Call Description

The award-winning San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, known internationally for its collecting focus of ceramic art, is seeking entries for the 26th San Angelo North American Ceramic Competition, an exhibition and prize competition open to ceramic artists in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Six cash prizes will be awarded, totaling $6,000. The selected works will be exhibited in all three of the museum's exhibition galleries from April 17 to June 21, 2026. The Competition and events are sponsored by the San Angelo Museum Endowment for Ceramic Events and John Williams. The exhibition highlights a broad range of attitudes in the clay medium from functional to sculptural and conceptual work. The Museum devotes its entire space to the show. In the last competition 102 works were displayed.

Juror: Linda Ganstrom, Professor of Art and Design Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas

Invited Artist: Marc Leuthold, New York, NY

Calendar
January 31, 2026 Entry deadline

February 16, 2026 Notification of accepted work

March 16, 2026 Deadline for receipt of accepted work

April 17, 2026 Symposium at Angelo State University, and the Competition Exhibition Opening and Awards Reception at the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts

April 18, 2026 Workshop led by Invited Artist Marc Leuthold

June 21, 2026 Exhibit closes

July 31, 2026 Return of all work

Insurance
The Museum will take the greatest care in handling all work. The work will be insured while at the Museum. Work that is not for sale should have a stated value. The artist is responsible for insuring the works in transit.

Sales
Sales are encouraged and the museum will take a 20% commission. In 2024, about 20% of the work exhibited was sold. Furthermore, the Museum typically purchases several works from the exhibition to add to its permanent collection. Ceramics from SAMFA’s permanent collection have been loaned to and exhibited in many other museums and institutions around the country, as well as the official residence of the Ambassador from the European Union to the United States, in Washington, DC.

Shipping
Accepted work may be hand delivered or shipped prepaid to arrive no later than March 16, 2026. Artists are also responsible for return shipping costs. Shipping instructions will be sent to all participants before the close of the show.

Exhibition Catalog
A complimentary catalog, that includes a photograph of each exhibited work, will be sent to all accepted artists after the close of the show. Because we produce this publication in-house, it may take some time!

Symposium/Invited Artist/Workshop
In conjunction with the exhibition, several activities are planned. There will be a panel discussion concerning contemporary ceramics held at Angelo State University on April 17th at 1:30 p.m. The panel will include Hayun Surl, Ceramics professor at Angelo State, the Invited Artist and the Juror. The Invited Artist, Marc Leuthold, will also lead a workshop at The Chicken Farm Art Center on Saturday, April 18th. Numerous other events of interest to artists will occur April 15 - 18.

Application Requirements

Submit up to 3 entries, maximum of 2 digital images per artwork. One video file per artwork can also be submitted (in lieu of a second photo). All images must be in Jpeg format in high resolution (at least 300 dpi). Label the images clearly with the artwork title and “view #1, “view #2,” “detail,” etc. Example: “Deconstructed Teapot view #1.” Any work that differs appreciably from the digital image will be rejected at the discretion of the juror.

Eligibility Criteria

The competition is open to all artists 18 or older, who are residents of the United States, Canada, or Mexico. All work, both functional and sculptural, must have been completed within the last two years. Works previously accepted into this competition are ineligible. As long as the works contain ceramic or clay, mixed-media, multi-media, video, installations and collaborations are welcome. There is no size limit.