Apply Now to the 2024 Pacific Northwest Drawers
Deadline: Dec 16, 2023, 10:59 PM (PT)
Blue Sky is now accepting submissions for the 2024 Pacific Northwest Drawers. Photographers from Alaska, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington are welcome to apply. There is no application fee to enter.
Blue Sky established the Pacific Northwest Drawers in 2007 to showcase regional contemporary photographers through an annual juried exhibition. Selected work can be viewed in the flat files for a full year at the gallery, or digitally on the Blue Sky website. The online exhibition will remain a part of the Blue Sky digital archive indefinitely.
2024 Pacific Northwest Drawers Application Zoom Q&A Session
Meet the 2024 Juror
Aline Smithson (she/her/hers) is a visual artist, editor, and educator based in Los Angeles, California. She is best known for her conceptual portraiture and a practice that uses humor and pathos to explore the performative potential of photography. Growing up in the shadow of Hollywood, her work is influenced by the elevated unreal. She has exhibited widely including over 40 solo shows at a variety of international institutions and her work has been featured in publications including The New York Times, The New Yorker, and PDN.
Smithson is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Lenscratch, a daily journal on photography. In 2012, she received the Rising Star Award through the Griffin Museum of Photography for her contributions to the photographic community and she also received the prestigious Excellence in Teaching Award from CENTER. In 2014 and 2019, Smithson’s work was selected for the Critical Mass Top 50. In 2015, the Magenta Foundation published her first significant monograph, Self & Others: Portrait as Autobiography, and in 2016, the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum commissioned Smithson to create a series of portraits for the upcoming Faces of Our Planet Exhibition. In 2018 and 2019, her work was exhibited in the National Portrait Gallery in London as part of the Taylor Wessing Prize. Kris Graves Projects published her book, LOST II: Los Angeles and included her work in SOLACE and On Death. Peanut Press released her monograph, Fugue State, in Fall of 2021. In 2022, Smithson was recognized as a Hasselblad Heroine.
Submission Guidelines
Deadline: Dec 16, 2023, 10:59 PM (PT)
Entry fee: Free
One entry per artist. If multiple submissions are made by one artist, the jurors will only consider the first submission.
To be considered for the 2024 Pacific Northwest Drawers, photographers must reside in one of the following states and territories: Alaska, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington.
Submission materials
Exactly 10 images (no watermarks) from a single series or body of work created within the last five years
Details about each print: title, medium, dimensions (please use "0" for depth), price, date
Artist CV
A brief artist statement (not to exceed 300 words)
Submission & Selection Process
All submissions must be made through CaFÉ. Blue Sky cannot respond to inquiries about the status of a submission, nor are the jurors or Blue Sky staff able to offer feedback or reasoning for submissions that are not accepted.
Notification of acceptance date: February 1, 2024
If accepted, works must be delivered to the gallery matted, mounted, or protected in some way for handling. Due to the physical dimensions of each drawer, the matted or mounted sizes of accepted works cannot exceed 20” x 24” x 1.5” when stacked together. Please ensure that you are listing the FINAL mounted/matted dimensions, NOT the size of the print area.
FAQ
Who is eligible to apply?
Any photographic artist who is a current resident of Alaska, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington is invited to submit work for consideration. Please ensure that your CaFÉ profile reflects residency in one of these locations. Submissions received from outside the eligible region will be withdrawn.
I’m a self-taught photographer, can I still apply?
Absolutely! We welcome submissions from any photo-based artist located in the above region.
Will there be an opening for the 2024 Pacific Northwest Drawers?
Yes! The opening will take place on First Thursday, April 4, 2024.
Do I need to create an account on CaFÉ to submit?
Yes, you will need to create a CaFÉ account in order to submit. Please refer to CaFÉ’s FAQ for further details.
What format/size do my images need to be?
CaFÉ accepts the following formats:
File format: JPEG or JPG only
File dimensions: 1200 pixels or greater on the longest side.
File size: under 5 MB
Can I submit hard copies of my prints to Blue Sky?
No, all considered submissions MUST be submitted through the CaFÉ submission portal. Please do not mail or bring your prints into Blue Sky.
Will there be a deadline extension?
No. Submission deadline is firmly set and will not be extended. To ensure success navigating the CaFÉ portal, we highly encourage artists to submit before the deadline date. Don’t wait until the last minute!
I prefer not to sell my work, can I still apply?
Yes! It’s up to you whether or not you decide to sell your work.
How do I price my work?
It’s ultimately up to you to decide on your prices, but most works in the PNW Drawers tend to range from $100 - $1000. Factors to consider include material costs, time, where you are in your artistic career, edition size, among others.
I don’t live in Portland. If accepted, can I ship my work to you?
Yes, selected artists can ship or drop off their work. If shipping, you are responsible for the cost of shipping work to the gallery. Blue Sky will pay for return shipping to artists who live outside of the Portland area.
Do I have to have 10 images to submit?
Yes, exactly 10 images are required from a single body of work in order to submit.
Are selected artists more likely to get a show at Blue Sky?
The PNW Drawers is a great way to introduce your work to Blue Sky. But there is no direct correlation between being selected for the PNW Drawers and being selected for an exhibition on the main gallery walls. If you would like to be considered for a solo show at Blue Sky, please submit your work via our Exhibition Submission Form.
If I’ve been selected in the past can I apply again this year?
Yes, you are welcome to apply as long as you are submitting new work made within the last 5 years.
How does Blue Sky select the juror(s)?
Each year Blue Sky staff chooses new photo industry professional(s) as jury member(s). This means how your work is scored in 2023, might be scored differently in 2024. It’s subjective!
The Pacific Northwest Drawers is largely supported by a generous grant from the Kinsman Foundation.
