New, statewide juried ‘MACC Biennial’ exhibit on Maui issues call to artists for 2023 show

Contemporary artists based in Hawaiʻi are sought for a new, statewide juried biennial exhibition at Maui Arts & Cultural Center’s Schaefer International Gallery from July 5 to Aug. 26.

The exhibition, titled “MACC Biennial,” is an opportunity for artists living in Hawai’i to showcase their “strongest, most innovative and thought-provoking work” that embodies fresh approaches in contemporary art, a recent news release said.

Cash prizes in three categories will be awarded.

Digital applications open March 15 and close at 11:59 p.m. April 5. 

Jurying will take place in the spring by Dr. Andreas Marks, the Mary Griggs Burke Curator of Japanese and Korean Art and Director of the Clark Center for Japanese Art at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. 

Marks has curated exhibitions in a variety of media from pre-modern to contemporary art and visual culture at 38 museums.

“Contemporary art should be free and without boundaries, but it can respond to the past to lead to new findings,” Marks said in the release. “Most importantly, it has to excite with compelling ideas and accomplished technique.”

“MACC Biennial” is open to all artists 18 years and older who reside in Hawai‘i. 

All works entered must be original and newly created within the last two years, (between 2021 and 2023) without direct teaching supervision. 

The work must not have been previously shown in any other exhibit, gallery, venue, website, or social media network. 

Eligible media include painting, printmaking, sculpture, textile, mixed media, photography, video, installation, and new media, while reproductions of original artwork of any kind will not be considered.

Submitted work will be reviewed through a competitive two-round jurying process. All entries for the MACC Biennial must be submitted online for Round 1 of jurying, which will take place digitally.

Work selected from Round 1 will proceed to Round 2 of jurying, where the juror will travel to four island sites to view selected works in person during the first week of May 2023. 

Final jurying decisions will be announced after the juror has reviewed work at all four island sites. 

MACC Biennial will include three significant cash awards selected by the juror to recognize works of outstanding merit, including the following:

• Juror’s Choice Award for $5,000
• Award of Excellence in Two-Dimensional Media for $2,500 

• Award of Excellence in Three-Dimensional Media for $2,500 

Schaefer gallery director Neida Bangerter highlighted the significance of artists, especially during this point in history.

“There is a critical need for artists to be the defining voices of our time, putting forth new work that expresses relevant ideas and interprets our human connection,” she said in the release. “This inaugural statewide call will assemble a cross-disciplinary exhibition that exemplifies conceptual depth, technical prowess, and explorative forms, bridging artists and community together through resonating experiences.”

Artists interested in submitting work are encouraged to access the MACC Biennial page, where they can view and download the exhibition prospectus.