The Utah Division of Arts and Museums announces a call for entries open to all Utah artists interested in entering the 2009 Statewide Annual Competition and Exhibition. The 2009 theme is "Fine Crafts and Photography." Entries will be accepted on Wednesday, September 23 and Thursday, September 24, 2009 at the Rio Gallery in Salt Lake City.

The Statewide Annual Competition and Exhibition is a juried show highlighting some of the best contemporary visual art and artists in Utah. Competitions, such as the Statewide Annual, are also used by the Fine Art Acquisition Committee to make recommendations for additions to the Utah State Fine Art Collection.

"Each time a staff member returns from a trip somewhere in the state, I learn of a new artist or performer who has emerged on that area’s local scene," said Margaret Hunt, Director of the Utah Division of Arts and Museums. "This competition provides an opportunity for artists throughout all of Utah to be on exhibition in one place. I hope to see artists enter from Box Elder to San Juan, Daggett to Washington, and every county in between, so that the full breadth of the talent in our state can be better known."

Each year the competition is judged by two jurors from outside of Utah with established professional visual arts careers. These jurors curate the exhibition with the artwork they consider to be the best from that year’s pool of submissions. Additionally, six Jurors’ Awards are distributed to highlight works of particularly high quality already included in the competition. Juror’s Awards are presented at the artists’ reception on the opening night of the exhibition. The themes for the Statewide Annual rotate on a three-year cycle. The focus of the 2009 competition is Fine Crafts & Photography. "Fine Crafts" refer to both functional and non-functional items such as ceramics, glass, jewelry, fiber art, weaving, furniture, consumer design, etc. The category of "Photography" consists of works created using any photographic process and is not limited to two-dimensional work.

The Statewide Annual Competition and Exhibition: Utah ‘09: Fine Crafts and Photography is open to Utah residents, age 18 and older. For applications, instructions, and complete competition guidelines, please visit the competition webpage on the Utah Division of Arts and Museums website at statewideannual.org ( about:statewideannual.org )

The 2009 Statewide Annual Competition and Exhibition: Utah ’09: Fine Crafts and Photography opens on Friday, October 16, 2009, with an artists’ reception from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. This exhibition continues to be open to the public through Wednesday, November 25, 2009, on a Monday through Thursday, 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. schedule. Questions or requests for further information can be directed to Lila Abersold at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 801-833-3581.