The Center for Maine Contemporary Art (CMCA) is thrilled to announce the jurors and application guidelines for its upcoming 2027 Biennial exhibition. CMCA’s Biennial is the longest-running statewide juried exhibition in Maine and highlights current developments in contemporary art by Maine-based and connected artists. Application details, deadlines, and responses to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) follow below.

JURORS: NYEEMA MORGAN, HAYNES RILEY, AND GRANT WAHLQUIST

CMCA’s 2027 Biennial will be juried by Nyeema Morgan, Haynes Riley, and Grant Wahlquist.

Nyeema Morgan is a visual artist and Assistant Professor of Sculpture at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She attended the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, earned her BFA from the Cooper Union School of Art, and an MFA from the California College of the Arts. Her practice has been acknowledged through grants, fellowships, and residencies from the Art Matters Foundation, Artadia, Foundation for Contemporary Arts, Harpo Foundation, and the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council. Her work has been featured in solo and two-person presentations at: the Neubauer Collegium, Chicago, IL; PATRON Gallery, Chicago, IL; Philadelphia Art Alliance at the University for the Arts, Philadelphia, PA; and the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, Boulder, CO. She has also been featured in group exhibitions at: the Hessel Museum of Art, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY; the Worcester Art Museum, Worcester, MA; the Bowdoin College Museum of Art, Brunswick, ME; The Green Gallery, Milwaukee, WI; Galerie Jeanrochdard, Paris; and The Drawing Center, New York, amongst others. Morgan was an Artist-in-Residence at the Joan Mitchell Center in New Orleans, where she co-curated the exhibition History or Premonition for the Center’s 10th anniversary and Joan Mitchell’s centennial, and serves on the Foundation’s board.

Haynes Riley is an artist, curator, designer, and the founder of the gallery Good Weather. Riley received an MFA from the Cranbrook Academy of Art and studied at The Mountain School of Arts. He has presented solo exhibitions at: Spaysky Fine Art Gallery, llc, Detroit, MI; Coin, Brooklyn, NY; David Salkin Creative, Chicago, IL; Brittany, Vallejo, CA; TOPS, Memphis, TN; and The Hills Esthetic Center, Chicago, IL. His work has also been presented in group exhibitions at: Arturo Bandini, Los Angeles, CA; The Green Gallery, Milwaukee, WI; and The Luminary, St. Louis, MO, amongst others. His writing has been published in Portable Gray, OEI, Temporary Art Review, and Burnaway. As founder of Good Weather, he has presented exhibitions at the gallery’s locations in Chicago, Little Rock, and North Little Rock, AR, as well as at fairs including: ACK, Kyoto; Artissima, Turin; Art-o-rama, Marseille; Barely Fair, Chicago; Basel Social Club; Chicago Invitational; Condo, London; Condo, Mexico City; the Dallas Invitational; EXPO Chicago; Liste, Basel; Material, Mexico City; NADA, Miami; NADA, New York; NADA Villa Warsaw; Neu Cöln, Cologne; Onsen Confidential, Tokyo; Parloir, Milan; Paris Internationale; Post-Fair, Los Angeles; and Riga Contemporary.

Grant Wahlquist is CMCA’s Curator. 

ARTIST ELIGIBILITY

CMCA welcomes applications from artists with a strong connection to Maine. For the purposes of this Biennial, a strong connection to Maine includes: (1) current full- or part-time residency in Maine; and (2) the production of a significant body of work in Maine within the past two years. Artist collaboratives are welcome to apply collaboratively.

APPLICATION FORMAT AND DEADLINES

Eligible artists should send a PDF portfolio of no more than 25 pages that is no more than 10 MB in size to Biennial2027@cmcanow.org. (This email address will not be able to receive mail until after applications are open.) The portfolio need not follow any specified format; however, we strongly recommend the portfolio include some combination of the following:

• Your full contact details (address, email, website, and social media profiles);

• A narrative bio or c.v., which should specify your connection to Maine if not otherwise obvious;

• Representative samples of your work; and

• Text about work selections and/or an artist statement if you feel it will help familiarize the jury with your practice.

