Jack Straw New Media Gallery 2027–28: Sound Art and Interactive Installations Open Call
Jack Straw seeks sound-led installations for its 2027–28 New Media Gallery
Jack Straw Cultural Center in Seattle, Washington, is receiving applications for the 2027–28 New Media Gallery Program. The application deadline is Monday, 23 November 2026. Artists and artistic teams may propose new works in which sound is an integral, leading or exclusive medium. The programme places artistic exploration, audio experimentation and a public exhibition at the centre of its support.
The gallery opened in 1999 and has built a distinctive identity around sound and installation art. Its open call welcomes approaches that cross traditional visual art, digital media, audio technology and performance. This is especially relevant to artists working with interactive listening, spatial audio, generative systems, electronic sound and mixed-media experiences, as long as the proposed project has a meaningful sonic dimension.
Visual components are optional, but sound must matter
The organiser explicitly states that a proposal does not need a visual element: sound-only installations are welcome alongside multidisciplinary projects combining image, sculpture, video, code or interaction with audio. The New Media Gallery is not restricted to conventional paintings, projection mapping or video-screen presentations. Artistic merit and the role of sound are central to whether a concept fits.
A project might, for example, build an interactive instrument that responds to visitors, create an audio environment from field recordings or combine a generative image with a spatial sound composition. These examples illustrate potential approaches rather than named subcategories with dedicated budgets or guaranteed equipment. A proposal should explain what an audience hears and experiences, not only list the technology used.
Who can apply? Emerging and established artists, with local commitment
Jack Straw welcomes emerging and established artists from diverse disciplines, including applicants with limited previous audio production experience. The New Media Gallery has attracted national and international proposals while maintaining a commitment to local artists in the Seattle region. It would therefore be inaccurate to describe the programme as either exclusively available to residents of Seattle or as an all-expenses-paid international travel opportunity.
Collaborative projects are permitted if one lead artist submits the application and provides their name and contact information. The artistic resumes and work samples of collaborators should accompany the proposal. An applicant can submit only one application per programme per year and may apply for only one of Jack Straw’s residency programmes in that cycle. A person may still join a separate project led by someone else under the organiser’s rules.
What selected artists receive: engineering time and a public exhibition
The 2027–28 programme expects to select up to four individual artists or teams. Each selected project can receive up to 20 hours of free professional studio time with a Jack Straw engineer to work on its sound component, with training where needed. The centre offers access to its audio recording, production and presentation resources. Artists may use the allotted time to refine sound design, recording or post-production.
Completed new work will be presented in the New Media Gallery, with an exhibition potentially lasting up to three months. The presentation includes an opening event, artist talk or workshop, an interview podcast and opportunities for community and youth engagement. According to the programme FAQ, shows selected for the 2027–28 cycle will be scheduled no earlier than autumn 2027, rather than opening automatically in January.
Financial support: a $500 expense budget, not a guaranteed salary
Jack Straw’s residency FAQ lists a USD 500 expense budget for the New Media Gallery residency. The core benefit is in-kind recording time, engineering guidance, equipment access and presentation of the work, not an advertised monthly living stipend. The organiser notes that there is usually no direct financial compensation, apart from occasional small honoraria that depend on partners and funding.
It would be misleading to add the monetary value of studio hours to the expense budget and call the result a cash prize payable to artists. The information provided does not guarantee travel reimbursement, housing, unlimited fabrication materials or the purchase of specialist digital devices. Applicants with significant hardware or travel costs should contact staff to confirm how those expenses would be handled.
Work samples: audio or video reviewed for no more than five minutes
The selection panel evaluates the proposal along with examples of previous work. Jack Straw’s FAQ explains that reviewers spend no more than five minutes on the audio or video samples in total, regardless of how many are supplied. Artists should choose concise representative excerpts, or clearly mark timestamps where a longer recording contains the most relevant material.
For images, the programme allows a maximum of twelve. A portfolio might combine photographs of an earlier sound installation with a short audio excerpt and a concise description of how an interactive system works. The organiser asks for a project description and a separate explanation of the work samples; writing one vague paragraph in place of both may make an otherwise promising application hard to assess.
Technical feasibility and the studio’s resources are part of selection
Applications are assessed by a multidisciplinary panel of artists and arts professionals. Criteria include the quality of previous work, artistic merit of the proposed installation, feasibility of the plan, likelihood of completion in the award period and whether Jack Straw’s equipment and facilities are suitable. The jury does not publish a numerical scoring formula, and meeting the basic requirements does not guarantee a place.
A practical submission should outline how the work will be developed, which parts require studio recording or engineering support, whether the gallery needs speakers, sensors, projection or other media equipment, and how public audiences will experience it safely. These are project-planning recommendations rather than claims that every specialist device is supplied. Artists with unusually complex sound or technical needs should verify feasibility directly.
Application rules: use Submittable and do not send extra promotional packets
Applications for the 2027–28 New Media Gallery Program are submitted through Jack Straw’s official Submittable page. The deadline is Monday, 23 November 2026. The main programme page confirms the date but does not specify an exact closing hour; artists should use the deadline shown inside the live application portal, avoiding assumptions about midnight or time-zone cutoffs.
Jack Straw specifically advises applicants not to add extra press clippings, recommendations, brochures or promotional kits beyond the materials on its application checklist. Such extras are not reviewed. If the online form is inaccessible, staff can advise on alternatives at arts@jackstraw.org. Applicants with an earlier rejection can reapply, while former residents must respect the one-year interval before applying to the same programme again.
Official 2027–28 application links and the gallery’s practical timeline
The general residency information and current application deadlines are at https://www.jackstraw.org/programs/residency-programs-faq/ . The New Media Gallery programme overview, including support and sound-art examples, is https://www.jackstraw.org/program/new-media-gallery/ . Apply directly at https://jackstraw.submittable.com/submit/360486/jack-straw-new-media-gallery-program-2027-28 .
Deadline: 23 November 2026. Decisions for the New Media Gallery and Artist Support Program are expected in February of the award year, allowing the jury approximately twelve weeks for review. The first 2027–28 gallery exhibitions are anticipated from autumn 2027 onward. Address: Jack Straw Cultural Center, 4261 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle, Washington. Contact: arts@jackstraw.org or +1 206-634-0919. The live application and latest organiser guidance control if any details change.