Call Description

The Bedford’s annual juried exhibition returns with CALeidoscope: Evolving Reflections of California, a vibrant celebration of our Golden State. From the Mexican border to Oregon, California stretches nearly 900 miles along the Pacific Ocean and is home to sundrenched beaches, verdant farmlands, majestic mountains, dramatic deserts, and monumental redwood forests. With all this natural beauty, it’s no wonder California serves as a source of inspiration and promise for dreamers, makers, and visionaries across the US. CALeidoscope honors the breathtaking geography of our great state and reflects its esteemed position as a cultural leader and hotbed for creativity and innovation.

Jurors:
Juan Omar Rodriguez, Assistant Curator, San José Museum of Art
Amanda Sroka, Senior Curator, Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles

Entries open: July 24, 2025
Deadline to submit work for consideration: March 26, 2026 at 12 pm PT
Notice of participation: April 24, 2026
Artwork Delivery: June 22 – 26, 2026
Exhibition dates: July 11 – September 13, 2026
Opening Party: Saturday, July 11, 2026, from 4 – 7 pm

Entry Fee: Free for new or current Bedford Donors who donate $50 or more; $40 non-refundable entry fee for all other applicants.

Bedford Donors who donate $50 or more receive complimentary tickets to our exhibition Donor Previews and Opening Parties plus a guest for a year! Other perks include waived submission fee to our annual juried exhibition, discounted tickets on select workshops and events, and more.

To Become a Donor:

1. Donate $50 or more via this link (https://purchase.lesherartscenter.org/Memberships) BEFORE you submit your application. Click “Add to Cart” and follow the prompts to make your donation. Thank you for your support!
2. Upon making your donation, you will receive an automatic reply email from orders@ticketoffice.lesherartscenter.org that includes a DONOR CODE for you to enter on CaFÉ when you submit your application. This will waive your entry fee on CaFÉ. If you do not receive the email, check your spam. If you still have not received the email, please email us at galleryinfo@bedfordgallery.org. Bedford staff is available Monday through Friday.
3. Login to CaFÉ and complete your application. When prompted, enter the DONOR CODE upon check out. Then submit your application. For tech support, please contact CaFÉ at (303) 629-1166 or cafehelp@westaf.org. CaFÉ tech support is available Monday through Friday, 8:30 am – 5:00 pm Mountain Time.

Donors Who Have Donated $50+ in the Last Year: You will receive the DONOR CODE in a series of emails from the Bedford at galleryinfo@bedfordgallery.org. If you still need the code, please email galleryinfo@bedfordgallery.org BEFORE you submit your application. Bedford staff is available Monday through Friday. Once Bedford staff replies with the DONOR CODE, you may submit your application on CaFÉ.

NOTE TO ALL DONORS: IF YOU SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION WITHOUT ENTERING THE DONOR CODE, THE $40 NON-REFUNDABLE ENTRY FEE WILL NOT BE REIMBURSED.

Prizes: There will be over $2,000 in cash prizes for juror awards.

Application Requirements

Submissions: Submit your images and other materials online via CaFÉ. Only digital images uploaded to CaFÉ will be accepted and reviewed. Physical submissions delivered to the Bedford will not be reviewed. NOTE: IF YOUR ARTIST NAME IS DIFFERENT FROM YOUR LEGAL NAME, PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION UNDER YOUR ARTIST NAME ONLY.

Artwork Specifications: Artists may submit up to three artworks for consideration. Works must meet the theme of the exhibition and only artwork about California will be juried. Open to all media. All work must be original or fully licensed and shall not infringe any patent rights, copyright, trade secret, or any other proprietary right or trademark and all other intellectual property rights of any person or persons.

Artwork Size: Please include overall dimensions for each entry (H x W x D inches). There are no size limitations for entries, however, the Bedford reserves the right not to accept exceptionally large, heavy, or cumbersome pieces.

Presentation: All art must be labeled with artist’s name, title, year, and medium on the back/bottom. 2D work must be ready to hang (wire, d-rings, or cleat) and framed (where applicable). Framed artwork must have either NO GLAZING OR ACRYLIC GLAZING ONLY; GLASS GLAZING WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. Glazing refers to the protective barrier that sits in the frame between the artwork and outside environment. 

For Installation Concepts: Include images, description, concept design or similar installations, and installation info (i.e. timeline, if installation requires artist to be present, etc.).

Image Specifications: Submitted images must be the same as the works intended for the exhibition. Unfinished or “like” work will not be considered. Work that has been modified from the original image submitted will not be accepted. Do not include borders or backgrounds in images as this only reduces the size of your artwork for online viewing by jurors.

Allowable Formats (see how to prepare your files for upload here and review media requirements here):

• JPEG or TIF image files (up to 5MB each)
• Video (up to 100MB each)
• Audio (up to 10MB each)
• PDFs (up to 2MB each)
• External media from YouTube, Vimeo and SoundCloud

Additional Requirements: Along with artwork images, please submit the following:

• Artist Biography: This is a brief history of your artistic practice and should be no longer than two paragraphs. If applicable, highlight any art degrees and select awards, exhibitions, and/or other major accomplishments. Please DO NOT include these as a list, this is not a CV. Include these within your two paragraphs only.
• Artist Statement about Submitted Artwork: This is a brief description about EACH artwork submitted and your practice. Each should be no longer than one paragraph.
• Social Media Handle(s): Please list your social media handle(s) and indicate which platform the handle is for (example: IG @bedfordgallery; FB @bedfordgallery).

Loan Agreement: If accepted, the artist will receive a loan agreement stating the Bedford’s insurance and sales terms. All artworks will be insured while on the Bedford’s premises. Artists are encouraged to list their artwork for sale.

Tech Support: Should you need technical support while submitting your application on CaFÉ, please contact CaFÉ at (303) 629-1166 or cafehelp@westaf.org. They are available Monday through Friday, 8:30 am – 5:00 pm Mountain Time.

View the call on our website: https://www.bedfordgallery.org/programs/artist-opportunities  

NO PHONE CALLS, PLEASE. FOR QUESTIONS, PLEASE EMAIL GALLERYINFO@BEDFORDGALLERY.ORG. Gallery staff is available Monday through Friday.

Eligibility Criteria

Open to US-based artists, 18 years of age or older.