The Tarleton State University Department of Visual Arts & Design is thrilled to announce the 27th annual Rio Brazos Juried Art Exhibition.  This year’s exhibition will be juried by artist Layla Luna. Open to all varieties of media, this exhibition aims to curate a selection of exemplary contemporary work from artists around the country. All proceeds from the exhibition will go to scholarships for the Department of Visual Arts & Design at Tarleton State University.

The exhibition will open on April 5, 2025 at the Dora Lee Langdon Cultural & Educational Center in Granbury, Texas and runs every weekend through April 27th. The exhibition is sponsored by Tarleton State University, the City of Granbury and numerous local and regional businesses. Over $2,000 in artist awards are anticipated. 

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

1-10-25 Call for entry opens
3-1-25 Deadline to receive entries (11:59p.m. MST)
3-7-25 Notification of acceptance through email
3-27-25 Artwork mail deliver deadline
3-29-25 Artwork hand-deliver date
4-5-25 Show opens at Langdon Center in Granbury
4-27-25 Closing Reception and Awards Ceremony
4-27-25 Show closes
Any questions?, please contact Chris Ireland, Rio Brazos Exhibition Coordinator, ireland@tarleton.edu 

AWARDS

The juror will select up to 50 images for the exhibition. Of those works selected, they will be eligible for the following awards:

The David and Claudia Southern Award for Best in Show = $1000
Up to 2 Juror’s Selection Awards of $500
Up to 5 Honorable Mention awards of $100 each

ABOUT THE JUROR 

Layla Luna is an exhibiting painter with a focus on southwestern landscapes and the author/illustrator of a children’s story series called The Lolly Stories. The exploration of home, nature, and storytelling are the major components of both her painting practice and illustrations. She is a member of Artspace111 Gallery in Fort Worth.  

Luna was born in Fort Worth, Texas in 1975. She received an MFA in Painting from Texas Christian University in 2016 and a BFA in Painting from Arizona State University in 2008. She studied at Massey University in Wellington, New Zealand where she obtained a Postgraduate Diploma in Fine Art in 2011. Artist-in-residence programs around the country have played a large role in feeding her need to explore and make work in new environments. Luna resides in Azle, Texas with her daughter, husband, and three pups.

HOW TO ENTER

You may enter through our Call for Entry (CAFÉ) page.  The entry fee for this year’s exhibition is $40 for 3 images.  You may submit additional pieces for 5 dollars each. The exhibition is open to all artists 18 years of age or older. Artists of all mediums and genres are encouraged to apply, although we require that the work has been made in the last 3 years and has not been featured at previous Rio Brazos exhibitions. 

SALES

All work entered must be available for sale. A 25% commission is collected upon sale.

Proceeds from the commissions will go directly to student scholarships. The Dora Lee Langdon Center will conduct all sales during the exhibition. Price, not including tax, must be listed on the entry.

ACCEPTED DELIVERY/RETURN OF ARTWORK

·  If your work is accepted, it must be ready to hang or it will not be displayed. Please no saw tooth hangers, wire hangers are preferred for 2d works. Framed & hung works may not exceed 50" in any direction, including frame, nor weigh more than 12 lbs. 3-dimensional works may require artist or agent installation followed by height regulation and may not exceed 60" in any direction. The exhibition committee reserves the right to exclude works from the exhibition that are not gallery-ready, ready to hang, or are received in unsatisfactory condition.  We discourage the shipment of large crates as we are limited in our storage space during the duration of the show.  If there are any special needs regarding shipping, we encourage you to contact Chris Ireland, the exhibition manager at ireland@tarleton.edu.  

•  A prepaid return UPS or FedEX shipping label must be provided with your work for prints to be returned to you when the exhibition concludes. Please keep a copy of the prepaid return shipping label and your receipt.  Prints will be return-shipped in the container in which they were received. We will exercise all due care in handling your artwork but will not be liable for loss, theft, damage or replacement of artwork, nor liable for damage during shipping. Please consider insuring your work.

•  Please ship work with a prepaid return shipping label to 

Tarleton State University
Department of Visual Arts c/o Rio Brazos Exhibition
Box T-0650
Stephenville, TX 76402   

Shipments must arrive before March 27th. No packing peanuts, please!

•  You may drop off your work in person on Saturday, March 29th at the Langdon Center in Granbury.  The gallery will be open from 10 am to 1pm.  If you would like to make arrangements, please contact the Exhibition Coordinator, Chris Ireland, at ireland@tarleton.edu.

•  If you intend to attend the closing reception and awards ceremony, you may pick up the work after the reception.

ABOUT THE LOCATION AND SPONSORS
The Dora Lee Langdon Cultural and Educational Center is nestled one block off Granbury’s historic square in the Brazos River Valley and serves as a focal point for the fine arts in the Lake Granbury area. The Langdon Center serves as the cultural and educational hub of the downtown area in cooperation with the City of Granbury and Tarleton State University.

Part of the A&M System since 1917, Tarleton State University offers affordable undergraduate and graduate degrees from locations in Stephenville, Fort Worth, Waco, Midlothian, and online. The main campus of Tarleton is located 31 miles southwest of Granbury in Stephenville. Founded in 1899 as a private, liberal arts college, Tarleton is now one of the state’s fastest growing institutions with an enrollment exceeding 15,000, and serves as the educational and cultural flagship of the Cross Timbers region.  The Department of Visual Arts and Design is one of their fastest growing programs with degree opportunities in Studio Art, Art Education, Graphic Design, and Video Game Design.  

Application Requirements

You may enter through our Call for Entry (CAFÉ) page.  The entry fee for this year’s exhibition is $40 for 3 images.  You may submit additional pieces for 5 dollars each. 

Eligibility Criteria

The exhibition is open to all artists 18 years of age or older. Artists of all mediums and genres are encouraged to apply, although we require that the work has been made in the last 3 years and has not been featured at previous Rio Brazos exhibitions.