Everson opens applications for 2027 CNY Artist Initiative

The Everson Museum of Art opened applications for its 2027 CNY Artist Initiative, giving artists who live and work within 75 miles of Syracuse until July 19 to compete for solo exhibitions next year. The selected shows are expected to run seven to nine weeks in the museum’s Council Gallery, a prominent downtown space across from the café.

The application asks for more than a basic portfolio. Artists must submit a statement, a résumé and 20 images of artwork, along with titles, dates, sizes and medium details. That makes the program a more formal gate into museum exhibition space, not a casual open call, and it places a clear burden on artists who may already be balancing studio work, teaching or other paid jobs.

The initiative has been running since 2022, and the Everson has already used it to spotlight a range of local talent. This year’s selected artists include abstract painter Tal Placido, textile artist Ann Clarke, porcelain sculptor Renqian Yang and multimedia artist Rich Harrington. Their inclusion shows the museum has kept the program open to multiple disciplines, rather than limiting it to a single medium or style.

The museum said winners are expected to be notified in August and publicly announced in September, which means the next round of regional exhibits will be set within weeks of the deadline. For artists in Syracuse and across Onondaga County, the timeline is short: apply now, then wait through the summer for a chance at museum exposure that can help a local career move from studio walls to a city-center institution.

The Council Gallery placement matters because it gives selected artists not just wall space, but foot traffic. Positioned across from the café, the gallery puts the work in front of museum visitors in one of downtown Syracuse’s most visible cultural settings, turning the initiative into a practical entry point for artists trying to build recognition in Central New York.