Illinois Community College Juried Graphic Design Poster Exhibition

About the Open Call

The Art + Design Department at Northeastern Illinois University invites graphic design submissions from Illinois Community and Junior College students for a juried exhibition focused on poster design. The exhibition will be displayed in NEIU's Student Gallery from September 25 - October 9, 2025, with an opening reception on September 25th. Submissions should be high-resolution digital images of posters (minimum 300dpi, up to 11x17 inches) created between August 2023 and the present. Accepted formats include PDF, PNG, JPG. Posters can address various themes including typography, advertising, experimental design, events, protest, or socially engaged themes, and can be made digitally, on RISO, letterpress, or screen-printed. Artists agree to release images for publicity and cataloging purposes. All sales inquiries will be forwarded directly to the artist, with no commissions taken.

What is Offered

1st Place: $200 BLICK Art Materials Gift Card, 2nd Place: $150 BLICK Art Materials Gift Card, 3rd Place: $100 BLICK Art Materials Gift Card. Accepted works will be exhibited in NEIU's Student Gallery.

Requirements

Open to all students currently enrolled in an Illinois Community or Junior College. Artwork must have been created between August 2023 and the present. Each student artist may submit up to three original works.

How to Apply

Each student artist may submit up to three original works as high-resolution digital images (minimum 300dpi) in .pdf, .png, or .jpg format. File names should follow the format: Firstname_Lastname_EntryNumber (e.g., Jane_Smith_1.jpg). Submissions are made via the online form which includes fields for name, email, phone number, college attending, and image uploads. For RISO, letterpress, or screen-printed posters, accepted artists may be invited to drop off their work in person, with delivery details discussed on a case-by-case basis.