Call Description

The Sun Valley Museum of Art invites Idaho-based artists to submit materials for consideration for a 2027 exhibition at the museum. Guest Curator Melissa Ragain will select artists for studio visits in anticipation of choosing a final group of artists for the exhibition. The exhibition will run from late May through early September 2027 (exact dates TBC and may later in the year). Our Guest Curator is particularly interested in innovative work that explores the history, environment, or cultural milieu of Idaho.

Artists who wish to be considered should submit images of up to 10 works of art, an artist statement, and artist resume. A limited number of artists will be selected for the exhibition following studio visits. Artists may submit up to 10 images if working in 2D or 3D artwork in any medium including painting, sculpture, photography, fiber, ceramics, etc. Artists may submit up to 6 links or media files if creating time-based work such as video, installation, digital art, gaming, and performance.

ABOUT SUN VALLEY MUSEUM OF ART

Founded as the Sun Valley Center for the Arts in 1971, SVMoA connects people to contemporary art and artists through exhibitions, education, programs, and projects. We welcome all, embrace curiosity and creativity, and believe in the power of art to link us to each other and to the larger world. As the oldest arts organization in the Wood River Valley, and one of only five institutions in Idaho accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, SVMoA serves as one of the valley’s cultural anchors, bringing families, visitors, and residents together for shared arts experiences.

ABOUT THE GUEST CURATOR

Dr. Melissa Ragain is a Full Professor at Montana State University, where she teaches courses on modern and contemporary art history, specializing in environmental aesthetics and the intellectual history of art. She is the author of Domesticating the Invisible: Form and Environmental Anxiety in Postwar America (University of California Press 2021), and the editor of Jack Burnham’s Dissolve into Comprehension: Writings and Interviews, 1964-2004, (MIT Press 2015). Her writing has appeared in Art Journal, Art Journal Open, Hyperallergic, X-tra Contemporary Art Quarterly, ARTLIES, Criticism, and American Art.

She was a 2010-11 Core Critical Studies Fellow at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, a 2016-17 Radcliffe Fellow at Harvard University, and a recipient of a 2016 Art Writers Grant from the Warhol Foundation/ Creative Capital. Based in Livingston, Montana, her new research considers the importance of environmental emplacement to artmaking in the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains.

In addition to her work as a scholar, she curates independent projects and has been a consulting curator for Tinworks Art in Bozeman, Montana, since 2020. She has curated projects with artists such as A.K. Burns, Gregory Crewdson, Kota Ezawa, Avram Finkelstein, Karolina Halatek, Raven Halfmoon, Tracy Linder, Suzanne Kite, Tucker Nichols, Macon Reed, Wendy Red Star, Layli Long Soldier, Laurel Sparks, and others. 

Artists will be notified by October 31, 2025, whether they have been selected for a studio visit. Studio visits (in-person and online) will take place in 2025 and 2026. Artists selected for studio visits will be notified regarding final selection for the exhibition by September 1, 2026.

There is no entry fee.

Application Requirements

Artist name and contact information, including website and social media

Artist statement of no more than 1000 characters

Resume or Curriculum vitae

Up to 10 jpeg images of original works art or 6 links to time-based media

Caption information for each work of art, including title, date, medium, and dimensions in inches. A short description of no more than 50 words may be provided for each slide.

Eligibility Criteria

The call is open to all Idaho-based (full or part-time resident) artists, regardless of their race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, or disability. Artists must be at least 18 years of age.