Call Description

Sparks Gallery is honored to announce its forthcoming exhibition, Under One Sky, a powerful celebration of Indigenous art from across the United States. This show will bring together works that honor the survival, resilience, and living traditions of Indigenous people while reflecting on their deep-rooted relationship between art, culture, and knowledge.

Under One Sky creates a shared space where the beauty and diversity of Native American art can shine, while also serving as a living vessel of cultural wisdom and a platform for meaningful social reflection.

The exhibition centers on three core ideas that reflect the depth and diversity of Indigenous art.

1) Indigenous Survival and Resilience

We invite works that reflect the ongoing strength, endurance, and flourishing of Indigenous people and cultures despite historical and present-day challenges. Submissions may explore personal or collective stories of resilience, cultural reclamation, and the continuation or evolution of traditions.

2) Art as Knowledge

This theme highlights how artistic practices preserve, express, and pass on Indigenous knowledge systems. We seek works that embody the intergenerational transmission of wisdom, reflect the connection between art and ceremony, or reveal how art documents cultural memory and history. Consider how your work engages with the Earth, family, and community.

3) The Seventh Direction

In many Indigenous traditions, the four cardinal directions are joined by the directions of up (sky), down (Earth), and the center (within). This seventh direction represents the spirit, a return to the self, and a connection to all things. Under One Sky welcomes works that explore this concept of interconnectedness—whether through narrative, symbolism, or abstraction.

This exhibition will be co-juried by Sparks Gallery Owner and Chief Curator Sonya Sparks (San Diego Cherokees) and Alessandra Moctezuma Gallery Director and Professor of Art at San Diego Mesa College, where she leads the Museum Studies program and teaches courses on Chicano Art.

Application Requirements

Artists are welcome to submit the following mediums:

• 2D Work: Paintings, drawings, prints, photography
• 3D Work: Sculpture, ceramics, basketry, jewelry
• Mixed Media: Assemblage, collage (archival quality only)
• Fiber Arts: Weavings, quillwork, beadwork

Submit up to three high-resolution images of a single work, along with:

• An artist statement (max 300 words) describing how your work relates to the exhibition themes
• A brief bio (max 150 words)
• Your tribal affiliation(s) (We are requesting submissions from active members of their tribe or those who have direct lineage from a tribal ancestor AND who create work surrounding tribal themes).

Number of pieces to be selected: up to 35

Eligibility Criteria

Open exclusively to artists of Native American, First Nations, or Indigenous descent

Preference will be given to work aligning with Sparks Gallery’s curatorial vision of vibrant colorful work, work that speaks to dreams and magic, universal human experience, pop culture, traditions, and biophilic art.