Northern Exposure art competition reaches out to all U.P. artists

Did you know there’s a U.P.-wide art competition hosted in Escanaba? In fact, it’s the largest competition in the region. The Northern Exposure art competition is entering its 19th year, and is currently open for entries for the 2012 show.

The competition is hosted by the William Bonifas Fine Arts Center in Escanaba, but is open to artists from across the U.P. in many mediums. The main criteria is that the entered work be new, created within the past two years.

If the recognition and award weren’t enough, the competition does have a pretty impressive prize range, backed by local businesses. In past years, it also has been a great opportunity for U.P. artists to get their work seen by business clients, and often purchased, says Pasqua Warstler, gallery and education director at the Bonifas Center.

The businesses backing prizes this year come from all over the U.P., and include the Art & Garden Gallery, Frame Crafters Munising Art Council, Mackinaw Trail Winery, Menominee Arts Council, Svilands and Zero Degrees.

Some of the purchases of 2011 Northern Exposure exhibitors included Bay Community College, U.P. Otolaryngology, Island Resort & Casino and BayBank.

“We work hard to build a prize purse, and as you can see, there is a lot of public support for the arts here in the U.P.,” says Warstler. “Our goal this year is to increase geographic representation in artist participation and in the awards field. In this way we hope to build the arts across the peninsula.”

Northern Exposure will be exhibited Nov. 8 to Dec. 20, with an opening reception Nov. 8 from 7 to 9 p.m. The entries are juried, by different jurors each year, to ensure different perspectives. The submission deadline will be in early October.

Writer: Sam Eggleston
Source: Pasqua Warstler, William Bonifas Fine Arts Center