About Us

Soo Visual Arts Center, founded in 2001, is a non-profit 501 (c)3 arts organization committed to exhibiting the work of exceptional artists and to creating opportunities that foster the understanding and creation of art. SooVAC cultivates an open and inviting environment that facilitates the interaction of art, individuals and communities.

Mission
Soo Visual Arts Center is a nonprofit art space that connects our community with fresh, under-represented and provocative art.

Vision
Soo Visual Arts Center envisions a dynamic community in which artists and audiences challenge each other in an environment where art is integral to everyday life.

Founded by visual artist Suzy Greenberg in 2001, the non-profit 501 (c)3 gallery space and studio is based in the founder's relationship with art—one that views the artistic as vital to personal and community health and vision. SooVAC is a place where community can be built, a place where artists and viewers challenge each other to learn, create, and question. Perhaps most notably, SooVAC is a place where accessibility of the arts has been considered from the start.

The following is our Access Policy Approved by the board in May 2011:
Soo Visual Arts Center provides equal opportunity and access to its facilities and programs to all individuals regardless of race, national origin, gender, age, beliefs, sexual orientation or disability in admission, access or employment. Upon request, accommodation will be provided to allow individuals with disabilities to participate in SooVAC services, programs and activities.

See what shows we have coming up or consider donating to the Soo or becoming a member.

Staff

Board of Directors

  • Jason Howard - Board Chair
  • Marc Davis
  • Frank Grazzini II
  • Jeff Johnson
  • Michael Jones
  • Masami Kawazato
  • Julie Kucinski
  • Paul Schumacher
  • Sam Selvaggio
  • Joline Zepcevski

Advisory Board

  • Scott Conlin
  • Lars Mason
  • Herman Milligan
  • Craig Seacotte
  • Cherie Shoquist

Submissions to Curatorial Panel

SooVAC is now taking submissions for our 2013-exhibition season. Our current curatorial panel will choose the majority of exhibitions. The panel is accepting individual and group submissions in any visual arts medium or discipline. Application Round for 2013 will open February 2nd.  Deadline for submissions is Thursday March 1, 2012.  Please follow application instructions exactly or your submission will not be reviewed. Please contact us with any questions.

Current Panel Members:
Andrea Carlson lives and works as a visual artist in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  In 2003, she earned a BA from the University of Minnesota and an MFA from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design in 2005. Her mixed media works on paper exhibit widely, and she is currently working on film and sculptural projects.

Suzy Greenberg is a visual artist, and the founder and artistic director of SooVAC. In 1990, she earned a BA from Kenyon College and an MFA from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design in 1998. She is committed to fostering experiences that challenge perceptions that contemporary art is elitist or impenetrable, which includes introducing under recognized and emerging artists to the public.

Tamatha Perlman is a writer and museum professional. She has written about Minnesota artists for ARP!, mnartists.org and the Nash Gallery at the University of Minnesota. Tamatha was the Minnesota Artists Exhibition Program associate 2005-2010.

Bruce Tapola received his BFA from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, and his MFA degree from Montana State University in Bozeman. He has exhibited extensively throughout the United States. Tapola currently is a Professor of Art at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota.  

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS: 


EMAIL ALL OF THE FOLLOWING TO:  
panel@soovac.org
1. WORK SAMPLES-EXACTLY 10 IMAGES
Digital Image Specifications:
-Order your images chronologically, from earliest to the most recent.
- Images must be saved in JPEG format (.jpg) and should be no larger than 96dpi and 7” in the longest direction (images can be no larger than 672 x 672).
-Label Your JPEG Files “01” to “10” followed by your last name and first initial. For example Jane Doe’s image files would be 01DoeJ.jpg, 02DoeJ.jpg...etc.

Image Tips 
• Be sure to save your images in RGB Mode, NOT CMYK.
• You have to actually save it as a .JPEG, NOT just add .jpg to the end of the filename.
• If you are saving from a 16 bit. TIFF be sure to convert the image to 8bits/Channel (Image>Mode).
• It's a good idea to keep your original files in. TIFF or .PSD format, and then save a copy as a .JPEG for the application.
• If you are scanning your artwork, slides, or other materials, scan them at a higher resolution and then scale them down for the application. (Image>Image Size>Resolution = 96 ppi).
• Once you have a correct resolution then ensure your largest dimension does not exceed 672 pixels.
*Save JPEGs at the highest quality setting (12), image size cannot exceed 1MB (it should be significantly less).
DO NOT SEND IN YOUR SUBMISSIONS IN PDF FORM.
3. IMAGE LIST-(.doc or .rtf format) Please include ALL of the following. Label this document: LastnameFirstInitial_ImageList.doc ex. DoeJ_ImageList.doc
List the following information for each work (make sure your image number corresponds to the label on your JPEG images):
-Digital file name
-Title of work
-Date completed
-Medium
-Dimensions (H” x W” x D”)
4. Brief RESUME – (.doc or .rtf format) Label this document: LastnameFirstInitial_Resume.doc ex. DoeJ_Resume.doc
No longer than 1 page.  Additional pages will not be included.
5. Brief ARTIST STATEMENT – (.doc or .rtf format) Label this document: LastnameFirstInitial_Artiststatement.doc ex. DoeJ_Artiststatement.doc
No longer than 1 page. Additional pages will not be included.
APPLICATION BY MAIL (Though we strongly encourage email applications):
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:
MAIL ALL OF THE ABOVE ON CD/DVD TO:
Soo Visual Arts Center
Panel Submission
2638 Lyndale Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55408

Press

For press releases or information on SooVAC, email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)