Call Description

The 2026 National Fine Arts Show and Sale takes place in Louisville, Colorado, a beautiful historic city on Colorado’s Front Range. The venue is the Louisville Center for the Arts, an elegant, late 19th century, red brick schoolhouse. Historic Downtown Louisville offers an array of art galleries, related shops, businesses, restaurants and cafes.

The National Fine Art Show runs for 8 days from Sept 4, 2026 through Sept 13, 2026 in conjunction with the three-day Louisville Labor Day weekend event. The gallery is closed 3 days mid-week for special events. The LAA website has specific gallery days and hours at http://louisvilleartassociation.org/2026-nfas-show/

SPONSORS 

Sponsored by the Louisville Art Association, in conjunction with the City of Louisville, the Scientific & Cultural Facilities District (SCFD), Guiry’s, and Bolder Insurance.

 AWARDS 

Cash prizes will be awarded along with recognition awards including Best in Show, Artistic Achievement awards, and the People’s Choice award.

 JUDGE

We are honored to have Loraine Watry as judge and juror for our 2026 show.  Read more about Loraine below.

PLEASE READ ENTIRE PROSPECTUS, ELIGIBILITY, and SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS to be sure you meet all requirements for entry and participation in the show.                                                      

IMPORTANT DATES

CATEGORIES

Artworks that, in the reasonable view of the organizer, that includes nudity, violence, and/or racial, and/or religious and/or gender hatred, and/or political hatred, inappropriate and/or offensive content, are not admissible. No Artificial Intelligence (AI) produced work.

ELIGIBILITY

1. Artists must be 18 years or older.
2. Artists of all mediums and genres are encouraged to apply, with the exception of:

• No installation art.
• No videos.
• No photography or manipulated photography.
• No artificial intelligence (AI).
• No copies, kits, giclee reproductions, or work done in a class or under the supervision of an instructor.

      3.   Applications must be completed online through CaFE.           

JUDGE  

We are honored to have Loraine Watry, NWS, TWAS, AWA as the judge/juror for this show.  Lorraine Watry earned her Bachelor of Fine Art Degree from the University of Colorado, Boulder. She lives and works in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Lorraine teaches workshops and classes, and gives demonstrations in person and online.

Lorraine is a signature member of the National Watercolor Society and the 2024/2026 NWS President. She is also a signature member of the Transparent Watercolor Society of America, American Women Artists, Rocky Mountain National Watercolor Society, Northwest Watercolor Society, Colorado Watercolor Society, MOWS, and Pikes Peak Watercolor Society. Lorraine is a juried member of the International Guild of Realism and the Society of Animal Artists.

Lorraine is an award-winning artist focusing on waterscapes, wildlife, and reflective objects. She has worked with watercolor for more than 30 years and is in her 16th year of teaching watercolor classes and workshops.

Her paintings are winners of prestigious awards from the National Watercolor Society, American Watercolor Society, and other juried exhibitions, including Rocky Mountain National, Watercolor West, San Diego Watercolor Society, and the Transparent Watercolor Society. Lorraine’s painting, “Tadpole Takeout”, won 2nd place in the International Artists Magazine, ‘Wildlife’ competition and is published in the Oct/Nov 2018 issue. She has also received recognition from art publications including International Artist Magazine, The Artist Magazine, & Pratique des Arts.

Website: https://www.lorrainewatrystudio.com/                          

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------RULES OF PARTICIPATION 

Artwork Must:  

1. Not previously have been shown in a LAA National Fine Art Show.
2. Be original in both concept and execution (no giclee reproductions).
3. Be created in the last two years.  Nothing before 2024
4. Be appropriate for general audiences and general public venues (no frontal nudity).
5. Be ready to securely hang 2D using wire and hardware that will support its weight.
6. Meet Size limitation:

●       2D pieces may not exceed 48” on any side including frame and cannot weigh over 70 lbs.

●       3D sculptures cannot exceed 36 inches in any one dimension and cannot weigh over 70 lbs. 

