Apply now to the 2025 Pacific Northwest Drawers
Deadline: Wed, Dec 18, 2024, 10:59 PM (PT)
Blue Sky is now accepting submissions for the 2025 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.
Julia Dolan (she/her/hers) has curated, co-curated, or hosted more than 50 photography exhibitions since joining the Portland Art Museum in 2010. She also oversees research of and acquisitions for the permanent collection, which currently numbers over 10,000 photographs. She is a member of the Museum’s Equity Team, and is a co-founder of the FOCUS group, a North American network of emerging photography curators, historians, and nonprofit professionals.
Dr. Dolan’s exhibitions at the Museum include Perspectives (2020), Hank Willis Thomas: All Things Being Equal… (with Sara Krajewski, 2019-20), Toughened to Wind and Sun: Women Photographing the Landscape (2019-20), In the Beginning: Minor White’s Oregon Photographs (2017-2018), Representing: Vernacular Photographs of, by, and for African Americans (2017), Contemporary Native Photographers and the Edward Curtis Legacy: Zig Jackson, Wendy Red Star, Will Wilson (with Dr. Deana Dartt, 2016), and Blue Sky: The Oregon Center for the Photographic Arts at 40 (2014). She has published essays in multiple publications including Hank Willis Thomas: All Things Being Equal… (2018), Sun, Shadows, Stone: The Photography of Terry Toedtemeier (2018), Geolocation: Nate Larson and Marni Shindelman (2015), Blue Sky: The Oregon Center for the Photographic Arts at 40 (2014), and The Question of Hope: Robert Adams in Western Oregon (2013).
Dr. Dolan earned a B.F.A. in Photography from the Maryland Institute College of Art, an M.A. in Art History from the Pennsylvania State University, and a Ph.D. in Art History from Boston University. She has worked with the photography collections at institutions including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Addison Gallery of American Art, and the Fogg Art Museum at Harvard University.
Submission Guidelines
Deadline: Wed, Dec 18, 2024, 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 2025 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: Mon, Feb 3, 2025
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 2025 Pacific Northwest Drawers?
Yes! The opening will take place on First Thursday, April 3, 2025.
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 Pacific Northwest Drawers tend to range from $100 - $1,000. 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 Pacific Northwest 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 2024, might be scored differently in 2025. It’s subjective!
The Pacific Northwest Drawers is largely supported by a generous grant from the Kinsman Foundation.
