3030 20th Street (@ Alabama) San Francisco, CA 94110 t- 415-863-2141 f- 415-863-1841 www.soex.org

BOOM! Southern Exposure's 18th Annual Entry-Fee Free Juried Exhibition of Works by Northern California Artists

San Francisco, CA, November 17, 2010 - Southern Exposure announces BOOM! the 18th Annual Entry-Fee Free Juried Exhibition of Northern California Art. Southern Exposure's juried exhibition has become one of the premiere showcases of contemporary artwork by promising local talent. Each year a different theme is selected to inspire and encourage a broad level of artistic expression. This year's theme,BOOM!, is open to the artists' interpretation, inviting work that is conceptually and aesthetically diverse, drawing from as many insights and forms of expression as possible.

Unlike many open calls for work that charge a submission fee, Southern Exposure's juried exhibition does not require artists to pay to enter their work. The exhibition is open to any artist living in Northern California north of King City and south of the Oregon border. In past years, over 600 artworks have been hand-delivered to SoEx for jurying, attesting to the extreme popularity of the show. For many of the artists selected, this is their first major exhibition and an important step in advancing their career. 

Interested participants are invited to bring work to our drop-off dates on December 3 &4, 2010. All artistic media will be considered, including sculpture, drawing, painting, printmaking, photography, video, film, media, installation, social practice, performance and more. Applicants should be aware of Southern Exposure's mission and our commitment to supporting a broad range of innovative, risk-taking contemporary visual art practices. Further details, guidelines, and entry forms can be found at www.soex.org

Southern Exposure is proud to announce Astria Suparak as the juror for BOOM!. Suparak is currently the director of Carnegie Mellon University's Miller Gallery. She has curated international exhibitions, screenings and events at The Kitchen, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Eyebeam, Anthology Film Archives, P.S.1, FotoFest Biennial, Museo Tamayo Arte Contemporaneo, Participant Inc., Yale University, Ladyfest, and The Liverpool Biennial, in addition to numerous alternative spaces. Suparak's drawings have been published in feminist journal LTTR, I NY, and Graffiti Women: Street Art from Five Continents.

Artwork Drop-Off Dates: December 3 & 4, 2010
Exhibition Dates: December 10 - December 18, 2010
Opening Reception: Friday, December 10, 6:00pm - 9:00pm
Gallery Hours: Friday, December 10 - Saturday, December 18, 12:00 pm - 6:00 pm
(Closed Sunday, December 10)

BOOM! Will be presented alongside GONE: A show curated by Southern Exposure's Youth Advisory Board (YAB). In contrast with BOOM!, GONE connotes sentiments of extinction, things lost and remembered. From September- December, YAB studied the practice of curating, and approached this skill as a collaborative creative process similar to art making. GONE explores and tests the limits of what an exhibition can be, investigating alternative curatorial methodologies in order to support and nurture the development of critical cultural producers. YAB students will also present their own site-specific collaborative piece in the Artists in Education classroom, highlighting the entire semester's learning process. Exhibiting artists include: Dan Ball, John Casey, Genevieve Dupree, Jeremy Fish, Veronica Graham, Collette Campbell Jones, Mike Kerhsnar, Alana Simone, Nicolas Torres, Brian Weiss and Erik Wilson.

ABOUT SOUTHERN EXPOSURE
Southern Exposure (SoEx) is a nonprofit visual arts organization founded in 1974 that supports emerging artists and youth in a dynamic environment in which they can develop and present new work and ideas. An active presence in the Bay Area for 36 years, the organization evolves in response to the needs of artists and the community, engaging the public in the artists' work. Activities range from exhibitions of local, regional, and international visual artists' work, education programs, and lectures, panel discussions, and performances. Southern Exposure is dedicated to giving artists - whether they are exhibiting, curating, teaching, or learning - an opportunity to realize ideas for projects that may not otherwise find support. Southern Exposure supports artists through three main program areas including the Exhibitions Program, Artists in Education Program and Alternative Exposure Grant Program/Artists Resources Program.

For more information and images, contact Courtney Fink at (415) 863-2141 or director@soex.org. Southern Exposure is located at 3030 20th Street, San Francisco, CA 94110. Office Hours are Monday through Friday from 10 am to 6 pm and Gallery Hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 12 to 6 pm. Admission is always FREE. Website: www.soex.org.