Call Description

The competition is open for the following categories: ceramics, enamel, glass, metals, mixed media, textile, and wood. Entries must not exceed 108 inches in any direction and/or 150 pounds. No entry that requires the artist to be present for moving or assembly will be accepted. Any work suspected to have been created through the use of generative AI is subject to rejection. No photography permitted.

Any artist residing in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, or Tennessee may enter. All work must be original and completed within the last three years, and not previously exhibited in the Mid-States Craft Exhibition or at the Evansville Museum.

Purchase and merit awards, underwritten by individuals, corporations, foundations, and philanthropic organizations, will be presented at the December 13th Opening Reception. Purchase award-winning works will become part of the Evansville Museum's permanent collection.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

September 26                                                    Submission Deadline

October 14                                                         Notification of Jurying Results

October 23-31                                                   Receiving Accepted Work

November 4                                                       Final Review and Award Selection by Juror

December 13                                                      Awards Reception 6pm-8pm CST

December 11, 2025 – Feb 22, 2026                  Exhibition

February 26 – March 6, 2026                           Claiming of Accepted Work

ENTRY FEE

$40.00 fee entitles entrant to submit up to TWO entries.

ENTRIES SUBMITTED VIA CaFÉ

All entries must be submitted via CaFÉ. Entries by mail will not be accepted. 

ENTRY PAYMENT

Artists have several options to pay for the entry fee. Payment can be made securely online through CaFÉ. Payment options with CaFÉ include credit cards, PayPal, and check.

If selecting pay by check option on CaFÉ, please make check payable to the Evansville Museum of Arts, History & Science. Do not send cash. Your check will need to be received by the museum no later than October 9th to be eligible for the jurying process. Any checks received after that date will be returned and your entry will be removed.  Mail check to the address below.

Evansville Museum

Mid-States Art Exhibition

P.O. Box 3435

Evansville, IN 47733-3435

INSURANCE

All works accepted for exhibition will be insured, while on the premises, at a value agreeable to the artist and the Museum. Maximum insurance by the Museum for any entry will be $5,000. The Museum will not be responsible for insuring work in transit or works unclaimed after March 13, 2026.

RECEIVING

Works selected for exhibition must either be delivered in person or shipped PREPAID between October 23-31, 2025. Arrangement for weekday and weekend in-person delivery must be pre-arranged with the staff coordinator. If shipping, please make certain that shipper is aware that the museum can only accept delivery during Museum opening hours (Thursday-Saturday, 11am-5pm; Sunday 12pm-5pm). 

The Museum reserves the right for the Juror to reject, upon review, work with unacceptable artsmanship and/or quality not discernible in the digital images.

RETURN OF ARTWORK

Exhibited work may be picked up in person from February 26 - March 6, 2026; pick up arrangement must be made with the staff coordinator. The Museum will not be responsible for work not claimed by March 6, 2026. 

Shipped work will be returned in the method it was received, unless otherwise specified by the artist.  All shipping costs and liability for damage are the responsibility of the artist. Return shipping label must be included in packaging material. 

SALES

Price lists will be available in the exhibition. The Museum will connect the artist with any potential buyer, but all sales must be handled between the artist and the buyer. The Museum will not collect any commission. Sold artwork must remain on display until the closing of the exhibition.

AGREEMENT

Submission for a work of art to this exhibition shall be understood to indicate an agreement on the part of the entrant, with all conditions set forth, including permission for reproduction in general publication, newspapers, and social media. All purchase award winners must grant the Evansville Museum a non-exclusive, royalty-free, and unrestricted license. By entering the show you are agreeing to the statements set forth in the prospectus.    

EXHIBITION

The Mid-States Craft Exhibition will be open to the public from December 11, 2024 – February 22, 2025.  You are cordially invited to attend the Awards Reception on Saturday, December 13, from 6:00pm – 8:00pm CST.  Awards will be presented at this time.  Award winners, or their representatives, are requested to be present for the awards presentation. 

PURCHASE and MERIT AWARDS

Purchase and merit awards, underwritten by individuals, corporations, foundations and philanthropic organizations, will be presented at the opening reception. Purchase award-winning works will become part of the permanent collection of the Evansville Museum. 

Juror will select awards on November 4th after reviewing entries in person. If the sale price stated is in excess of the assigned purchase award, the artist will be contacted immediately after the jurying and given the opportunity to accept or reject the award. NFS entries may be eligible for purchase awards. All entries are eligible for merit awards.

Application Requirements

Entrant may submit up to TWO entries.

Eligibility Criteria

About the Juror

Maya Brooks is currently the Associate Curator of Contemporary Art at the North Carolina Museum of Art (Raleigh and Winston-Salem), a position that encourages her passion for examining culture through an artistic lens. Brooks' professional mission is to provide engaging museum experiences for our public through exhibition curation, interpretation, and design. She strives to restore access, inclusion, and agency in the museum field for all communities, especially those historically marginalized by our institutions.

More information: https://www.mayabrooksportfolio.com/