THE SEATTLE ART MUSEUM is now accepting entries for the 47th ANNUAL BETTY BOWEN AWARD.

Administered by the Seattle Art Museum, the annual Betty Bowen Award honors a Northwest artist for their original, exceptional, and compelling work. The winner is awarded an unrestricted cash prize of $15,000 and a solo exhibition at the Seattle Art Museum. In addition, up to two Special Recognition Awards ($2,500 each) and three Special Commendation Awards ($1,250 each) are often granted at the discretion of the Betty Bowen Committee.

Betty Bowen (1918–1977) was a Washington native and enthusiastic supporter of Northwest artists. Her friends established the annual Betty Bowen Award as a celebration of her life and to honor and continue her efforts to provide financial support to the artists of the region. Since 1977, the Seattle Art Museum has hosted the yearly open call process by which the Betty Bowen Committee chooses one visual artist working in the Northwest to receive the unrestricted cash award.

Application Requirements

How to apply:

Please upload a resume, artist statement, and six images with your online application. When uploading your images you will be asked to include the title, date, medium, and dimensions of each work. You may also include a brief description of each image. Applicants are encouraged to submit their most recent body of work.

Artists working in time-based media (including but not limited to performance, film or video) are encouraged to upload up to 3 video files alongside the required six images with their application. Other video materials, including artist interviews, press segments, or installation documentation of non-time-based media works, will not be considered.

All entries must be submitted online. Entries sent by standard mail will not be accepted.

Instructions on how to format images to CaFE™ specifications can be found at Image Prep. For more information about the award, the selection process, and past winners, please visit our website.

There is a $10 application fee. The Seattle Art Museum is committed to values of accessibility and financial assistance. If costs pose a barrier to entry, please contact us at bettybowen@seattleartmuseum.org.

Deadline:

All applications must be completed and submitted on-line by 11:00 PM PST on August 1, 2024. Late applications will not be accepted.

How are the awards chosen?

The winner is selected in a two-part jury process. In the first round, the applicants are reviewed anonymously. Six finalists are selected from the pool of applicants. Finalists are then invited to present their work to the committee in the second round and will receive an honorarium of $500 for related expenses. After this review process, the committee selects one award winner in addition to any special recognition award winners they wish to honor.

Selection is based on, but not limited to, the following criteria:

·         The compelling nature of the artist’s ideas and contribution to the field

·         The quality and creativity of the work submitted for review

·         The artist’s commitment to developing their work

·         The impact the award will have on the artist and his/her career

The Seattle Art Museum is committed to the values of creativity, excellence, engagement, diversity, accessibility, and stewardship.

Eligibility Criteria

Who is eligible for the award?

The award is open to visual artists in all media working in Washington, Oregon, or Idaho. Artists of diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply.