If inquiry is essential to an artistic practice, then material is evidence and artists are investigators. The medium is an apparatus for interrogation, and through the search artists illuminate the unseen and seek answers. Yet oftentimes, the conclusions we draw incite even more questions, equally expanding our sense of known and unknown. 

Answer As Question is Columbia City Gallery’s 17th Annual Juried Exhibit. The exhibit invites artists of all mediums to lean into investigation as a form of artistic expression. It is inspired by and in response to Ai, Rebel: The Art and Activism of Ai Weiwei, on view at SAM from March 12 – Sept. 7, 2025. Ai, Rebel marks Ai Weiwei’s first US retrospective in over a decade and the largest exhibition of his work ever held in the country. In this partnership with SAM, Columbia City Gallery is honored to have José Carlos Diaz, SAM’s Susan Brotman Deputy Director for Art, jurying and curating this exhibit.  

Columbia City Gallery and SAM are inspired by Ai Weiwei’s relentless pursuit of questioning authority through his work, driving him to be the prominent iconoclast he is today. After a catastrophic 8.0-magnitude earthquake struck Sichuan in 2008, the Chinese government sought to hide the scale of the disaster, notably by holding back the names of students who had perished. This secrecy emphasized the state’s unwillingness to take accountability, as the substandard construction of government-subsidized schools was a major driver of student deaths. In response to the government’s lack of transparency, Ai mobilized a Citizen’s Investigation to uncover more details on the student casualties. It was a simple inquiry: Who were these students that died? That question spurred a whole movement that brought the community together to remember the departed and demand change. It also led to several iconic works by Ai such as Snake Ceiling and Sichuan Earthquake Names Project, demonstrating to the world the heartbreaking reality of the young lives lost. 

Channeling this same kind of investigative spirit, all artists working in 2D and/or 3D media are encouraged to submit artwork completed within the past three years that reflects the theme: Answer As Question. We ask artists to practice rigorous examination, emphasizing work rooted in research, asking questions, and uncovering hidden perspectives through investigation. 

Awards: $500 First place submission; $300 Second place submission; and $200 Third place submission. 

For a $30 entry fee, you may submit up to 3 pieces of artwork for consideration. Please submit between 1-5 photos per piece of artwork. 1 video per piece of artwork is also allowed. 

Important Dates: 

• Entry deadline is June 16, 2025, 11:00pm PT.
• Notifications emailed by June 24, 2025.
• The exhibit will run from July 23 - August 31, 2025.
• Accepted artwork must be delivered by Monday, July 21, 2025, 11am PT.
• Artists’ Reception and Awards Ceremony will be held on Saturday, July 26, 2025, from 5-7pm PT.
• All unsold artwork must be picked up between August 31 after closing-September 2, 2025.

Additional Terms: 

• All artwork in the exhibit must be for sale; the Gallery will take 50% commission on works sold.
• The artist agrees that images of artwork may be used in publicity materials.
• If you cannot drop off your artwork in person, shipping costs are your responsibility. A pre-printed shipping label for return shipment must be included with your work.
• The Gallery reserves the right to reject work that is not represented accurately in the image or that arrives damaged, poorly constructed or poorly presented.
• 2-D works must be properly prepared for exhibiting with wire securely attached. Sculpture must be able to stand on its own without wobbling.
• Each accepted work must arrive with a label with your name, artwork title, dimensions, material, & price securely attached to the work.

Limited free admission to Ai, Rebel for the first few committed applicants! To encourage applications to this Open Call, SAM graciously gave us tickets to share with artists that want to view the exhibit at SAM and be inspired by Ai Weiwei’s work in person. The first 15 artists who reach out to manager@columbiacitygallery.com with interest in applying for this call and viewing the SAM exhibit will get free admission. Submissions are only open for an 80-day period, so submit your call now!    

Learn more about Ai, Rebel: The Art and Activism of Ai Weiwei at SAM: https://seattleartmuseum.org/whats-on/exhibitions/ai-weiwei  

Questions? Email manager@columbiacitygallery.com or call 206-760-9843 during Gallery hours: Wednesday-Sunday, 11am-7pm PT 

Application Requirements

• 2D works must be properly prepared for exhibiting and hanging on wall with wire securely attached. 3D must be able to stand on its own without wobbling. Please put dimensions of the work in your application as well. There are no explicit size restrictions, but note we will have about 64ft of linear wall space and limited pedestals, and want to feature the work of many artists.
• Write-ups about the work are recommended to help communicate the theme of Answer As Question and the general idea of artist as investigator.
• Each accepted work must arrive with a label that includes your name, artwork title, dimensions, material, & price securely attached to the work.

Eligibility Criteria

We highly encourage artists local to the Greater Seattle Area and within the Pacific Northwest to apply, but this application is open to artists worldwide. Please note, however, that shipping costs will be the artists’ responsibility.