Call Description

West Michigan Art Competition

The 40th Annual Lowell Arts West Michigan Art Competition highlights outstanding artwork by Michigan artists. In honor of the 40th anniversary of this exhibition, artwork will be accepted from an expanded 42-county region of Michigan. Artwork in any visual art media can be submitted by artists 18 yrs. and older. Cash awards totaling $3600 are presented. Artists may submit one piece for consideration by the juror.

Schedule

• Online Entries Accepted: October 22, 2025 to January 5, 2026
• Deadline for Entries: January 5, 11:59pm
• Notification of Acceptance: January 13, 2026
• Drop-Off of Accepted Work: January 22 and 23, 10am-6pm and January 24, 12-5pm
• Exhibit Dates: January 31 to March 28, 2026
• Pick-up of Accepted Work: March 31 and April 1-3, 10am-6pm

Prizes

$3750 in cash awards will be presented. Six awards of $500 each, five honorable mention awards of $100 each, and a ceramics award of $250 sponsored by the West Michigan Potters Guild.

Juror: Cathy VanVoorhis

Cathy VanVoorhis holds an MFA in Painting from the University of Michigan and an MA in Art History from Michigan State University and has received an Individual Creative Artist Grant from the Michigan Council for the Arts. Her oil landscape paintings explore the healing power of nature through Michigan's waterways and coastlines, inspired by naturalist writers like Rachel Carson. Her work has been exhibited at prominent institutions including the Muskegon Museum of Art, Saginaw Art Museum, and Dennos Art Museum, with solo shows at venues such as the Rogel Cancer Center and Hillsdale College. Currently, she teaches drawing, painting, and color at the Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design at the University of Michigan.

Artwork Requirements

Only original works completed in the last three years and not previously exhibited at Lowell Arts are eligible. Commercial reproductions, including giclée prints, will not be accepted. Traditional print media, photography, and digital art should be from a limited edition. 2-Dimensional entries may be no larger than 62 inches in any one direction, including the width of the frame. 3-Dimensional entries must fit through a standard door frame and be no larger than 62 inches in any one direction. Only artwork easily handled by two people will be accepted.

Entry Procedure

All entries must be submitted digitally through the www.callforentry.org (CaFÉ) website. There is no cost to register on CaFÉ, but it is required. Video entries may not be submitted. Deadline for entry is January 5, 2026 at 11:59pm EST.

Digital Images

Digital image files must conform to the requirements as listed on the CaFÉ site. All entries require that the title, media, and dimensions be listed. Incomplete entries will not be juried. Accepted works that differ dramatically from the submitted images may be refused at the discretion of Lowell Arts staff. Lowell Arts will offer technical assistance on applying through CaFÉ to artists as needed, by appointment. Contact 616-897-8545 or gallery@lowellarts.org.

Notification of Acceptance

Artists will be notified on January 13 via email if their piece was accepted for the exhibition. Artists with accepted entries will be provided an identification label at the time of drop-off to affix to the back of their piece.

Delivery

All accepted entries must be hand-delivered or shipped to: Lowell Arts, 223 W Main St, Lowell, MI 49331. The Lowell Arts Gallery is located in historic downtown Lowell at the corner of Broadway and Main Street. For hand-delivery, accepted artwork must arrive at Lowell Arts on January 22 and 23, 10am-6pm and January 24, 12-5pm. Shipped works must be prepaid and arrive by Friday, January 23. For shipped work, please include a prepaid return shipping label with the entry. All packing and shipping costs are the responsibility of the artist.

Entry Conditions

Artwork must be ready for presentation upon delivery. All hanging works should be framed and fitted with secure hanging wire. Fabric wrapped canvases are allowed and do not require additional framing. Frames with exposed glass edges are not acceptable. Saw tooth hangers are not permitted. Entries must be dry, completely assembled, framed, matted, or mounted. Multiple panel pieces (diptychs, triptychs, etc.) cannot exceed 62 inches in any one direction once installed. 3-dimensional entries that hang must have adequate hanging hardware or hanging system. Work requiring special handling or installation will be accepted only at the discretion of Lowell Arts. Unsuitably prepared, hazardous, unstable, or extremely fragile works will be declined. If you are unsure about your work conforming to these conditions, please contact Lowell Arts at gallery@lowellarts.org before entering.

Entry Fee

Artists may submit one piece only. The fee for entry is $40. Lowell Arts Members and Students over 18 with a college ID receive a discounted entry fee of $30. Members and students should call 616-897-8545 to receive their discount code before entering. Memberships need to be active through March of 2026 to receive the discount. Refunds cannot be provided after entry. Entry fees help fund prizes for the competition, as well as programs and services provided by Lowell Arts.

Art Sales

Accepted artwork must remain on display for the duration of the exhibit. Lowell Arts requires a 30% commission on all artwork sold during the exhibition. If the work is not for sale, please indicate “0 (zero)” for value on entry form. The artwork will be labeled as “NFS” – not for sale.

Pick-up

Accepted entries must remain in the exhibition through March 28, 2026. Artists may pick up accepted work in person March 31 and April 1-3, 10am-6pm. Artists must call ahead to authorize someone other than themselves to pick-up their work, otherwise artwork will not be released to anyone except the artist. Artwork not picked up at the designated times will be considered abandoned and become the property of Lowell Arts. Shipped artworks will be sent back in the packing materials they arrived in. Return of shipped artwork will begin April 7. Shipment costs are the responsibility of the artist.

Application Requirements

Artists may submit ONE PIECE in any medium for consideration by the juror.

• Artists are asked to submit one high-quality image of their piece. Up to 5 images of the same piece can be submitted.
• Image #1 should show the piece in its entirety. If applicable, do not include the picture frame in this image. 
• Image #2 should be used to highlight details, texture or an alternate angle of the piece. If applicable, the picture frame may be shown in this image.
• Images #3, #4, #5 are optional – included to highlight additional details, textures, or angles of the piece.

Eligibility Criteria

The West Michigan Art Competition is open to all visual art media by artists 18 yrs. and older who reside in one of the eligible West Michigan counties. Eligible lower West Michigan counties include: Allegan, Antrim, Barry, Benzie, Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, Cass, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Clare, Clinton, Crawford, Eaton, Emmet, Grand Traverse, Gratiot, Hillsdale, Ingham, Ionia, Isabella Jackson, Kalamazoo, Kalkaska, Kent, Lake, Leelanau, Manistee, Mason, Mecosta, Missaukee, Montcalm, Muskegon, Newaygo, Oceana, Osceola, Otsego, Ottawa, Roscommon, St. Joseph, Van Buren, and Wexford.