Visual artists and poets are asked to respond, in any medium, to language, its mutability and how words guide us through language, especially when words are lost.

Expanding upon this idea, all of us are often at a loss for words, when practicing our everyday lives. How does this inform you art or poetry practice? Are there lost words or languages in particular that warrant a response in visual art and poems?

Entries and Fees:

Up to three entries of visual artwork and/or poetry may be submitted. A flat fee of $35 to enter includes three submissions and associated image files or pdfs.

Awards:

Jurors Choice for both Poetry and Visual Arts will be $500 each

Three Merit Awards in both Poetry and Visual Arts will be $300 each

A People’s Choice Award in Poetry and one in Visual Arts will be $100 each

Jurors:

Visual Arts - Leah Gerard

Born in Seattle, WA, Leah graduated from Linfield College in McMinnville OR. She also attended Cornish College of the Arts and Studio Art Centers International. Her unique sculpting method developed by combining an interest in basketry, and jewelry with a desire to create large-scale work. Her sculpture has grown in response to challenges inherent in her designs. Her large-scale abstract sculptures are created using steel wire and basketry techniques.

Leah Gerrard was awarded a Washington State Artist Trust fellowship in 2016 and was the featured artist at the 2017 Artist Trust auction. Leah is a member of Shift Gallery in Seattle, WA, and has exhibited throughout the West.

Poetry - Carmen Germain

In 1987, Carmen moved to the North Olympic Peninsula, where she taught English, Literature and Writing for two decades. Germain taught at Peninsula College for over 20 years where she was a co-director of the Foothills Writers Series.  She holds degrees in literature from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and the University of British Columbia. Germain has been a visiting artist/scholar at the American Academy in Rome. 

Calendar:

• April 7 – Submissions open on CaFÉ for artwork and poetry
• May 23 – Submissions close at 5p
• May 31– Notices sent to artists / poets
• June 14 – Deadline for visual artworks arriving by Mail by mail
• June 14 – Visual artworks may be dropped off 1-3p
• June 15 – Visual artworks may be dropped off 10a-1p
• June 17 – Exhibit Opens 12p
• July 25 – Exhibit closes 5p
• July 26 – Visual artworks may be picked up 10a-1p
• July 27 – August 5 Visual artworks pickup appointments can be made
• August 2-4 – Unsold shipped artworks returned to visual artists

Northwind Art is an arts non-profit organization formed in January 2021, from the merger of Port Townsend School of the Arts and Northwind Arts Center. The new institution is dedicated to the mission of cultivating the arts through education, exhibits and artist advancement – with two gallery locations and online classes and workshops. Find out more about exhibits and class offerings at NorthwindArt.org.

Application Requirements

Eligibility Criteria