2025 Wild & Scenic Art Exhibition
The Wild & Scenic Film Festival, in collaboration with Nevada County Arts Council, invites artists to submit their artwork for possible inclusion at the 23rd annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival, February 13-23, 2025.
Wild & Scenic uses environmental and adventure films to inspire activism, and we are seeking art submissions that do the same. Artists are encouraged to submit pieces that address a broad interpretation of the theme of “environment.” The featured artwork enhances the immersive nature of the festival experience.
“Wild & Scenic is grateful to be able to continue to bring the impressive selection of artwork we curate for this Art Exhibition to our community and visiting festival attendees. Each year I am impressed by the quality of artwork submissions we receive and am looking forward to another great exhibition in 2025” says Festival Director Eric Dunn.
Exhibition Information
Juried art will be showcased at the Granucci Gallery, located at The Center for the Arts in Grass Valley throughout February 2025. Western Nevada County is home to more than 100 arts-related organizations producing upwards of a thousand events a year, scores of annual festivals, street fairs, art walks, studio tours, and a generous base of artists and makers. All this and much more is happening in the Grass Valley-Nevada City Cultural District, designated by the California Arts Council as one of 14 cultural districts for our thriving cultural diversity and unique artistic identities within California.
We are thrilled to provide artists passionate about the environment an opportunity to showcase their best and share a meaningful message conveyed through their unique artistic visions.
Submission & Award Information
Categories
Submissions are accepted in three categories: 3-Dimensional, 2-Dimensional, and Photography.
Artists can submit up to 3 pieces per entry in a single category. Artwork that is available for sale is preferred, as it helps WSFF continue to put this event on.
Details about the three categories:
2-D: Paintings, prints, collages, mixed media, and panels with 1.5 inches or less of depth variation
3-D: Sculpture and pieces with depth variations greater than 1.5 inches
Photography: All photography, including digital and film, color, black and white
Theme
While all artwork will be considered, we are especially interested in pieces that interpret our theme this year, Wild at Heart. The theme speaks to the power of wild places to spark inspiration, compassion, and understanding of the world around us.
Awards
Selected artists will exhibit their work in person at the 23rd annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival in front of thousands of environmental filmmakers, celebrities, social activists, and attendees. Selected artists will be eligible for the following awards:
- Top submission in each category; 2-Dimensional, 3-Dimensional, and Photography
- Best of Theme: “Wild at Heart”
- Judges’ Awards
The Jury will look for work that stands out within the greater themes of the festival, which is a fundraising driver of the South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL), a non-profit organization whose mission is to unite the community to protect and restore the Yuba River watershed. Award-winners will be recognized and presented with certificates at the virtual Artists Opening Reception and Awards Ceremony.
2025 Art Venue
Granucci Gallery at the Grass Valley Center for the Arts (314 W Main St), during fest Thu-Sun 2-8 pm*
The artwork will be on display for the general public starting on February 13th at the Granucci Gallery (314 W Main St, Grass Valley), and will run until the end of that month.
All sales are split with 60% to the artist, 20% to the Granucci Gallery, and 20% to SYRCL to help fund our many projects year-round.
*Regular hours: Tue-Fri 12-4 pm
2025 Art Reception & Awards Ceremony
On February 13th, please join us to kick off the Wild & Scenic Film Festival and the Art Exhibition with a Reception and Awards Ceremony from 4:30 to 6:30 pm at the Granucci Gallery at the Grass Valley Center for the Arts (314 W Main St.).
The event is FREE and open to the public. Stay tuned for more info.
2025 Art Judges
Mira Clark, Coordinator & Curator, CHIRP Visibility Through Art
Mira Clark was born and raised in Nevada County. She has over 15 years of experience as an independent artist. Her work emphasizes collaboration, curiosity, and interconnectedness, using mixed-media storytelling to promote social and environmental awareness. For the past seven years, Clark has coordinated CHIRP’s Visibility Through Art Initiative, facilitating collaboration between Nevada County artists and the Nevada City Rancheria Nisenan Tribe. In addition, she assists the Tribe in managing and curating ‘Uba Seo: Nisenan Arts and Culture. Her artistic mission is rooted in building bridges across diverse communities and driving social change through the arts.
Christine Koppes, Independent Curator
Christine Koppes is an independent curator, art consultant, and writer based in the Bay Area focused on building art and community programs. Prior to starting her own business, she was the Founding Curator and Director of Curatorial Affairs at the Institute of Contemporary Art San Francisco’s (ICA SF), a museum that opened in 2022 in the Dogpatch neighborhood of San Francisco. She also served as the ICA San José’s Curator and Director of Public Programs. Her career began at the Bedford Gallery in Walnut Creek, California, as the Assistant Curator of Exhibitions and Programs, which included a visual arts gallery and a public art program. She holds a BA in Art History from UC Berkeley.
Cheri Awalt, Deputy Director, Verge Center for the Arts
Cheri Awalt is the Deputy Director at Verge Center for the Arts in downtown Sacramento, California. A life-long appreciator of the arts, she holds a degree in Art History from the University of California, Davis. During her studies, she was given the opportunity to intern at the Sacramento Fine Arts Center, which kicked off her career and laid the foundation for her passionate support of artists, arts organizations, and the broader creative community in the Sacramento region and beyond. Over the intervening years since, she has held key positions at multiple nonprofit galleries in the
greater Sacramento area, providing crucial support to local and nationally touring artists and exhibitions, and ensuring that the public can access and engage with the arts in a meaningful way. Since joining the Verge team in 2022, she has overseen Sac Open Studios, a free-to-the-public studio tour serving nearly 300 artists and 30,000 attendees annually, among many other programs and shows that continue to bolster the vitality of the arts in her community
Submission Deadlines & Important Dates:
SUBMISSIONS ARE NOW CLOSED
September 30 – Early Bird Deadline, $25
October 28th – Regular Deadline, $35
November 30th – Final Deadline, $45
December 23 – Notification Date
February 13 – Art Exhibition/Film Festival begins
If you have any questions about submitting your art, please reach out to info@wildandscenicfilmfestival.org