If your practice includes time-based media, please include stills and links to video content hosted on Vimeo, YouTube, or your website. 

Your portfolio need not include the specific works you would like to exhibit at CMCA. All selected artists will be contacted by CMCA’s Curator to arrange a studio visit to discuss the scope of their participation in the Biennial. 

Applications for CMCA’s Biennial will open at 9 a.m., Eastern on September 11, 2026. Applications will close at 5 p.m., Eastern on October 9, 2026. CMCA is limiting review for the 2027 Biennial to 300 applicants; once 300 eligible applications have been received, no further applications will be reviewed. We strongly encourage you to apply early.

2027 BIENNIAL TIMELINE

CMCA anticipates notifying selected artists by the end of 2026. CMCA’s Curator will promptly conduct studio visits with all selected artists, either in-person (if within Maine) or virtually (if outside of Maine). CMCA anticipates installing the 2027 Biennial in October / November of 2027, with the exhibition continuing through the Spring of 2028.

FAQs

What does it mean to have a strong connection to Maine? 

For the purposes of this Biennial, a strong connection to Maine includes: (a) current full- or part-time residency in Maine; or (b) the production of a significant body of work in Maine within the past two years, regardless of where you reside. It does not include: (1) full- or part-time residency in Maine prior to the date you submit your application (unless you satisfy condition (b) above); (2) the production of works about themes that have a tangential connection to Maine but that were not produced in Maine; or (3) proposals to produce works in Maine solely for the purpose of eligibility for the Biennial. A strong connection to Maine does not require that artists produce work that is “about” Maine. CMCA welcomes submissions from artists with a meaningful connection to Maine regardless of the subject matter, themes, or mode of production of their work.

Why is CMCA requesting the submission of PDF portfolios rather than using Submittable or another open call webhosting platform?

The production of a PDF portfolio is a standard skill that artists are commonly expected to possess. We encourage artists who are unfamiliar with this practice to leverage their networks to develop this skill if they are new to it. CMCA has found that many artists find the technicalities of using Submittable, etc., to be as difficult as producing PDF portfolios. Moreover, such platforms also privilege certain kinds of artistic practices (i.e., 2d work) over others (e.g., sculpture and time-based practices).

Why is CMCA’s Curator one of the 2027 Biennial’s jurors?

CMCA’s Curator intends to follow the lead of the 2027 Biennial’s two external jurors. However, as the individual responsible for conducting studio visits, selecting works, installing the exhibition, and minding CMCA’s institutional and reputational interests, he may advise the outside jurors in a way that shapes the selection of artists. Consistent with CMCA’s commitment to transparency, acknowledging the Curator’s role in this capacity is important.  

Does my portfolio need to include only works that were produced in the past two years, or that I can guarantee will be available for the Biennial?

No. The jurors will select artists based solely on the strength and shape of their current practice as represented in the portfolio. If works produced prior to the past two years illuminate the state of your current practice, feel free to submit them. Works will be selected in 2027 jointly by the artist and Curator, and this may include the selection of new works produced specifically for the Biennial after the artist has been notified of their participation.

What support does CMCA offer artists who participate in the Biennial?

CMCA will provide Biennial artists W.A.G.E. scale honoraria. CMCA does not typically provide artists with production support. Any additional support (including shipping) will be discussed with selected artists as the exhibition evolves; artists should be prepared for the possibility that they will be required to deliver and pick-up their work(s).

Is CMCA’s Biennial only for emerging or young artists?

No. CMCA encourages all eligible artists regardless of age, exhibition history, etc. to apply. The only requirement to participate in CMCA’s Biennial beyond a connection to Maine is artistic excellence.

Questions? Contact gwahlquist@cmcanow.org; please no phone calls or “drop-in” visits.