----------------------------------IMPORTANT SUBMISSION INFORMATION 

Entry fee is $45.00, nonrefundable, for up to three entries. Each additional entry is $10.00, up to a total of six entered pieces. Entries can be in multiple categories. 

Your email address will be our primary contact source.  Note: Add LAANFAS@Louisvilleartassociation.org to contacts so notification letters and communication does not go to your spam folder. 

Only works selected by the juror will be displayed and eligible for awards from the show. No substitutions are allowed if you withdraw a piece that was invited by the judge. 

IMAGES: Submit only your images, do not include the frame and/or mat, or background. Having the best possible photograph of your work makes it much more likely that you will be juried in. Search online for more information (videos and articles) on taking photos of your work. If invited to the show, your photograph will be used in the LAA website virtual show.

ENTER THROUGH CALLFORENTRY.ORG There are easy to follow instructions and videos for making an artist profile on CaFE if you do not already have one. The submission process and uploading of images is simple but takes time – don’t wait until the last minute. 

If accepted into the show, artists are responsible for shipping and returning costs. Shipping services such as FedEx and UPS have online tools for estimating shipping costs. 

Closely proofread your entry details before completing submission on CaFE.     

PRICING

Set the price for your work carefully. Be sure to consider the commission, any shipping costs, and framing costs. 

Prices cannot be changed once your piece has been submitted. There are no exceptions. 

 SALES

All exhibited artwork must be for sale. All exhibited artwork must be present for the duration of the show. Sales of invited art pieces and bin work will be handled through the Louisville Art Association who will retain a 25% commission on all sales resulting from the exhibition.

If artwork is sold, artists will receive payment within 14 days after closure of the show.

Follow us on social media!  

FaceBook https://www.facebook.com/LouisvilleArtAssociation       

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/louisvilleartassociation/

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IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR INVITED ARTISTS:

1. Only the piece(s) that are juried into the show will be hung. Substitutions are not allowed. Failure to provide your piece(s) may result in a 2 year ban from entering future LAA shows.  

2. All selected artist may include bin work for sale, but it is not required: 

• Up to 5 pieces of 2D art work/prints, plus
• 10 Individual cards and/or 6 packs of cards.
• Bin art work needs to be flat (less than 1/4 inch), no framed artwork or 3D pieces of art are allowed as bin work.
• Determining your Artist ID with how to label your bin work and/or cards is included on the inventory form on the show website with an example. All bin art and cards must be listed on the inventory form and brought to check in or shipped with each piece of artwork labeled.
• Inventory forms need to be complete prior to check in and will be available to download and complete in August on the LAA website: https://louisvilleartassociation.org/2026-nfas-show/  
• BINS ARE SUPPLIED BY LAA. DO NOT BRING YOUR OWN.

3. Accepted artist are requested to include a brief one page biography or artist statement with artwork when delivered or shipped.  Artist's bios will be available in a display notebook for visitors to peruse. Be sure to add any contact information, QR code, website, or social media sites that you want visitors to see.

FRAMING AND MOUNTING REQUIREMENTS—THESE SPECIFICATIONS MUST BE FOLLOWED OR YOUR ARTWORK CANNOT SAFELY BE HUNG.

• All 2D Pieces must be framed or gallery wrapped.

• Gallery wrapped art must have a minimum or 1.5 inch thickness AND all sides must be completely painted.

• Any wrapped canvas less than 1.5 inches thickness must be framed.

• Wall art must have secure wire, ready to hang, and not weigh more than 70 pounds. Pieces without hangers will not be hung. No sawtooth hangers.

• No Glass if shipping. Glass is ok if hand delivering.

• No pieces exceeding 48” INCLUDING frame on any side will be accepted. The size limit includes Diptychs or Triptychs, measured as a unit.

• Must be labeled on the back bottom right corner with artist's name, artist ID, phone number, title, and price.

