Our scene has grown
Terrain keeps getting bigger.
We began Terrain nearly four years ago, not knowing how it would resonate with audiences. We had a vision, though, for an event that would combine a juried art show of rising artistic talent, along with exhibitions of non-traditional art forms and performances by the area's top bands.
There was a gap, we felt, between Spokane’s art establishment and the vital young artists in the area. The two were running in different circles, doing similar work to ensure the cultural vitality of the region, but they weren’t working together. They didn’t even know each other.
The dream was to put young artists and experienced industry professionals in the same room — to connect them and to start a conversation. Terrain would be an art exhibition and a networking function — a debutante ball at a rock concert.
It worked.
The first year was a bigger success than any of us could have reasonably expected. In a single evening, with a tiny budget and a huge hope for the cultural future of Spokane, we introduced more than 2000 people of all ages to the young, creative undercurrent of our vibrant community.
Then it worked again.
In 2009, we held an artist's reception before the exhibition to ensure show-cased artists not only had the opporunity to meet the establishment, but also to meet eachother.
With so much focus on making connections, we hoped to attract as many people to the event as the first year. We got a thousand more. In seven hours, 3,100 people experienced Terrain 2009.
Last year was Terrain's biggest show to date in terms of the number of artists (64) the number of works (179) and the number of attendees (4800, roughly). More importantly, in the weeks that followed, people began referring to Terrain as an "institution," a title we are immensely proud of and humbled by.
Year after year, we take careful precautions to ensure a thoughtful and serious show. All art is juried by a handpicked group of individuals around the local art scene. We are aligned with the Spokane Arts Commission and the Fall Visual Arts Tour. We promote Terrain like a rock concert with flyers, handbills and an intensive word-of-mouth campaign.
For four years, Terrain has fulfilled something our region has needed. And it's happenning again.
Join us.
