Artist Opportunities

CALL TO ARTISTS

Summer 2026 Exhibition: UNLOVABLE


Juror: Daniella Napolitano

Due Date: Monday, April 27 – 11:55 pm MST

DESCRIPTION

Bats, rats, gnats, oh my! From the creepy to the crawly, this open call exhibition invites artists to submit artwork of animals that are often deemed Unlovable by the public. We encourage artists to reimagine these creatures through unique perspectives, whether by emphasizing their beauty, strangeness, resilience, or symbolic power. Submissions may evoke discomfort, empathy, or challenge preconceived notions of what makes an animal worthy of care. Whether it’s a startling scary portrayal of a snake or a meticulous rendering of a tarantula, we welcome it all. This opportunity is open to Arizona artists working in any medium. Unlovable will be on display June 13- August 15, 2026. Exhibition-ready works in two or three dimensions and any medium will be accepted, as well as video. The gallery will also consider proposals for performance-based work.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Artists must complete the required submission form and may submit up to 5 works. There is no fee to submit.

Submission form: https://forms.gle/8p5JuHRPP8qZLNK98

EXHIBITION TIMELINE

Entries due: Monday, April 27

Notification to artists: Monday, May 4

Work drop off in person: Friday, June 5 and Saturday, June 6

Work shipped to gallery must arrive no earlier than Monday, June 1

Opening reception: Friday, June 12, 5-7 pm

Exhibition dates: June 13- August 15, 2026

Work pick up: Monday, August 17

ELIGIBILITY

All artists residing in the state of Arizona are invited to apply. Collaborative work by two or more artists is also permitted. The works must not have been previously displayed at the Chandler Center for the Arts or Vision Gallery. Works should have been completed within the last five years.

SHIPPING/DELIVERY

All delivery and shipping costs are the responsibility of the artist. To ensure your shipping and insurance needs are met when we ship your artwork(s) back to you, we ask you to include a pre-paid return shipping label when you send work for installation. Art must be received by Saturday, June 6. If you are new to shipping, the easiest way to do this is through FedEx.

Artists who are local to the Phoenix metro area may drop off and pick up their work in person.

INSURANCE

Works are insured while on display at Vision Gallery for 50% of the retail price for the duration of the exhibition. All paperwork must designate whether an artwork is available for sale or is listed as NFS (not for sale). If not for sale, paperwork must include insurance value.

SALES COMMISSION

Exhibiting artists may choose to offer their work for sale. We offer a 50% commission on all artwork sales. Commissions are paid in the first week following the month of the sale.

GALLERY HOURS

Vision Gallery is open 10AM – 5 PM Tuesday – Friday and 10 AM – 4 PM on Saturdays. Call 480-782-2695 for holiday hours.

CLOSE OF EXHIBIT

Artworks from local artists must be picked up Monday, August 17. Non-local works will be shipped; see Shipping/Delivery for details.

QUESTIONS?

Contact staff at [email protected], or call us at 480-782-2695.

CALL TO ARTISTS

Off the Clock: Artwork by City of Chandler Employees

Due Date: Monday, April 6 at midnight MST

THIS CALL FOR WORK IS OPEN TO CITY OF CHANDLER EMPLOYEES ONLY

Off the Clock Desktop

THIS CALL FOR WORK IS OPEN TO CITY OF CHANDLER EMPLOYEES ONLY

DESCRIPTION

Do you doodle on your lunch break? Dabble in ceramics? Build birdhouses on the weekend? Or maybe even call yourself an artist? Now is the time to share your talents with the city! We invite all members of Team Chandler to submit to Off the Clock, an employee art show at the Gallery at Chandler Center for the Arts.

At the City of Chandler, we know that creativity is a key quality in getting our jobs done well. For many of us, creativity also spills into what we do when we clock out, whether that be nurturing a relaxing hobby, developing skills in a craft, or finding solace through artistic expression. Off the Clock celebrates the creative talents of our fellow City employees that enrich our work every day.

