Organizer Information
ArtsWest is a professional theatre and gallery in West Seattle, Washington, opened in November 1999. Since then, the organization has presented several hundred performing arts productions and gallery exhibitions to more than 200,000 visitors. ArtsWest's theatre is a ¾ thrust, fully raked 149-seat house, and its C-shaped gallery — the open space of the "C" being the theatre itself — features work by contemporary artists, primarily from the Pacific Northwest, in exhibitions that run concurrently with the mainstage productions. The organization has been a legacy grant recipient of the West Seattle Garden Tour since 1995. ArtsWest's stated mission is to produce artistic events that provoke conversation, incite the imagination, and use live theatre as a powerful agent of change.
Title & Description
Call for Artists: 2026–2027 ArtsWest Gallery Season — "A Visible Existence"
ArtsWest is seeking artists of all ages to exhibit artwork in its C-shaped gallery, located in the lobby of the theatre, for its 2026–2027 season. The gallery programming is designed to complement ArtsWest's theatre season, themed "A Visible Existence," allowing the West Seattle community to experience shared themes, ideas, and cultural identities through both visual art and live performance. Submitted artwork is not required to directly parallel the season's theatrical productions, but should complement the gallery's programming in spirit.
Theme
A Visible Existence — drawing on Kara Walker's statement that "Art is a way to make your life matter, to make your existence visible," the season explores how art reveals the hidden worlds people carry inside, amid stories of artists, dreamers, outsiders, and communities striving to connect, create, and understand themselves and one another through art, memory, music, and imagination.
Categories
- Visual Arts
- Painting
- Sculpture
- Ceramic
- Craft
- Mixed Media
Eligibility
- Open to artists of all ages
- No restriction on artwork size, as long as it can be safely displayed
- Wall-mounted visual art accepted, along with a small space available for ceramics and sculpture
- Video installations are not accepted
Program Benefits & Awards
- Exhibition in ArtsWest's gallery, a 100-linear-foot C-shaped space inside the theatre lobby, for a run of 4–7 weeks concurrent with a mainstage theatre production
- No sales commission charged by ArtsWest on any artwork sold; ArtsWest is not a third party in sales transactions and instead passes buyer contact information directly to the artist to complete the purchase
Application Fee
None
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 1 August 2026
- Notifications sent to artists: as soon as decisions are made, no later than August 24, 2026
Location
ArtsWest, 4711 California Ave. SW, Seattle, WA, United States
Additional Details
- Artwork must be delivered and installed by the artist in coordination with the Gallery Director; installation date/time is flexible
- Tear-down after the exhibition is also the artist's responsibility, coordinated with the Gallery Director
- ArtsWest states that reasonable precautions will be taken during receiving, installation, exhibition, and return of artwork, but ArtsWest employees, volunteers, and patrons do not assume responsibility for loss or damage incurred during this process
- Artists are encouraged to carry their own insurance and to be involved in installation/de-installation; submitted work should be of substantial enough nature to withstand these procedures
- Questions or technical issues with the application form can be directed to Corinne Park-Buffelen at corinnep@artswest.org