2026 Black Creativity Juried Art Exhibition

About the Open Call

Call for Artists 2026 Submissions are now open for the 2026 Black Creativity Juried Art Exhibition We welcome you to submit your work! Eligibility General Category: Black artists 18 years of age or older. Teen Category: Black teen artists in the Chicagoland area (within 100 miles of the Museum) currently enrolled in secondary education, grades 9-12 or equivalent. Medium Contemporary works created in any visual medium. Jurors Alexandria Eregbu; Independent curator and interdisciplinary art practitioner Akilah Halley; Executive Director, Marwen Norman Teague; Owner, Norman Teague Design Studio and professor Fee (non-refundable) General Category (over 18): $10 Teen Category (under 18): none Awards General Category Teen Category Best in Show: $4,000 Best in Show: $600 Second Place: $2,750 Second Place: $375 Third Place: $1,500 Third Place: $250 General Category award winners will also receive two complimentary tickets to the 2026 Black Creativity Gala held at the Museum.

What is Offered

Monetary awards for Best in Show, Second Place, Third Place in both General and Teen categories, plus complimentary tickets for General Category winners to the 2026 Black Creativity Gala.

Requirements

Submission Specifications 1. Up to four (4) works, completed in the past three years (2023 or later), per artist. 2. Work must be submitted anonymously by the artist. a. Remove watermarks, video credits, etc. prior to submission. b. Artist statements are accepted but not required at time of submission. Artist’s name should not be included. c. Artists must submit for themselves with technical/additional support as needed. Teens may receive assistance from teachers/caregivers as needed. d. Collaborations may not include more than two artists. (For either General or Teen Category) 3. Work must be the artist’s original creation (no AI generated work), unsold and not have been selected for any previous Black Creativity Juried Art Exhibitions. 4. Object specs: a. 2D work may not exceed 84” in any direction. b. GENERAL CATEGORY: 3D, oversized/heavy and/or installation works will be reviewed per work, based on the Museum’s gallery, safety and physical installation capabilities. The Museum is not able to install works which hang from the ceiling. TEEN CATEGORY: 3D works may not exceed 30” in any direction. Installations will be reviewed per work as above. c. Work may not exceed 70 lbs. d. Monitors are provided for video work. The Museum is not able to install projected works. Videos must be ADA compliant (additional details, upon request). Application Deadline October 12, 2025 (full exhibition schedule below) Eligibility Criteria How to Apply Jurying will be from digital assets only, with submissions only accepted via CaFE (How to Apply Help). The Museum reserves the right to decline submissions which are incomplete, do not meet specifications detailed in this call, or are of poor image quality. Each entry will be judged as a work’s entirety; works which are 3D, diptych, tryptic or a series should be presented as the ‘whole’ within one submission image and identified as such in the title. If a multi-piece work is submitted separately only the artwork in the submitted photo will be eligible for display. Values should represent the sale price, or, if not for sale, the insurance value; $0 is not an acceptable value. Dimensions should represent the full and complete dimensions of the work, including frame. Media files used for the application must comply with CaFE specifications: IMAGE : JPEG or JPG. 1200 pixels or greater on the longest side. The file size may not exceed 5MB. VIDEO : MOV, MP4, WMV, 3GP, AVI, ASF, MPG, M2T, MKV, M2TS. File size under 100MB with a min resolution of 640 x 480/max 1920 x 1080; min 12 fps/recommended 30 fps or YouTube or Vimeo URL. Linked videos must be public. Requirements for Accepted Artwork: Additional information will be shared with accepted artists. The following is a general overview of participation expectations. Installation: All accepted work must be framed or otherwise in a finished state and must be ready for installation including hanging hardware as appropriate: • 2D work must be in a dry and finished state. It is strongly recommended that all 2D works have adequate framing and/or glazing (plexi or glass) for upmost protection. It is required for work on paper. • Textiles must include pockets, rods and/or hardware for installation if not standard. • 3D work must be stable and able to ‘stand’ on their own. Casework, plinths, stanchions, etc., are provided at the Museum’s discretion. Casework with full enclosure (ie vitrine top) is regularly planned for the small 3D works. Casework may be used but is not guaranteed for 3D works larger than 30” in any direction. • Works that adhere directly to gallery walls (i.e. the use of pins, nails, Velcro, magnets or tape) are not preferred. However, the Museum will work with artists to find an acceptable compromise. The Museum cannot be responsible for damage to work which uses this installation method. • Generic AV equipment is provided by the Museum for videos, but specific types/sizes are not guaranteed. To & From the Museum: Artists in the area (within 100 miles of the Museum) are