Call Description

SHOWCASE 2026 PROGRAM AND APPLICATION INFORMATION
The Showcase 2026 program will feature local and regional artists in Northwind Art’s Jeanette Best Gallery, 701 Water Street, Port Townsend. For 2026, the program will feature approximately 35 artists who will show across three separate periods in 2026 (from January 26 - May 11, May 14 - September 7, and September 10 - January 4, 2027).

The application for consideration will close on October 19, 2025. Artists selected will be notified of selection by November 17, 2025.

SELECTION & JURYING
The works submitted for review can be examples of former artwork, but must demonstrate the style of work that would be exhibited in Showcase 2026. 

Artists will be chosen by a panel of Northwind Art curators. That panel will consist of three Northwind Art exhibits/gallery staff members and two local artists, Anne Schneider and Suzanne Lamon. They will be judging the quality, professionalism, and sales potential of the work. The selection panel will look for a cohesive body of work from each artist. Final artist selections will reflect a variety of media, techniques, and styles.

In an effort to encourage and promote the sale of art exhibited in the Showcase 2026 gallery, the selection panel will be paying particular attention to retail pricing of artworks, with the goal of selecting artists whose work is generally under the $1,000 retail price point. 

In our efforts to provide opportunities for local artists, and to show our visitors local art, the Showcase 2026 program is geared to artists living in Jefferson, Clallam, Mason, Kitsap, and Island counties, but the application is open to other regional artists outside of these counties (all art must be hand-delivered and picked up from the Jeanette Best Gallery in Port Townsend, WA).

ABOUT THE JURORS
Anne Schneider is a Port Townsend, WA based mixed media artist. Her abstract collage work is created by working with a combination of acrylic paints and papers. Anne teaches mixed media art classes at the Northwind Art School at Fort Worden in Port Townsend. She exhibits her work at the Port Townsend Gallery and works with that gallery's jury selections. She has also exhibited at Northwind Art Gallery and in Portland, OR.

Suzanne Lamon is a Port Townsend artist known for her brilliant narrative watercolor work. She was a graduate student at Washington State University in the 1970s, was a founding faculty member of Port Townsend School of the Arts, and has exhibited extensively in the Pacific Northwest.

ABOUT NORTHWIND ART
Built on a strong foundation of community, Northwind Art was founded in January 2021 when two established art organizations, Port Townsend School of the Arts and Northwind Arts Center, joined together—we are now known simply as NORTHWIND ART.

Northwind Art is a non-profit organization that puts artists at the heart of all we do. Three main pillars, EDUCATION, EXHIBITS, and ARTIST RESOURCES are the focus of our work and mission. Our incredible community of donors, partners, and grant organizations makes it all possible.

CALENDAR
August 1: Call for entries opens.

October 19, 11:59pm: Application deadline.

October 20 - November 7: Jurying period.     

November 17: Notification of acceptance to artists. Artists will be notified by email associated with their CaFE account. 

HOW TO APPLY
Entries are submitted through CaFE. There is a $25 entry fee (per artist, not per work). We ask you to submit 10 images of your work. Each entry should include dimensions, medium, and retail price. 

The works submitted for review can be examples of former artwork, but must demonstrate the style of work that would be exhibited in Showcase 2026. If accepted, artists will be asked to bring 4-8 pieces of work as their initial inventory, with the opportunity to bring in additional pieces as other works sell.

A FEW DETAILS
If you are accepted, we will provide you with additional information about events during the year, framing & wiring expectations, pricing, delivery of artwork, number of pieces for inventory, photos of your work, etc. Our contract provides for a standard gallery 50/50 commission split. There are no monthly fees. Although this is not a co-op program, artists may be asked to give an artist talk to our staff, volunteers, and visitors and attend select gallery evens (like Port Townsend's monthly Art Walk).

Please note: Since this is a traditional gallery model, Showcase 2026 artists are free to have short-term shows at restaurants, offices, and similar venues, but they cannot have long-term representation at another gallery or retail outlet in Port Townsend during their time in the Showcase 2026 gallery. 

We will create artist information cards, promote your works on our website, in our Northwind Art newsletter, and in press releases and social media.  Showcase 2026 artists are first-priority eligible for our Art in the Hospital program and other Northwind Art community outreach programs.

All work in inventory will be available for sale on the Northwind Art website. If you are selected, we will ask for images of your work before the program opens, when we are preparing for shows, and as new work is added to our inventory.

All artwork must be the original creation of the applying artists and should not contain imagery derived from AI.

Questions? Email us at exhibits@northwindart.org.

Application Requirements

Entries are submitted through CaFE. There is a $25 entry fee (per artist, not per work). We ask you to submit 10 images of your work. Each entry should include dimensions, medium, and retail price. 

The works submitted for review can be examples of former artwork, but must demonstrate the style of work that would be exhibited in Showcase 2026. If accepted, artists will be asked to bring 4-8 pieces of work as their initial inventory, with the opportunity to bring in additional pieces as other works sell. 

Both 2-D and 3-D works will be considered. All artwork must be the original creation of the applying artists and should not contain imagery derived from AI.

Eligibility Criteria

Artists will be chosen by a panel of Northwind Art curators. We will be judging the quality, professionalism, and sales potential of the work. The selection committee will look for a cohesive body of work from each artist. Our final artist selections will reflect a variety of media, techniques, and styles.

In our efforts to provide opportunities for local artists, and to show our visitors local art, the Showcase 2026 program is geared to artists living in Jefferson, Clallam, Mason, Kitsap, and Island counties, but the application is open to artists outside of these counties (all art must be hand-delivered and picked up from the Jeanette Best Gallery in Port Townsend, WA).