Each employee is allowed to submit up to five entries for selection by Vision Gallery staff. We invite you to think broadly about what you define as art…can you go broader?…no, even broader than that! We are happy to include media like drawing, painting, and ceramics, but also dance, music, poetry, crafts like woodworking and sewing, traditional cultural practices, and much more.

If you have questions about submitting, please contact Vision Gallery staff at 480-782-2695. You can also email Jillian Nakornthap at [email protected] or Hanley Ange at [email protected].

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Artists must be current employees of the City of Chandler. Each submission may include up to 5 works. Please apply via the online submission form linked below, and have the following information handy:

  • Your contact information
  • JPG images of the artworks you are entering, up to 5. Please ensure the files are named like this: ArtistLastName_ArtworkTitle1.jpg, ArtistLastName_ArtworkTitle2.jpg
  • A 3-5 sentence description of your artwork and why you make it (what inspires you, special processes you use, what you like to convey in your work, etc.)
  • Detailed information about each piece you are submitting: title, medium, year created, sales price/insurance value, dimensions

Submission form: https://forms.gle/uAkgzFDWvKX8J2UXA

EXHIBITION TIMELINE

Entries due: Monday, April 6 at midnight MST

Notification to artists: Monday, April 13

Work drop off: May 12-16 at Vision Gallery and May 18 at the Gallery at CCA (work will be accepted no earlier than May 12)

Opening reception: May 22, 4:30-6:30pm

Exhibition: May 23- July 25, 2026

Work pick up: Monday, July 27

ELIGIBILITY

All artists who are employed by the City of Chandler in any position are invited to apply. Collaborative work by two or more artists is also permitted. The works must not have been previously displayed at the Chandler Center for the Arts or Vision Gallery.

QUESTIONS?

Contact staff at [email protected], or call us at 480-782-2695. Jillian or Hanley will be happy to help you!

Unsolicited Exhibition Proposals

Installation view of the exhibition Concerned, but Powerless, by artist Safwat Saleem

Are you interested in showing your work at Vision Gallery or the Chandler Center for the Arts? We always accept exhibition proposals for both spaces and jury them on a rolling basis during the months of January and June. Please click the button below to access our submission form.

Interested artists are encouraged to contact gallery staff prior to submission with any questions they may have. Gallery staff can be reached at [email protected] and 480-782-2695.


Tips

  • Incomplete and improperly formatted applications may not receive a response
  • Small group exhibitions including 2-4 artists in different media organized around a common theme are more likely to be accepted than solo exhibitions. This benefits both the gallery and the artists as it attracts a wider variety of viewers, but still allows the artists to display a cohesive body of work, as opposed to individual objects.
  • Solo artists may still apply, but will be considered for both group and solo exhibitions.
  • The quality of your images matters. Make sure your photographs are in focus, well lit, and with a plain background. It is possible to take good photographs with your phone, but if you have a better option – use it! Here is a good tutorial for taking quality pictures of your artwork with a smartphone.
  • We do not have a budget for shipping artwork. If you live outside of Arizona, it may be quite costly to get your artwork to and from the gallery.
  • Take a look at our past exhibitions to get a feel for the kinds of shows we host.
  • If your primary goal is selling artwork, we might not be the right gallery for you. Although we are thrilled when artwork sells, our focus is on hosting engaging, thought-provoking exhibitions for our community to enjoy and not commercial sales.

The Vision Gallery offers its Vision Kids Programs in a variety of media and all classes are taught by local professional artists. The classes are offered to the Phoenix metropolitan community free of charge to the participants, and are underwritten by individuals, corporations, and grant funding.

The Gallery at the Chandler Center for the Arts is curated by the Vision Gallery as part of the Arts Center Division of the City of Chandler. Both galleries are non-profit art galleries managed by the Chandler Cultural Foundation and host six to eight exhibitions per year.

The Vision Gallery, Gallery at the CCA, and Chandler’s Public Art program are regularly featured in local media outlets including the SanTan Sun News, Phoenix New Times, AZ Redbook, and KJZZ. Read recent stories and find links here.

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