR

December 31, 2020                Submission Deadline

January 15, 2021                     Artists Notified

March/April 2021                   Studio Visits w/ Selected Artists

May 7, 2021                            Artwork due to Sioux City Art Center

May 21, 2021                          Opening Reception / Exhibition Celebration

May 21 – 23, 2021                  The Artistic Experience

June 2021                                Publication of Exhibition Catalogue

September 12, 2021               Last Day of Exhibition

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Artists should email or use a file transfer service to send the following to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. :

• Images of 8-10 artworks. Artists may submit 2 different views of each 3-dimensional artwork. This means sculptors should submit 12-20 images. Images should be jpeg files no larger than 2MB in size. Image filenames should be Artist last name_checklist number (for example, Smith_1);
• Numbered checklist of images, with title, date, medium/materials, and dimensions. Please indicate if the artwork is part of a series. If an image is a second view of a 3-dimensional work, the info can be listed as “alternative view of _______ (Artwork Title);”
• Artist Statement (maximum 200 words). The statement should reference the specific body/bodies of work submitted;
• Professional Resume or CV;
• There is no application fee.

NOTIFICATION

All artists will be notified by email if they have been selected for the exhibition. Accepted entries will also be posted on the website. If for any reason you do not receive your notification by the notification date, please contact the SCAC at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

AGREEMENT

Submission to Sioux City Art Center Selects constitutes an agreement with all conditions of this show. The SCAC reserves the right to photograph accepted work for publicity purposes. The SCAC reserves the right to reject any work not resembling the submitted entry or work that is not ready to be installed.

ABOUT THE SIOUX CITY ART CENTER

The Sioux City Art Center has its roots in the 1914 incorporation of the Sioux City Society of Fine Arts. This organization then worked with the federal government 1938 to open a WPA Art Center. The Sioux City Art Center has served its community and region continuously since that time. As an institution accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, the Art Center collects and exhibits art, focusing on work produced by artists of the upper Midwest. The Art Center also presents classes, workshops, and a variety of other cultural experiences throughout the year.

Sioux City Art Center Selects is supported, in part, by the National Endowment for the Arts.