Proposal deadline EXTENDED: June 15th 2025 Calling all artists, curators, neighbors, and public art lovers!
Terrain Exhibitions is rounding up participants for the latest installment of the Terrain Biennial! The Biennial is a grassroots public art festival that brings artists and neighbors together to put public art on the front lawns (and porches, windows, and rooftops, too!) of neighborhoods across the world.
The Terrain Biennial 2025 will run from October 1 — November 15, closing on Sabina Ott Day to honor her life and legacy of community building through art.
Terrain Biennial 2025: DIY
From crafting to painting, mending to stitching, construction to recycling, artists are resourceful, performing science and alchemy with time and material. DIY is a core value of the Chicagoland art community, with apartment galleries, DIY shows, makerspaces, and lending libraries as key resource hubs for artists. We want you to imagine what artistic community can look like…. and make it yourself!
Terrain Biennial is a grassroots public art festival that brings artists and neighbors together to put public art on the front lawns (and porches, windows, and rooftops, too!) of neighborhoods across the world. Terrain invites artists to exhibit DIY spirit in their community for Terrain Biennial: DIY! There is no fee to participate; artists or curators imagine and propose a project at a site, proposals are reviewed by Terrain’s team, artists install their projects in September, upload information about it, and Terrain compiles the projects into a Biennial map.
Our DIY Toolkit for Artist Projects and a Virtual Application Workshop are coming soon. In the meantime, check out our archive of past Biennial programs and artist projects at https://terrainexhibitions.org/ !
👀 How to participate 👀
Artists and curators work together with a host to produce public art installations (think sculptures, textiles, projections, performances — you name it!) outside their homes. Terrain Exhibitions makes private space public. Terrain Biennial projects should be visible from the street or sidewalk 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for the full six weeks of the Biennial. Artworks should be appropriate for audiences of all ages.
Artists or curators propose a project at a site, proposals are reviewed by Terrain’s team, artists install their projects in September, upload information about it, and Terrain compiles the projects into a Biennial map. This year, you may host yourself at your own home or choose to connect with fellow community members to host your work. All artists and curators must have a host before they propose their project.
Everyone must complete this proposal application. Applicants can propose up to two projects and must submit an individual form for each artwork.
Need help finding a host or an artist?
Use our matchmaking message board (coming soon!) to find hosts or artists before you submit your application.Proposals are due by June 15!
Accepted participants will be notified in July
📅 Dates to know 📅
Open call: March 13-June 15
Participant notifications: Mid July
Installation + Documentation: September 18 – 30 Opening reception + Block Party: October 4/5 Terrain Biennial: October 1 – November 15 Closing (Sabina Ott Day): November 15 Deinstallation: November 16 – 25
Termin: 15. Juni 2025