The lineup of artists for Tacoma Art Museum's biennial, opening February 10, reads like a who's-who of the gallery scene regionally, with a few exceptions and a few omissions. Of nearly 900 artists submitting to the museum's open call, TAM curator Rock Hushka and David Kiehl, curator of prints at the Whitney (famous for its own biennial) selected 41—mostly based not on the images they'd sent, but on their track record.

Why not just curate the show? Hushka talks to Jen Graves about his philosophy for this biennial, his hopes for future ones, his ambivalence about regionalism, his attraction to cheesy-looking landscapes, and what SuttonBeresCuller are making for the show that requires a construction crane.

Here's a sneak preview of what will be in the exhibition:

TAM Attoe, Accretion 34.jpgAccretion #34 (2006) by Daniel Attoe

TAMBuntingCaliforniaStatePr.jpgCalifornia State Prison, Corcoran, California (2006) by Buddy Bunting

TAM Garvens, recycled.jpgRecycled (2006) by Ellen Garvens

TAM SuttonBeresCuller, Proposal.JPGShip in a Bottle (2007) by SuttonBeresCuller

TAM Wolf, Peaches with Buffalo 365t.jpgPeaches with Buffalo (2006) by Sherrie Wolf

TAM Yoder, Promenade(doorknob).JPGPromenade (doorknob) (2005) by Robert Yoder