About
The South Bend Museum of Art features a full spectrum of historical and contemporary art featured in five galleries. A wide range of artistic traditions are taught in our world-class art studios. Located inside the Century Center in downtown South Bend, Indiana, the SBMA is an architectural delight. Designed by Philip Johnson and John Burgee, the museum occupies three levels in the northern wing of the building.

Mission
The South Bend Museum of Art affirms the enduring power of the visual arts to reflect and create community, engage minds, and nurture growth through exhibitions, collections and educational programs.

History
Since its founding in 1947, the SBMA has provided insight into the art, history and culture of the region and nation. Since 1987, SBMA has been recognized as achieving the highest level of professional standards in the field, awarded accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums. Accreditation status must be renewed every 10 years and, in March of 2011, SBMA was awarded ongoing accreditation. Accreditation inspires museums to achieve a higher standard. It strengthens the field as a whole, as well as the museums that receive accreditation. The rigorous process leads to sustained organizational improvement and a clearer sense of purpose. Of the estimated 17,500 museums in the U.S., only 750 are accredited.
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$10.00
Submit to Biennial 33


 

 



EXHIBITION DATES: September 27 - December 28, 2025
DEADLINE FOR ALL ENTRIES: Friday, April 4, 2025, 11:59PM EST.


What are the innovative forms, ideas, and themes happening right now in artistic creation in the Midwest?  Open to all artists residing in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin, the South Bend Museum of Art’s Biennial 33 will present contemporary artwork in all media.   Selected artists are asked to exhibit a body of work, or other presentation modality (site specific installation, projection reel, performance etc.),  that gives a comprehensive look into their creative studio practice. $1,500 in awards will be selected by the juror and $1,500 in purchase awards will be chosen by the South Bend Museum of Art’s Collections Committee. A color brochure of exhibiting artists will also be produced. There is a $10 entry fee to apply.


JUROR:  Scott Vincent Campbell
 





Biennial 33 will be juried by Scott Vincent Campbell, the Midwest Programs Manager at Independent Curators International (ICI), and is a visual artist and curator originally from New York City. He earned a BA in Fine Art from Haverford College, and his MFA at The University of Chicago. Campbell’s work has been exhibited at institutions across the U.S., including the Urban Institute for Contemporary Art in Grand Rapids, MI; Library Street Collective in Detroit, MI; Big Medium in Austin, TX; and Pierogi Gallery in New York, NY. In 2017, he was the first Ford Curatorial Fellow at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit. In addition to his own practice, Campbell joins ICI with over 15 years of experience working in galleries such as Ronald Feldman Fine Arts, Salon 94, P.P.O.W., and Red Bull Arts Detroit.


ELIGIBILITY:
Biennial 33  is open to all artists residing in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin. All media are accepted. All artwork must have been completed in the past 4 years (2021‒present) and cannot have been previously exhibited at the South Bend Museum of Art.


TO APPLY, YOU WILL NEED THE FOLLOWING:
 

  • 5–10 images of your work
  • Title, year, media and scale for each image
  • Exhibition resume
  • Artist statement
  • $10 entry fee (used to support the exhibition, the printed publication and related programming)



CONDITIONS OF ACCEPTANCE:
 

  • The juror will select artists for inclusion in the exhibition and each artist will receive approximately 24 feet of running wall space (or the floor space equivalent). Depending on the scale of the work, each artist is usually able to exhibit about 7‒12 works. Exhibited work does not necessarily need to be the same as the work submitted for jurying, but should be consistent with the submission.
  • SBMA curatorial staff is responsible for the design and layout of the exhibition. Installation artists are responsible for their own installation and should coordinate with the curator as soon as possible after they’ve been notified of their inclusion.
  • SBMA has a limited number of pedestals for use by artists; time based artists need to provide their own equipment and should ensure that their work requires minimal maintenance on the part of museum staff (i.e. video files set to loop, start of day/end of day procedures clearly written out, spare bulbs provided, etc.).
  • The SBMA’s Collections Committee uses the pool of accepted artists to acquire new works into its permanent collection with $1,500.00 in purchase awards. 
  • Five merit awards totaling $1,500.00 will be awarded by the juror.
  • SBMA's curatorial staff will document the exhibition and share installation images with exhibiting artists.
  • A color brochure of exhibiting artists will be produced. Exhibiting artists will receive at least 35 copies for personal distribution.


SHIPPING:
Artists are responsible for the delivery and return of work, including all costs.

INSURANCE:
SBMA will insure the objects on loan while in custody of SBMA. Artists are responsible for insuring their artwork while in transit to and from the SBMA.


IMPORTANT DATES:
 

  • Friday, April 4, 2025 11:59pm EST:   Deadline for entry
  • April 7 - May 31, 2025: Jurying of entries
  • Monday, June 9, 2025 (no later than): E-mailed notification sent
  • September 5, 2025: Deadline for the delivery of shipped work
  • September 5 - 21, 2025: Hand delivery of work and installation
  • Saturday, September 27, 2025: Exhibition opens
  • Friday, October 3, 5:00–8:00 p.m. EST: Artists reception
  • Sunday, December 28, 2024: Exhibition closes
  • Monday, January 5 - 16, 2026: Pick-up of work 



QUESTIONS MAY BE DIRECTED TO:
info@southbendart.org

 

Submit to Exhibition Submission

The South Bend Museum of Art accepts submission materials from artists, art organizations, community organizations, and curators. All submissions are reviewed by the museum’s Curatorial Staff quarterly in March, July, September, and January and are considered for all available opportunities.  

The Project Room:  We're looking for screen based works (video, performance, sound/visual, and game-based) as soon as 2024!

Community Gallery:  booked through 2025.

The Art League: booked through 2027.

Note: We are no longer accepting submissions for Warner Gallery.


Required Submission Materials:

  • Up to 20 images and/or up to 3 video links;
  • Artist Statement and Bio (no more than 500 words) -or- a Community Arts Organization mission statement and submitter bio (no more than 500 words);
  • A Mission Connection statement that describes how your exhibition idea relates to our mission, including any programming activities that might include our Collections, Exhibitions, and Education Departments at SBMA.  You'll also be asked how your exhibition idea engages the diverse communities of South Bend and the surrounding region.


 

There are 3 galleries at the SBMA available for changing exhibitions, each with its own focus. You will be asked which space is the most suitable for your work:

  • Art League Gallery (approximately 1200 sq. ft.):  Solo, two-person, and small group exhibitions. 3–4 open slots per year.
  • Project Room Gallery (approximately 110 sq. ft.)
     Solo or small group exhibitions of screen-based work. This small gallery space adjoins the Art League Gallery and is dedicated to new media, animations, video, etc., that can be played on a single screen. Equipment includes: Samsung 55″ 1080p flatscreen smart tv, Micca Spec G2 media player, Mac mini. 3–4 open slots per year.
  • Community Gallery (approximately 600 sq. ft.). 2 open slots per year for area community art organizations.


 

Available Floorplans:

South Bend Museum of Art