Brand Associates, in partnership with Brand Library & Art Center, announced the opening of “Brand 50 Annual National Juried Exhibition of Works on Paper,” that is on view through Dec. 30. The exhibition includes 89 artworks chosen from 1200-plus submissions selected by juror Shannon Currie Holmes,

Exhibitions supervisor at Brand Library & Art Center.

This year marked an important milestone: 50 years of featuring the best in local and national contemporary art. Brand 50, the Annual National Juried Exhibition of Works on Paper, will bring together artists from diverse backgrounds and present a spectrum that includes artists making their first foray into a gallery as well as seasoned professionals whose work is widely known.

In conjunction with the Brand 50 juried exhibition will be a gallery looking back on the 50-year history of these Brand events. Artworks will be on view from the earliest years when ceramics were featured to today’s focus on the paper medium. Visitors will be able to experience a changing artistic scene in both composition and content. More importantly, as the history of these annual exhibitions shows, over 50 years the Associates of Brand Library & Art Center has had the support of local cultural and business leaders who understand the importance of a vibrant and varied arts scene to the quality of life enjoyed by our community. A printed catalog will accompany the exhibition.

“This year we celebrate not only the creativity of our exhibiting artists, but also that of the hundreds, if not thousands, of artists who have been included in our juried exhibitions over the past 50 years. The archive of these five decades demonstrates that presenting the highest quality contemporary art – whether ceramics, multi-media or works on paper – has been a goal that was always achieved,” said Brand Associates president Debra Thompson. “Fifty years of Associates’ yearly exhibitions could be realized only through the efforts of dedicated boards of directors, Gallery and Brand Library staff, jurors, and engaged members of the Associates and the larger Glendale community. Add to this the energies and creativity of every artist who has been or sought to be exhibited and the reason to celebrate this anniversary becomes clear.”

This year 1,233 artworks were submitted to Brand 50 through an open call process. Juror Shannon Currie Holmes had the opportunity to select the artworks – 89 in total – which she will then arrange to their best advantage in the gallery spaces. Attendees can expect a feast for the eyes with artworks large and small, 2- and 3-dimensional, and demonstrating a wide variety of creative approaches to paper as a medium.

The artwork in Brand 50 and exhibit catalogs are available for sale.

For more information, visit associatesofbrand.org.