Call Description

The Visual Arts Center proudly presents the 15th Biennial National Art Exhibition (NAE).  Since 1996, this juried art competition of 2-dimensional artwork from across the country, has graced the walls of the Visual Arts Center. On this highly anticipated 30th year, we our offering our highest awards to date, with over $13,000 in cash prizes including a 1st place award of $5,000.

The NAE is one of the nation’s most prestigious juried exhibitions of two-dimensional media, hosted by the Visual Arts Center, located in the heart of Punta Gorda along beautiful Charlotte Harbor. Punta Gorda is geographically situated in Southwest Florida between Sarasota and Naples, an affluent art-buying market. The show’s dates coincide with our greatest population of seasonal residents.  The nearly 1,000-member Visual Arts Center brings art and culture to its community through multi-media classes, state-of-the-art jewelry and pottery studios, workshops, and lectures. The Visual Arts Center also boasts an outstanding art and supply store, gift gallery and art library and displays exhibits in three galleries year-round. 

We are honored to have Teresa Kirk as our juror. Teresa is an award-winning artist who holds signature membership with International Society of Experimental Artists, Florida Watercolor, Kansas Watercolor, and Southern Watercolor Societies, plus Platinum signature member in Gold Coast Watercolor Society. Believing in the arts, she has served on the Boards of Florida Watercolor and Gold Coast Watercolor Society as president along with other positions.  She teaches at the Boca Raton Museum of Art school and numerous workshops throughout the country, sharing her love of experimentation with water media.

IMPORTANT DATES

2025

September 1: Online entry begins through Café—Call for Entry

December 1: Deadline for entry

December 30: Notification by email of inclusion/exclusion

2026

February 2 to February 5: Receiving of shipped artwork

February 6 & 7 from 10am-2pm: Receiving of artwork in person

February 10, 11 & 12: Art workshop by juror, Teresa Kirk (see details below)

February 12 from 5pm-9pm: Opening Night Gala $100 entry fee

February 13: Exhibit open to public—Online Call for Poetry opens

February 13 from 11:30am-1:30pm:  Luncheon with juror, Teresa Kirk (See details below)

February 19 from 6pm to 9pm: Awards Reception $20 entry fee

March 18: Poetry Night (time to be determined)

March 26: NAE Closes

*There will be several other events association with NAE—Dates TBD

3-Day Mixed Media Workshop with Teresa Kirk

Making the Ordinary Extraordinary!           

February 10, 11 & 12th—9am-3:30pm

Each day you will undertake an exercise which allows you to work with new ideas and techniques that push your painting to fresh new levels of accomplishment. As for subject matter, anything goes: landscapes, still life, figurative work, and abstract. This workshop will engage your intuitive creativity. We will have daily demos, group discussions, and we will end each day with constructive critiques. Beginner to expert in acrylic or watercolor welcome.

$425 Members/$495 Future Members—Lunch included

Early bird special: Sign up by 12/31/25 & pay $395 (Members only)

Teresa Kirk Art Talk & Luncheon                   

February 13, 2026 11:30am-1:30pm

Teresa will share how she shifted from feeling she had to make a painting to simply allowing it to happen—through play and a lot of ‘What ifs…’. She believes creativity flows best when we stop worrying about getting it right and start exploring. In this short demo, she’ll guide you through no-pressure exercises designed to help you let go of perfection, trust your instincts, and rediscover the pure joy of making art.     

$50 Members/$60 Future Members

Application Requirements

You may enter up to three (3) pieces however ONLY ONE ENTRY may be accepted by juror.

Entry must be made online through Cafe-Call for entry.

Your full entry (including non-refundable payment and image uploads) MUST BE COMPLETED by midnight (MST) on Monday, December 1, 2025, in order to be considered. No entries or applications will be accepted by email, regular mail, or in person. The entry fee is $50 for the first submission and $20 for each second and third submission.

The works selected for the show will be determined by juror on the basis of digital images. The actual awards will be chosen in person by the juror.

Eligibility Criteria

This exhibition is limited to two-dimensional paintings and drawings in oil, watercolor, pastel, acrylic, charcoal, colored pencil, graphite, alcohol ink, scratchboard and mixed media.  The work must have been completed in the last five years and cannot have been accepted into a previous Visual Arts Center’s National Art Exhibition. Computer generated art, etchings, prints (including monoprints), enhanced/embellished or painted giclées, photography, glass, and fiber/fabric art are not eligible.  No dimension can exceed six feet.

Work must not weigh more than 60 pounds. Artists must be at least 18 years of age to enter. Artwork from any state or country is eligible for entry.

Only original works may be submitted to this exhibit. This means that the subject of the entry must be a concept entirely developed and executed by the submitting artist. Duplication of another’s photograph or art (even if the image is copyright-free) whether by machine or paint, are not eligible. Reproductions, including enhanced, embellished or painted giclée's of your work, are not eligible. Any work found to be duplication will be removed and any awards revoked.