Call Description

Surreal Salon - the annual exhibition celebrating the pop-surrealist/lowbrow movement - will return to Baton Rouge Gallery (“BRG”) for its 18th year in January 2026! The exhibition, held in partnership with the LSU School of Art, will share the work of dozens of artists from across the globe, each hand-picked by the show’s Special Guest Juror, SWOON, via a blind jurying process.

For more than a decade, Surreal Salon has featured paintings, photography, ceramics, textiles, mixed media works, and more. Artists from all corners of the United States and more than a dozen different nations have been featured in previous exhibitions and with Surreal Salon 18, a new group of artists will join them.

More than $2,000 in cash prizes are awarded in conjunction with the exhibition and the artist whose work is selected as Best in Show is also be profiled in an online editorial by Juxtapoz Magazine.

CRITERIA & JUDGING:
Works will be judged anonymously on the following criteria: 1) conceptual and aesthetic quality; 2) feasibility of display; 3) overall artistic merit. The juror/curator will not see the artist's name or home city during judging. The juror will not comment on any one specific application once the jurying has concluded.

RECOGNITION AND AWARDS:
This year, the Surreal Salon exhibition will feature $2,000 in cash prizes that will be awarded as follows:
Best in Show: $1,000; Second Place: $600; Third Place: $400
The work selected by the exhibition's juror as Best in Show will be prominently recognized in an upcoming editorial on juxtapoz.com that will focus on the artist responsible for the work as well as the piece itself.

IMPORTANT DATES
Submission deadline: November 8, 2025 at midnight CST.
Notification: by November 18, 2025
Delivery deadline for selected work: December 21, 2025, at 6 pm.
First Day of Surreal Salon 18: January 2, 2026
Final day of Surreal Salon 18: January 24, 2026
Pick-up Artwork: January 27 - February 14, 2026 (Tue-Sun)
All uncollected works after February 14 will be assessed a $10 storage fee per day. Any work not picked up from Baton Rouge Gallery by April 1, 2026, will be considered abandoned and the property of BRGCCA

SUBMITTING YOUR WORK(S):
Artists submitting work for consideration may do so online at http://www.batonrougegallery.org/surreal-salon/ All submissions must be received by the gallery by midnight(CST) on November 7, 2025.

Artists may submit up to three works to be considered for inclusion in Surreal Salon 18. Images/videos submitted must represent the finished works the entrant wishes to have featured in the exhibition. BRGCCA reserves the right to use any images submitted for promotional purposes (exhibition catalogs, etc.).

Artists submitting works must follow the instructions presented in their entirety. Works must be physical, tangible, and nonperishable. They must be able to be displayed throughout the exhibition. All two-dimensional works must be ready to hang in a professional gallery; no bull clips, clip frames, magnets, push-pins, or poster frames will be accepted. Artists shipping framed artwork are encouraged to consider plexiglass over glass for the safety of the artwork in transit, but it is not required.

Artists will be notified via email of the curator's selections. Some artists will receive several notifications from CaFE if they submit more than one work. Please read all correspondence carefully so that accepted works are not missed.

SHIPPING/DELIVERY:
Shipping/delivery of selected works to and from Baton Rouge Gallery is the artist's responsibility. Works must be delivered to the gallery by 6 pm on December 21, 2025. BRGCCA is not responsible or liable for any damage resulting from the transit of works. Artists shipping works to the gallery are responsible for securing adequate insurance during transit to and from the gallery if they so choose. While works are on BRGCCA premises, they will be insured for the full declared value ('sale price'). Artists shipping work(s) to BRGCCA should have an account with the shipping provider of their choice and should plan to make arrangements with the said company for the pickup of any unsold works. BRGCCA will not pay for the return shipping of any work.

PROCESSING FEE
Each application must be accompanied by a non-refundable $35 processing fee. Artists completing their application online will be able to pay this fee via the CaFE platform options.

SALES
All artwork must be available for purchase. BRG encourages all artists to price their work in a way that encourages sales. BRG will manage the sales of artwork at the exhibition and online. Artists will receive a 50% commission on work sold during the exhibition. Checks will be mailed to the artist's address included in their original application.

QUESTIONS? CONTACT US:
email: Kelsey Livingston, klivingston@batonrougegallery.org
tel: 225.383.1470 (Tue - Sun, 12-6 pm CST)
website: www.batonrougegallery.org
address: 1515 Dalrymple Drive, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 70808

Application Requirements

Presented by Baton Rouge Gallery - center for contemporary art ('BRGCCA' or 'BRG'), Surreal Salon is an annual juried exhibition that celebrates the pop-surrealist/lowbrow movement within contemporary art. This exciting and diverse movement remains at the forefront of contemporary art and Surreal Salon celebrates all the reasons why. The 18th annual Surreal Salon exhibition is open to all artists over the age of 18 worldwide.

A complete application will have the following:

• Up to 3 (three) images or video of artworks to be considered
• Media information for each work (title, media, dimensions, price/value)
• Paid entry fee of $35

Eligibility Criteria

All artists over the age of 18, regardless of geographic location, are eligible to submit works for the exhibition's juror to consider for inclusion.