In Celebration of our 25th Anniversary
Art in the Loft presents:
TIME
Our 11th Annual Juried Art Exhibit
Exhibit Opening October 1, 2026
Call to Artists for Submissions
Submission Period: July 18 – August 31, 2025 (11:59pm)
Accepted Artwork Delivery: September 6 – September 25, 2026 (10am-4pm)
In-Gallery Exhibition Dates: October 1 – November 7, 2026
Opening Reception & Awards: October 1, 2026 (6pm-8pm @Art in the Loft)
Artwork Pickup: November 10-14, 2026 (10am-4pm)
About the Juror: Thane Whitscell
Thane Whitscell currently resides in Alpena, Michigan. He is semi-retired and enjoys his work as a media specialist at Alpena High School. For over 20 years, he owned and operated Photography by Thane, a full service photography studio in Hubbard Lake, Michigan. He specialized in pregnancy and birth photography, nudes, and erotica. He also photographed weddings, engagements, families, high school seniors, and sports teams.
His award winning images have been featured in galleries, museums, and billboards in Detroit, Las Vegas, Houston, and Alpena. He has also been featured in Cure, a magazine for cancer patients and caregivers. Some of his birth photography is on permanent display in the obstetrics and gynecology unit of MyMichigan Medical Center in Alpena.
Although Thane sold his photo studio in 2015, he continues to attempt to silence the creative beast inside by writing poetry and creating images akin to the ones seen here in this selection of time themed images. In addition to creating art, Thane enjoys long distance bicycle touring, mountain biking, hunting whitetail, and traveling.
“I was very honored to be asked to jury this show. Time can be interpreted in so many ways, and I am excited to see where our community of artists takes this inspiring theme.”
Exhibit Awards
BEST of SHOW:
$300 cash prize
Free Exhibition Space for the upcoming year following the award
(Valid for Winter View 2026 and Summer View 2027 only)
Second Place:
$200.00 cash prize
Free Exhibition Space for one season in the upcoming year following the award (Valid for Winter View 2026 -or- Summer View 2027 only)
Third Place:
$100.00 cash prize
** Award selections are made exclusively by the Juror, and announced during the Opening Reception.
People’s Choice:
$50.00 gift card for Art in the Loft
** Selected by majority vote throughout the exhibition, and awarded upon closing of the event. Votes may be cast in person at Art in the Loft or online at www.artintheloft.org/time Cost: $1.00 per vote
Gallery Space:
Art in the Loft is a 7,000 square foot, loft-style gallery in the heart of downtown Alpena, MI. Located on the third floor of the historic Center Building, AITL has become the central hub for the arts and creative learning in our region.
Our Gallery can support up to 35 local and state wide artists during the Summer View and Winter View exhibits. The Young Artist exhibit in the Spring, displays the work of over 600 students (K-12) from our local and surrounding schools, and our Juried exhibits each Fall host a nationwide artist competition. Themes for this exhibit vary each year, with the aim to inspire artists to further develop, explore, and expand their creative boundaries.
Our Creative Classroom and Commercial Catering Kitchen offer a full schedule of visual and culinary arts workshops that keep our community engaged with the arts in a meaningful way. We partner with local schools and organizations to provide educational arts programming to students of all ages, with all abilities, in a wide variety of mediums. We also host local musicians and performance groups to ensure a diverse schedule of events, inclusive of all styles and forms of art.
The Loft is open to the public at no cost during regular business hours, and available to rent for private parties, classes, and events. AITL is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, operating primarily through grant funding and the generous donations and support from our Members and local Business Sponsors. All contributions are tax deductible, with donation receipts available upon request.
For more information, you can visit our website at www.artintheloft.org, give us a call at (989) 356-4877, or stop in and see us in person! Our friendly and helpful staff are available to help and can’t wait to create with you. Thank you for supporting local art!
Show Details
Theme: Time
An ever flowing, ever changing, inescapable enigma. It can be both blindingly fast and painfully slow. It dictates years, minutes, hours, and days, marking our existence in a transient way. An ancient concept, representing all ages, from our past and present to our futures. It can be young or old, but at whatever stage it is undeniable and inevitable. A fundamental dimension of constance and stability that guides and flows as we move through its space, and do all we can to simultaneously outrun and embrace it. Ultimately, time is what is measured by the clock. Subjectively, time is an idea that none can truly grasp, while all interpret and experience differently. It is our most universal, yet intangible, measure of existence, open to broad interpretations that we invite you to explore.
