Photo Credit: WBNG

(WENY) -- Now is the time for local artists to shine. The Roberson Museum in Binghamton is currently accepting submissions for its Regional Art Exhibition, which occurs once every five years.

The Roberson Museum's Regional Art Exhibition began in 1957 and occurs every five years. It offers 75 to 100 artists in the Southern Tier, Central New York, and Northern Pennsylvania the opportunity to have their work displayed.

Artists who live within 80 miles of Binghamton can submit a maximum of two pieces, any medium as long as it was completed within the last five years, for free due to support through an Endowment for the Visual Arts at the Community Foundation for South Central New York.

Then, a jury of local art professionals will select which pieces to display, and cash prizes will be given to the first, second, and third-place winners. First place will receive $2,500, second place will receive $1,250, and third place will get $500.

"The Southern Tier, Central New York, and Northern Pennsylvania is just a like a really awesome cauldron of talent when it comes to the arts and I feel like a lot of people don't realize that," said Sullivan Harris, the marketing and communications manager at the Roberson Museum. "They maybe think they have to travel out to New York City or even out to, like, Los Angeles you know these bigger art cities to experience great art. But I've always felt like we have it right here."

Submissions are open now until February 7. Artists will then be notified of their selection or rejection between March 4 and March 18. The Exhibition will then be open to the public from May 24 to September 7.

"It'll be cool for people to have, like this one central location to just, you know, take a day trip out and see artwork from all around this area, not just one town, not just one city, not just one county, even right, not even just one state, like they can go to this one spot and see what is going on in the art scene all around them," said Harris.

A full prospectus and set of eligibility requirements can be found here.