A Regional Juried Call for Art – Here & Now
Here & Now - Submitted artwork may be contemporary, conceptual, traditional or literal responses reflecting the places, people, waterways, landscapes, architecture, working waterfronts, and communities that shape our region.
The Call
Bristol Art Museum invites artists from the region to submit original work inspired by Rhode Island, the greater Narragansett Bay area, or the Southern New England region.
Artwork may emerge from daily experience, careful observation, memory, history, or personal connection. Whether representational or conceptual, submitted work should reflect the places, people, waterways, landscapes, architecture, working waterfronts, and communities that shape this region.
· On View: Sunday December 6, 2026 – Sunday January 10, 2027
· Submission Deadline: Sunday November 8, 2026
Artist Reception: Sunday, December 6, 2–4 p.m.
(Bristol's annual Illumination is Saturday, December 5.)
About the Juror: Dan Wallace
Mr. Wallace holds degrees in Fine Arts, and Landscape Architecture from Rhode Island School of Design as well as degrees in Horticultural Science and Nursery Management.
Dan has been affiliated with Sudbury Design Group since 1985. His tenure at the firm has given rise to his many years of enjoyment by this union of both Art and Science. He has found that it’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see. No masterpiece was ever created by a lazy artist!
About the Exhibition - As the Bristol Art Museum concludes its year-long recognition of America's 250th Anniversary, Here & Now shifts the focus from national history to the place we call home.
This regional juried exhibition celebrates the artists, landscapes, waterways, communities, and everyday experiences that define Rhode Island's East Bay and the greater Narragansett Bay region.
The exhibition brings together photography, painting, printmaking, fiber, mixed media, other two-dimensional, and three-dimensional works that reflect a sense of place through observation, memory, experience, and personal connection.
About the Exhibition - Here & Now will include three distinct presentations within the Museum:
· Livingston Gallery: Selected works from this Regional Juried Call for Art
· Abbot Low Gallery: Harbor photographs by Featured Bristol Artist Brendon Adams
· Brick Gallery: New work created by artists participating in the Bristol Art Museum's 2026 Harbor Residency
Together, these exhibitions offer different perspectives on the places we know, inhabit, remember, and continue to observe.
Possible subjects include:
- Coastal landscapes
- Bristol Harbor
- Working waterfronts
- Architecture
- Neighborhoods
- Local history
- Natural environments
- Community life
- Personal interpretations of place
Eligibility & Artwork Requirements
- Open to artists in Rhode Island and the surrounding region who can hand-deliver the accepted artwork
- Artwork must have been completed during 2026.
- Each artist is encouraged to submit three original works.
- All two-dimensional work must be professionally framed or gallery wrapped and ready to hang.
- Maximum size: 40 inches in any direction.
- Three-dimensional work may weigh no more than 50lbs.
- Artwork must be hand delivered to the Bristol Art Museum on Monday, November 23, or Tuesday, November 24, from 12 noon–3 p.m.
- No shipped artwork will be accepted
- Artwork Pickup: Jan 11 and 12, 1:00-3:30pm
- Artists are responsible for delivery and pickup of artwork.
- Selected artwork must remain on view for the duration of the exhibition.
- Images submitted must be jpg, under 4 mb, and in sRGB colorspace. For best results, images should be at least 1920 pixels on the longest side @ 72 dpi.
- For help with your entries, contact onlinejuriedshows@gmail.com or 888-666-1351.
Sales & Fundraising: Here & Now is part of Bristol Art Museum's annual fundraising initiative.
Participating artists agree to donate 50% of the proceeds from the sale of exhibited artwork to the Bristol Art Museum.
Submission
Submission Deadline: November 8, 2026
- Entry Fee: Up to three pieces may be submitted:
- $15 for the first entry
- $25 for two entries
- $35 for three entries
About Bristol Art Museum
The Bristol Art Museum fosters creativity, learning, and community through dynamic exhibitions, educational programs, and collaborative partnerships. By supporting artists and engaging diverse audiences, the Museum enriches the cultural life of the East Bay and serves as an accessible resource for current and future generations.