If you ask people around the Inland Northwest what their favorite local art event is (as I did for our Question of the Week feature two weeks ago), you'll find it difficult to find anyone not enamored with Terrain's flagship event.
The annual one-night-only showcase blurs the distinction between art, artists and attendees as "thousands of your closest friends" come together in one massive, abandoned warehouse in downtown Spokane. This year marks Terrain's 15th iteration, so to commemorate the milestone we asked co-founder Ginger Ewing and operations director Jackie Caro 15 questions about the event's journey so far. Their answers have been edited for length and clarity.
INLANDER: What's one of the most memorable submissions from the past 15 years?
EWING: One artist didn't get in — back in Terrain 3, 4 or 5 — and he, the next year, did a performance piece eating the rejection letter. That was fun.
CARO: I remember at Jensen-Byrd there was one where a performance artist came out from the outside, then came into and onto the stage — Madeline McNeill — just to see how people interact with that, because they're not expecting to see this random person walk through and create a performance.
How has Terrain changed in 15 years?
EWING: One of the things that people don't know is that Terrain was an all-volunteer origination for the first 10 years of its existence. We've only actually had staff for five years. So look at what we were able to build on an all-volunteer organization for a decade.
What do you hope Terrain looks like in five years, for its 20th anniversary?
EWING: To be quite honest, I hope the event itself is quite similar. For me, these are the roots of who we are as an organization. I think that we've captured something really special. It might change locations, but I don't necessarily think the ingredients that make the flagship event what it is will change all that much.
How many artists participated in the first Terrain?
CARO: 30.
EWING: And we had to beg and plead for 30 people to submit.
How does that compare to now?
EWING: This year, we've had close to 500 apply and 457 participating.
Are there any artists who have participated in every single Terrain?
CARO: No one has done every single one of them, but several people have done nine, 10 — up there in the double digits.
EWING: Ohhh, Rajah. Rajah Bose! Except he's not in it this year because he has a show at the Terrain Gallery right now, I think that's why he doesn't have anything to submit.
What's special about the one-night format?
EWING: I think that it forces people to be in community with each other. When you know, if you don't go tonight, you're gonna miss out, it brings an energy and a sense of discovery that is communal and magical and allows you to run into people that you know, but a lot of people that you don't know. And that intermixing, synergistic exchange — not only with the work, but with each other — I think is really pretty special.
How many volunteers does it take to put on Terrain?
CARO: We start intaking art on the 8th or 9th of September. And we've had people here every day since.
EWING: It's usually 80 to 100 [volunteers] and hundreds of hours.
Who is this year's event poster artist?
EWING: Ethan McCracken. And he is in a band called Itchy Kitty. One of the things that we do is that we continue to scour who we're not reaching as artists. And we found his Instagram handle, fell in love with his artwork, and reached out and asked if he would be involved in this year's event. Lucky for us, he said yes.
How challenging is it to ensure a wide range of art is selected by jurors?
EWING: What we do is prior to the jurying process, we actually reach out to a variety of sectors. So we'll reach out to filmmakers to help us spread the word so filmmakers know about the event. Same with musicians, same with literary readings, same with visual arts. And we actually choose each jury accordingly. ... And then, even within those juries, we try to be as diverse as possible.
Has the event itself launched any local artist's careers?
EWING: We've had several artists say that they don't know where they would be without the flagship event. I don't want to put words in artists' mouths. Rajah Bose, I imagine, would say that. Reinaldo [Gil Zambrano] is a phenomenal, phenomenal artist here in town. He was going to make it no matter what, but participation in this event and our other programs has fast-tracked that.
CARO: Part of that, too, is just getting people to try it, to get out and put themselves out there. It's a huge deal for these artists to even decide to put themselves in a juried show and hope that they get in.
Who can submit art to Terrain?
EWING: Anybody and everybody! We really encourage as many people to submit as possible. Typically we open submissions in January.
Looking back on Terrain's various locations, which is your favorite?
EWING: Every place has a different feel and energy and special aspects. I actually love this location. I think that even people who came the last couple years will be surprised how different the location looks this year. In terms of the physical aspects of the space – the flow, the walls we have for visual art, the various locations we have for Terrain Theatre and Literature Park – I really love this location.
What's some advice for first-time attendees?
CARO: Get here early. Wear comfortable shoes. Maybe bring a jacket, but also wear a T-shirt. It gets hot inside sometimes.
EWING: If you're really wanting a super intimate experience with the artwork, I would encourage folks to check out preview night as well. We cap the number of people who attend so there's more breathing room so you can spend more time with each individual artwork. Not that you can't do that at the actual event! It's just a lot busier. But if you've never experienced Terrain, you have to come to the main event.
How do you think Terrain has changed the community's perception of arts?
CARO: I would hope it's widened the perception of art, who is an artist and who can participate in art. And just opens your mind up to what Spokane is and what it has to offer. It's everyone from every walk of life, and it's pretty special to see that all in one location. ♦
Terrain 15 • Thu, Oct. 3 from 6-9 pm (preview night; $25) and Fri, Oct. 4 from 5 pm-midnight (free) • All ages • 314 W. Riverside Ave. • terrainspokane.com/terrain