expected to deliver work in person, all others may do so if they prefer. • In person: Artists are responsible for delivery and pickup of their work on the dates specified in the schedule below. Work delivered in person is not eligible for return shipping. • Shipping: Artists are responsible for all costs of inbound shipping. Work may not be shipped without prior approval from the Museum, and must be packed in sturdy, reusable container(s). See the Rules & Terms tab on CaFE call for additional shipping conditions. The Museum will not offer return shipping for works within Chicagoland. Sale of Artwork All sales inquiries received by the Museum will be forwarded directly to the artist. No commission will be taken. Submitted work does not have to be for sale to be juried but cannot have already been sold to a third party. If an accepted work is sold prior to the exhibition opening or during the exhibition, the artists must notify the Museum. Exhibition Schedule: Submissions close: | October 12, 2025 (11:59 PM CST) Note: neither the Museum staff nor CaFE Technical Support are available on weekends, including the closing date. ---|--- Notice of acceptance: | by October 31, 2025, via email through CaFE system. Loan agreement due: | November 28, 2025 Shipping window: | December 1–December 12, 2025 Local drop-off dates: | December 12–13, 2025, exact times TBD Exhibition opens: | January 19, 2026 Artist’s reception: | TBD, expected late January or early February 2026 Exhibition closes: | April 19, 2026 Local pick-up dates: | April 24-25, 2026 Return shipping window: | On/after April 27, 2026 An optional workshop for accepted Teen Category artists is being planned for November 2025. More information will be provided at a later date. For more information For technical support with the online submission application, visit the Help For Artists page or contact CaFE support via cafehelp@wearecreativewest.org or 303-629-1166. For all other questions, contact the Museum at juriedart@msichicago.org. Print this Page View Rules & Terms to Apply Legal Agreement Conditions: By accepting, I acknowledge that I have read and understood the terms and conditions of entry to the 2026 Black Creativity Juried Art Exhibition , including the Publicity permissions given to the Museum and the limitation of the Museum’s liability and agree to be bound by the terms and conditions of entry. For Teen Category, by accepting Parent/Guardian agrees to give consent for their child to participate in the 2026 Black Creativity Juried Art Exhibition. • The Museum reserves the right to disqualify accepted work that, upon receipt, differ markedly from submitted images or are not ready for professional installation and presentation, delivered in inadequate packaging or received in damaged condition. Artists must take all necessary precautions to ensure the safety of their work. • Accepted artists are expected to meet and follow the exhibition schedule and instructions provided, the Museum reserves the right to deny current and future eligibility if/when artists repeatedly are unable to do so. If requested, accommodations will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis to consider the Museum’s capabilities to meet such need(s). • Works must remain in the Black Creativity Juried Art Exhibition for the duration of the exhibition. The Museum will not be responsible for minor wear and tear resulting from normal handling. One guard is assigned to the exhibition during public hours and ‘Do not touch’ signs are incorporated into signage throughout the exhibition; however, the Museum cannot guarantee gallery conditions or stop all interactions by guests. • Accepted artists will be required to sign a Loan Agreement agreeing to these and other terms. Publicity: By submitting a work for inclusion in the Black Creativity Juried Art Exhibition , the artist agrees that the Museum is permitted to use, edit, reproduce, publish, transmit and display images or footage of the artist’s work(s), including those submitted by the artist as part of their entry, in films, video, signage, mailing, programs, online image gallery and other forms of media including social media for the promotion and display of the 2026 Black Creativity Juried Art Exhibition and other purposes as the Museum may determine, including promotion and fundraising for the Museum. The Museum will not be responsible for the unauthorized use of the images or footage by third parties. Shipping: Accepted artists outside of Chicagoland may ship their works to the Museum with prior approval from the Museum. Such artists are responsible for all associated incoming shipping costs (packing, transit, insurance). The Museum will ship works back to such artists at the Museum’s cost, including shipping insurance for up to $10,000, using shipping carriers selected by the Museum. For works valued above $10,000, the artists may obtain separate, supplemental shipping insurance for the full value of the art at their own cost and coordination, or if not obtaining such, will be asked to sign a release. The Museum will not be responsible for any amounts exceeding the amount paid by the insurer.

How to Apply

Jurying will be from digital assets only, with submissions only accepted via CaFE (How to Apply Help).