Call Description

Poetry is a shared human language - one of feeling, memory, rhythm, and imagination. It exists not only on the page, but in breath, sound, image, and gesture. Poetry is how we hold emotion, how we tell stories, how we name what might otherwise remain unsaid.

This exhibition invites artists to respond to poetry in its many forms and expressions. Poetry may appear as stanzas, odes, prose poetry, rhymes, lyrics in songs, haiku, sonnets, ballads, free verse, or lyrical writing. It may be structured or unruly, whispered or sung, intimate or expansive. We encourage you to explore poetry through rhythm, repetition, line breaks, silence, metaphor, narrative, and emotion, or through the act of translation—turning language into form, image, or space.

Submissions may engage with poetry literally or abstractly: visual interpretations of written works, responses to personal or cultural poems, or works that feel poetic without containing words at all. We welcome explorations of poetry as memory, longing, love, grief, identity, connection, and becoming.

Colorado artists only. All mediums are welcome painting/drawing/photography/mixed media/sculpture... NO AI please, This call encourages artists to consider poetry not as a constraint, but as an open and emotional framework - one that reminds us that, in some way, we all speak in poetry. We can’t wait to see the work you have created!

SELECTION

Submissions will be blind juried by Valkarie Resident artists Alison Flannery and Colleen Tully

DEADLINE

Entry deadline is midnight, (MST) Friday, April 24,2026. No late applications will be considered.

NOTIFICATION

Artists will be notified by Friday, May 1st, 2026. 

EXHIBITION DATES

June 4th - July 5th, 2026.

Opening Reception 

Saturday, June 6th, 2026 5-8:30pm

Closing Reception & Artwork pickup 

Sunday, July 5th, 2026 3:30-5:30pm

FEES

Submissions will only be accepted through Callforentry.org (www.callforentry.org).  Entries and credit card payment must be submitted on or before the posted deadline April 24, 2026, with no entries accepted after this date.

Entry fees must be paid through callforentry.org 

Entry fee: submit up to 3 original pieces for $30. 

Fees are non-refundable and do not guarantee acceptance into the show.

Sold artwork will incur a 30% commission. Prices quoted on the entry form may not be changed after acceptance. Buyer will be charged sales tax for Lakewood area and buyer will be charged any applicable shipping fees.

Purchased artwork must remain in the gallery until the exhibition closes.

Artists will be notified by email of any sales, and will receive payment for any sold works within one month of the close of the exhibition.

 Accepted Artwork drop off:

Valkarie Gallery. 445 S Saulsbury St, Lakewood, CO 80226

Gallery hours:

Thursday 4:00-9:30

Friday 4:00-8:30

Saturday 12:00-6:00

Sunday 12:00-5:00

Drop off during gallery hours, art must be received by 5:00pm on Sunday May 31st.

All dropped off work must be protected i.e. bubble wrap, plastic and include artist's name, phone #, price and title of art.

Valkarie Gallery is not responsible for unprotected damaged art.

Application Requirements

Upload requirements for image files:

• File format: JPEG only
• File dimensions: No smaller than 1920 pixels on the longest side
• File resolution: 72 ppi/dpi (standard web resolution)
• File size: 5 MB maximum
• Please submit photo of final artwork, not work samples or work-in-progress
• Image must be correctly oriented (vertical or horizontal)
• No digital enhancement is allowed
• Maximum of 3 photos per application fee.

Further  information on the image requirements for submission and resources for editing the digital image size can be found on Callforentry.org’s Help section.

Eligibility Criteria

• Poetic Reverie is open to all who live or work in Colorado.
• Size limitation: 36” x  36” maximum size.
• All artwork must be original in concept and not copied from another artist's work.
• No AI Art will be accepted.
•  2D accepted and 3D work accepted and encouraged.
• Only entries submitted online through callforentry.org will be considered.