Art in the Loft presents…
TIME
A Juried Art Exhibit
This exhibition is open to all functional, non-functional, 2D, 3D, fine art, and fine craft in ALL MEDIUMS and ALL STYLES. We look forward to filling the gallery with work that embodies how you, the artist, perceives this theme, whether it be abstract or literal.
Eligibility:
This call for submission is open to all artists.
This is a juried exhibition for artists working in all media including but not limited to: Oil, Acrylic, Watercolor, Photography, Pastel, Drawing, Print, Mixed Media, Sculpture, Assemblage, Installation, Fabric, and Film.
All artwork must be original in concept, design and execution, and created within the last 3 years. **Note: Crafts, kit work or reproductions of original works in other media, unless used as part of a mixed media work, will not be considered.
Jury Process:
All entries will be judged online for acceptance into the exhibition based on digital images submitted through the OnlineJuriedShows portal (log in and click Enter This Show above to begin). Upon arrival, entries that differ significantly from their digital images may be rejected. The decision of the juror is final. Exhibit Awards are selected by the juror, in-person once the exhibit is on display, and available for pickup or redemption upon or after opening.
Submissions and Fees:
$35.00 for first entry
$10.00 for each additional entry, up to a maximum of three (3) total submissions All entries must be registered/received by 11:59pm, August 31st, 2026.
All entry fees are non-refundable.
Artists submitting sculptures or large installations for consideration may include two (2) additional images to better feature the details of their piece, at no extra charge. Contact kendra@artintheloft.org for more information on how to submit these if necessary.
Directions for Online Submission:
Entry form must be filled out in its entirety. List sizes up to the nearest inch. Submitted images must not include matting or frame. Crop the photos to include only the artwork. Be sure your images are right-side-up. Before uploading your images, make sure they are smaller than 4MB, but at least 1920 pixels on the longest side at 72 dpi. Images should be in JPEG format, sRGB color space. Help in photographing your work and properly sizing your images can be found at: www.OnlineJuriedShows.com/help.aspx. If you need help entering your images or are unable to, please contact onlinejuriedshows@gmail.com or 888-666-1351
Please add Services@OnlineJuriedShows.com and Manager@OnlineJuriedShows.com to your safe senders list to ensure notifications are received.
Requirements for Accepted Work:
1. All work must be suitably framed and gallery ready.
2. Work must be wired and ready for hanging.
3. Sculptors may provide their own pedestals or must agree to use those provided by the gallery.
4. A label must be affixed to the back of the work that indicates which end is the top and includes the following: Artist Name, Title, Medium, Dimensions, and Price. This information must correspond with the Accepted image as listed on Notification form. No artwork may be substituted.
5. Diptychs and triptychs will be considered as one entry and must be sold as one item.
6. Work cannot be withdrawn, nor sales shipped, before the end of the exhibit.
Delivery of Accepted Work:
1. Work can be hand delivered to Art in the Loft at 109 N. 2nd Ave. Suite 300, Alpena, MI. 49707 and unpacked between September 6th – September 25th or another pre-arranged time. Artists must RSVP for a drop-off time with the gallery by phone at (989) 356-4877 or email at kendra@artintheloft.org.
2. All work not able to be hand-delivered as noted above should be shipped to arrive at Art in the Loft gallery address 109 N. 2ndAve. Suite 300, Alpena, MI. 49707 also by September 25, 2026. If work needs to be shipped back to the artist after exhibition, please include a Return Shipping Label with your submitted work.
Late Arrival and Returns:
Art in the Loft reserves the right to reject and return work that is late, is deemed unstable upon arrival, is not properly presented, or differs from the submitted digital image. Returns will be solely at the artist’s expense.
Sales, Commissions and Delivery:
Art in the Loft will retain a 35% commission on all exhibition sales. The price represented on the artist entry form will be the sale price. Sold works will remain on display until the end of the exhibition.
Liability:
Art in the Loft is not responsible for any damage, breakage, replacement or cost associated with any damage or breakage that may have occurred during transport or unpacking. Every precaution will be taken in handling the entries, but Art in the Loft assumes no liability for any loss or damage to any artist’s work while in our care, custody or control, before, during or after the exhibition.
Use of Images:
Any image submitted may be used for marketing and promotional purposes directly related to this show. This use may include publication in any publications, printed materials, advertisements, or electronic media. Copyright and all other rights remain that of the artist.
Contact & Questions:
Please direct all questions to Executive Director, Kendra Neumann, at kendra@artintheloft.org or by calling the Art in the Loft Gallery at (989) 356-4877. For help with your entries, contact onlinejuriedshows@gmail.com or 888-666-1351