Bainbridge Island Museum of Art invites Puget Sound area artists to apply for the Museum’s first-ever juried group exhibition BIMA Spotlight. Submissions will be accepted from September 1, 2022, through October 15, 2022. The exhibition opens on Friday, June 30, 2023, runs into September 2023 and is a cornerstone of BIMA’s 10th Anniversary celebrations. 

BIMA Spotlight will be a vast group exhibition filling the galleries on two floors (except for the Sherry Grover Gallery). In addition, one artist will be selected for BIMA’s Beacon Window Gallery – a two-story, 24-hour display space on the corner of Winslow Way and Highway 305. The Beacon Window Gallery Program includes a stipend for the selected artist. Applicants for the Beacon Window Gallery can apply through this link. 

Artists may apply for both opportunities.

Visual artworks of all media will be considered, with some limitations to the size and other variables, and will include film/video and visual artworks.

Jurors from the Puget Sound Region:

• Eileen Jimenez (Seattle) – Indigenous queer artist, Dean of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences at South Seattle College.
• Elisheba Johnson (Seattle) – artist, poet, curator, and co-founder Wa Na Wari.
• Ed Archie NoiseCat (Bremerton) – artist and instructor.
• June Sekiguchi (Lakewood) – artist and curator

-- in addition to BIMA Chief Curator, Greg Robinson, and BIMA Associate Curator, Amy Sawyer. 

Zero (0) to three (3) works may be selected by the Spotlight Jury. Artists will be notified of juried selections by November 30, 2022. 

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: October 15, 2022

EXHIBITION DATES: Friday, June 30, 2023, runs into September 2023

Application Requirements

Submission dates: September 1, 2022, and closing October 15, 2022. Only online submissions are accepted. Application Fee of $25. The fee is optional and can be waived per need. This information is confidential and not shared with jurors.

ARTWORK MEDIA AND OTHER CRITERIA: Visual artworks created since January 1, 2018, will be considered. Artists may submit up to six works. Zero (0) to three (3) works may be selected by the Spotlight Jury. 

Artwork may be for sale (retail value not included on gallery labels). BIMA does not take a sales commission on gallery exhibitions and will refer interested parties directly to the artist.

MEDIA FORMAT: JPG or JPEG - Dimensions: 1200 pixels or greater on the longest side. CaFÉ may readjust your dimensions after entry to fit the limitations. Size: under 5 MB

Film/video will be limited to 30 minutes in length. The Frank Buxton Auditorium will be used on a scheduled basis for film/video loops. For technical help, click on CaFÉ HELP and go to "Uploading: Image, Audio and Video Files."

BIMA SPOTLIGHT EXHIBITION PHYSICAL PARAMETERS and LOGISTICS: Two-dimensional, wall-mounted artworks should not exceed 72”h x 72”w. Three-dimensional artworks should typically not exceed 72"h x 72"w, but the jury may review other works for the feasibility of installation.

BIMA SPOTLIGHT- BEACON WINDOW GALLERY: PHYSICAL PARAMETERS and LOGISTICS: Two-story, 24-hour display space on the corner of Winslow Way and Highway 305. Dimensions: 22 feet high x 11 feet wide. The Beacon Window Gallery Program includes a stipend for the selected artist. Applicants for the Beacon Window Gallery can apply through this link.

Artists may apply for both opportunities.

BIMA reserves the right to exclude any artwork deemed too heavy, fragile, vulnerable, valuable, or otherwise not feasible to install or display. 

Artists are requested to communicate any questions/inquiries via email: spotlight@biartmuseum.org

Eligibility Criteria

Artist Eligibility: 

• Works created since January 1, 2018
• Artists must be 18 years of age or older (as of September 1, 2022)
• Film/video projects are limited to 30 minutes
• Some size limitations will be in effect
• Artist must live and work in the Puget Sound region
• Artists who have had a solo exhibition at BIMA do not qualify
• BIMA staff and board members are not eligible