Open Theme Annual 2025

A NATIONAL CALL FOR ART IN ALL MEDIA

Open to all artists, aged 18 or older, residing in the US

Entry Deadline: June 5, 2025

Entry Fee: $25.00

EXHIBITION DATES: July 11-August 15, 2024

Webster Arts invites art submissions for our Open Theme Annual 2025 artists are encouraged to submit 2D & 3D work on any theme. Send us your best work! Open Theme Annual is open to any theme or medium, aside from the prohibition on floor or ceiling-hung installations as they are not possible at this time. No video.

Webster Arts is a growing regional nonprofit arts center that hosts national juried exhibitions in its 2000 square-foot gallery, a nationally ranked juried art fair, art outreach for recent refugees, a plein air competition, an autumn music series, and other community events. Our patrons are sophisticated art consumers. An independent juror will select work for inclusion in the exhibit and for cash prizes ($250 Best in Show, one $100 Awards of Excellence.) Sales are encouraged.

DATES & DEADLINES

Thursday, June 5, 2025, 11:59 pm MST: Submission deadline

Friday, June 13, 2024: All artists notified by email

July 1-3, 2025: In-person delivery of artwork during office hours, 10:00 am to 4:30 pm

Thursday, July 3, 2025: Deadline to receive shipped artwork to Webster Arts Gallery

Friday, July 11, 2025, 6:30 pm: Exhibit Opening Reception at Webster Arts Gallery, 2 Summit Avenue, Webster Groves, MO 63119

ENTRY FEE

$25 for up to three entries

Entry fees are non-refundable

ELIGIBILITY

The exhibition is open to artists aged 18 and older, residing in the US. 

JUROR

Webster Arts is pleased to be working with multi-disciplinary artist Gonz Jove as our juror for this year's Open Theme Annual. “Gonz”, is a celebrated and internationally-known muralist whose works grace Southern Illinois University’s Art & Design Building, the St. Louis Art

Museum, Washington University and other locations in Bolivia and St louis, MO.

One of his recent projects fills the entryway of Better Family Life (BFL) Community Center in St. Louis. Gonz spent 2 ½ years researching and creating a 95-feet-long painting, Missouri’s largest African-American history mural. This mural starts with the face of an African child rising out of the universe, and ends with the universe looking down at a futuristic thriving African American community. In between, the pictorial documentary shows poignant periods of black history such as the Middle Passage, Abolitionism, The Underground Railroad, Emancipation, The Civil Rights Era, The Michael Brown shooting and Ferguson unrest - very fitting in the context of today’s culture and politics. Gonz’s keen eye for composition, detail and mathematics are apparent in this and all his works. “Painting a mural is more than sketching and scaling a piece of visual art. For me, it means becoming engrossed in the narratives it seeks to share and channeling the emotions of the community and moment in history the mural represents. When you do this right and with intention, the work begins to speak through your soul. You can translate the anger of injustice into the strokes of your brush and portray the color of liberation movements on a wall. You become a part of the mural.”

Specifications - PLEASE READ CAREFULLY

The exhibit will consider artworks of all mediums except for video. Framed wall pieces must be wired for hanging and no larger than 48” x 48”. All wall works on paper must be framed. Three dimensional works must not exceed 32” x 32” x 60” or weigh more than 50 pounds. Accepted work cannot be substituted and must be available for the duration of the exhibit. No ceiling installed work. Unassembled work must come with detailed assembly instructions. No video.

All work must be the original conception and execution of the artist listed on the application. No reproductions. Please do not submit work that has been exhibited in any Webster Arts gallery in the past.

Submissions
Submit up to 10 JPEG digital images

Upload options for image files:

Between 1000 and 1920 pixels  on the longest side

72 PPI/dpi (standard web resolution)

5 MB maximum side

Shipping/Delivery of Accepted Artworks
The artist is responsible for the cost of shipping or mailing artwork to and from Webster Arts using FedEx, UPS, USPS, or DHL. A return shipping label must be included with the artwork or emailed as a pdf to heather@webster-arts.org. Artwork may also be hand-delivered and picked up from Webster Arts on the appropriate dates during the scheduled times.

Insurance and Sale of Artwork
All artwork is insured for its declared value from the time it is received through the time it is picked up by the carrier. Artists are responsible for insuring artwork during transit. Webster Arts received a 30% commission on all exhibition sales. Sales are encouraged.

Photography
Photographs of accepted artwork may be used for promotional purposes.

Release of Liability
Receipt of the completed form constitutes your agreement with all conditions established. All reasonable care is taken with artworks, and you understand that by completing this form you release Webster Arts, their officers, employees, agents, directors, and volunteers of and from any and all liability for any loss, damage, or theft of any exhibited art or exhibition materials.

Application Requirements
This exhibit is open to all media, excluding video. Framed wall pieces must be wired for hanging and no larger than 48” x 48”. All wall works on paper must be framed. Three dimensional works must not exceed 32” x 32” x 60” or weigh more than 50 pounds. Accepted work cannot be substituted and must be available for the duration of the exhibit. No ceiling installed work. Unassembled work must come with detailed assembly instructions. No video.

All work must be the original conception and execution of the artist listed on the application. No reproductions. Please do not submit work that has been exhibited in any Webster Arts gallery in the past.

Application Requirements

This exhibit is open to all media, excluding video. Framed wall pieces must be wired for hanging and no larger than 48” x 48”. All wall works on paper must be framed. Three dimensional works must not exceed 32” x 32” x 60” or weigh more than 50 pounds. Accepted work cannot be substituted and must be available for the duration of the exhibit. No ceiling installed work. Unassembled work must come with detailed assembly instructions. No video.

All work must be the original conception and execution of the artist listed on the application. No reproductions. Please do not submit work that has been exhibited in any Webster Arts gallery in the past.

Eligibility Criteria

Open to all artists, aged 18 or older, residing in the US.