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.
EXHIBITION DATES: October 1 – December 31, 2023
DEADLINE FOR ALL ENTRIES: June 30, 2023 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 32 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: Michele Bosak
Biennial 32 will be juried by Michele Bosak, a curator based in Grand Rapids, MI, and the former Director of Curatorial for the Urban Institute for Contemporary design (UICA) and Kendall College of Art and Design (KCAD). Focusing on contemporary art and design, Michele has over a decade of demonstrated expertise in generating provocative, accessible exhibitions. As a longtime arts advocate, she’s most interested in discourses at the intersection of art, design, and technology – emphasizing marginalized genders and queer culture.
From award-winning ArtPrize exhibitions to intimate solo shows, Michele Bosak has created experiences that challenge conventional presentations of contemporary art. Michele’s eight ArtPrize awards and other nominations have been an acknowledgement of both her exhibitions and selections of individual artists. These awards have been juried by well-known artists and critics and include: Larry Ossei-Mensah, Alice Grey Stites, Sarah Urist Green, Susan Sollins, Leonardo Drew, Katarina Grosse, Shari Frilot, Hesse McGraw, Andrew Russeth, and Shamim Momin. For more information about Michele, visit her website.
ELIGIBILITY:
Biennial 32 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 (2019‒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
- Artist 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:
- June 30, 2023 11:59pm EST: Deadline for entry
- July 5 - 14, 2023: Jurying of entries
- July 18, 5:00 p.m. EST (no later than): E-mailed notification sent
- September 4, 2023: Deadline for the delivery of shipped work
- September 4 - 20, 2023: Hand delivery of work and installation
- October 1, 2023: Exhibition opens
- October 6, 5:00–8:00 p.m. EST: Artists reception
- December 31, 2023: Exhibition closes
- January 5 - 17, 2024: Pick-up of work
QUESTIONS MAY BE DIRECTED TO:
Krista Hoefle, Senior Curator and Grants Manager
South Bend Museum of Art
southbendart.org // 574-235-9102
hoeflek@southbendart.org