• Sculptures and other three-dimensional work:

1. Must be labeled on the bottom with artist's name, artist ID, phone number, title, and price.
2. Must be properly and securely mounted and ready for display.
3. Not be more than 36 inches in any one dimension.
4. Not weigh more than 70 pounds.
5. No sharp edges
6. Cannot be attached to floor or suspended from ceiling.
7. No installation pieces.

ARTISTS THAT ARE HAND DELIVERING INVITED ARTWORK:

1. In person delivery of artwork is Tues, Sept. 1,  from 1pm-5pm, at 801 Grant Ave, Louisville, CO 80027. 
2. Early drop offs are not allowed at the venue. Artists that are not able to deliver their artwork are encouraged to find an alternative person that can deliver - or ship their artwork prior to August 28 to Bolder Insurance (see shipping instructions). Other arrangements may be made in extreme situations and on an individual basis by sending an email to: https://louisvilleartassociation.org/contact-us/. 
3. All art must be securely labeled on the back lower right corner (or bottom of sculptures) with title, artist’s name, artist ID, price, and phone number.
4. Artists need to provide a completed Inventory form at time of drop off. The Inventory form will be available on the LAA website in August at  https://louisvilleartassociation.org/2026-nfas-show/
5. include a one page bio or artist statement.
6. NO EARLY PICK-UPS ARE ALLOWED. In the extreme event that an artist is unable to pick up or have another person pick-up unsold artwork, arrangements must be made in advance for an alternative pick-up by emailing LAANFAS@louisvilleartassociation.org
7. There is no storage available for artwork not picked up. Abandoned artwork may be donated after 2 failed attempts to contact the artist.

ARTISTS THAT ARE SHIPPING ACCEPTED ARTWORK:

1. NO GLASS, use acrylic. We have had containers arrive with broken glass and damaged artwork.
2. Shipped artwork must be received during the delivery window: Aug 24 - 28 at Bolder Insurance, see address below.
3. Artists are responsible for shipping and returning costs and must include a prepaid return label.
4. Artists are responsible for any insurance they want to have during shipping and the duration of the show.
5. Shipped Artwork must be packed in strong, reusable cartons or crates with no free-floating styrofoam popcorn/peanut packing. Packing material must be reusable to facilitate return shipping.
6. All art must be securely labeled on the back lower right corner (or bottom of sculptures) with artist’s name artist ID, title, price, and cell phone number.
7. Artists that wish to sell smaller 2D pieces of bin work need to include a completed Inventory form. *The Bin form will be available on the Louisville website; https://louisvilleartassociation.org/2026-nfas-show/
8. Include a one page bio or artist's statement.
9. SHIPPING ADDRESS FOR ALL SHIPPED ARTWORK:    LAA National Fine Art Show, C/O Bolder Insurance 
   800 Jefferson Avenue, Louisville, CO 80027
   ATTENTION: Do not ship to the exhibition venue. We do not receive mail at the venue. Anything shipped to that address, will be left outside of  the building and unattended.
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ARTISTS DEADLINES

------Artist Pickup Policy-------

 Gallery doors lock at 3:30 pm to prepare for pick up and will reopen 5pm -7pm for pickup

 Artists must pick up their work during the designated 5pm – 7pm checkout time or arrange for someone else to do so on their behalf. No early pickups.

We do not have storage space, and alternative pickup arrangements will only be considered in extreme circumstances.  Requests for exceptions must be submitted in advance by email to LAANFAS@louisvilleartassociation.org

Application Requirements

FOR QUESTIONS OR HELP

Find us online at https://louisvilleartassociation.org/ or show specific information at https://louisvilleartassociation.org/2026-nfas-show/

Eligibility Criteria

Submission to this exhibition constitutes an agreement that the entry fee if non-refundable.

Submitting an application to the show constitutes that you have read and agree with all of the requirements and information presented.

While artists retain copyright of work, submission to this exhibition constitutes permission that exhibited items may be posted to Louisville Art Association website and social media used by LAA for show publicity and future promotional materials and/or included in online virtual shows. Credit is given to the artist for their artwork.