In times of crisis and transition, beauty serves not as an escape but as an essential act of resistance and renewal. This juried exhibition explores beauty's transformative power to inspire awe, foster connection, and envision flourishing futures.

Beauty operates on multiple levels: as resistance to dehumanization, as a catalyst for wonder that connects us to something larger than ourselves, and as a foundation for human flourishing alongside community, sustainability, and dignity. Through art that evokes awe - defined by researchers as our response to vastness that transcends ordinary understanding - we can shift from transactional to relational ways of being.

As artist David Wojnarowicz noted during the AIDS crisis, beauty is not a luxury but "what we're fighting for." It serves as both compass and destination, reminding us why we persist through struggle. Without maintaining our capacity to recognize and create beauty, we risk losing sight of the world we seek to build.

We invite artists to submit works that engage with beauty as an act of resistance, renewal, and reimagining. 

The juried gallery exhibition is open to all media. In addition to painting, sculpture, installation, printmaking, photography, and video, we are also happy to accept audio works and the written word.

About the Cade Art Gallery: 

The Cade Center for Fine Arts Gallery is on Anne Arundel Community College’s Arnold campus at 101 College Parkway.  Located on the main floor of the Cade building on West Campus, the Cade Art Gallery at AACC features five exhibitions a year. The span of exhibiting artists is broad, often including up and coming national and regional artists. At the gallery, you can encounter an installation project juried by a museum curator, or the latest painting by an AACC student. More information about Cade Art Gallery exhibitions and programming can be found on our Instagram account: @cadegalleryaacc.

About the Exhibition Juror:

Philippa Pham Hughes is a social sculptor, educator, speaker, and writer. Currently, she is a Social Practice Resident at The Kennedy Center, Visiting Artist For Arts & Civic Engagement at the University of Michigan Museum of Art, and a Lecturer at the Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan. She is a contributing author in the forthcoming book, “An Empathy-Building Toolkit For Museums.”

She applies relational thinking and an aesthetic of care and delight to her work in democracy building, civic engagement, and repairing the social fabric of our country one creative conversation at a time. Philippa draws from the arts and humanities to design spaces for honest conversations across political, social, and cultural differences. She curates multi-disciplinary art exhibits & experiences that build social capital, social cohesion, and social discourse. 

Philippa has spoken widely, including SXSW, Cato Institute, TEDxAmericanUniversity, Davidson College, University of Michigan's Penny Stamps Speaker Series, Art & Democracy Day at Hopkins Bloomberg Center, Fort Worth Women's Policy Forum. Her work has been featured by artnet, CNN, PBS Newshour, CityLab, and The Washington Post. Philippa’s mission: to create a society in which all humans flourish.

CALENDAR:

March 10: Call for entries closes

March 17: Notification date for artists 

April 21-25: Artwork drop off (contact to arrange drop off time.)  Shipped artwork must be received by April 25. Artists are responsible for paying for and arranging shipping to and from Cade Art Gallery, AACC, attn.: Karen Barber, Director, Cade Art Gallery, 101 College Pkwy, Arnold, MD, 21012

May 6-July 21, 2025: Exhibition

May 6, 5 - 7pm public reception and juror talk

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS:

Submit up to 5 artworks and an artist statement for each work. Artwork may be in any media.

All accepted work must be ready to hang or display, this includes audio and written work. Two-dimensional work must have a braided picture wire on the back. Fragile media should be under plexiglass. Installation art must be prepared by the artist or have detailed instructions that are easy to follow. The gallery has a flat screen video and access to some types of video equipment, including a projector. The gallery reserves the right to refuse any piece that is improperly presented. If art is shipped to the gallery, the artist is responsible for shipping costs both to and from the gallery.

Application Requirements

Artwork must be available from April to July 2025. Artists selected for the show are responsible for shipping the artworks to the gallery and providing a prepaid return shipping label.

Eligibility Criteria

Artists over the age of 18 working in all media are eligible to apply.