Bellevue Arts Museum has turned its focus on the work of contemporary artists and craftsmen in the Pacific Northwest with the announcement of the BAM Biennial 2010: Clay Throwdown.

The juried exhibition will run from August 28, 2010 through January 16, 2011.

The new exhibition is set to occur every two years and will explore a specific medium, technique, process or theme in art.

This year’s theme for BAM Biennial 2010 is clay. Artists are encouraged to take a creative approach to the material, considering both traditional expressions of ceramic art and the fringes of the medium, where concepts of art and craft merge. Deadline for submissions is Dec. 31, 2009. Two cash prizes of $5,000 as well as a future solo exhibition at BAM will be awarded.

“Fostering Northwest artists and craftsmen is a key commitment of Bellevue Arts Museum,” said BAM curator Stefano Catalani. “We see ourselves as a catalyst for regional artists. The BAM Biennial is yet another way in which we shed light on the incredible talent and craftsmanship we have here in the Northwest, and a great opportunity to spark new conversations around the country on the blurring boundaries between of art, craft and design.”

For more information, visit www.bellevuearts.org/exhibitions/biennial/index.htm.