Call Description

The 41st Best of Colorado Juried Art Exhibit will be held at the Depot Art Gallery from May 19 through June 27, 2026.  The Exhibit is open to all Colorado artists (2D and 3D) and entries will be accepted until 11:59pm of Saturday, March 28, 2026.  Artists may submit up to three images.  The Best of Colorado Art Show is sponsored by the Littleton Fine Arts Guild, which has been actively maintaining the Depot Art Gallery for 48 years.  Nationally recognized, award-winning artist, Jill Soukup, will be the juror for the show and select the awards.  The exhibit is free and open to the public.  The reception and awards presentation will be held on Saturday, May 23 from 5:30 to 7:30pm.  Refreshments will be served and Jill Soukup will present the awards and discuss the award winners.

Location: Depot Art Gallery, 2069 W Powers Ave., Littleton, Colorado.

$1500 in cash prizes!

Juror: Jill Soukup

Exhibition dates: May 19 to June 27, 2026 at the Depot Art Gallery, 2069 W. Powers Ave., Littleton, Colorado  80120

Application Requirements

Eligibility:
• Only original work by Colorado artists is allowed.

• Entries cannot have been accepted in a previous Best of Colorado at the Depot (formerly All Colorado at the Depot) competition.

• All artwork must be for sale. The Depot Art Gallery retains 30% commission on all sales.

• Wall hanging artwork is limited in size to no more than 30” in any direction, INCLUDING FRAMING.

• Any wall hanging, two-dimensional artwork, must weigh less than twenty-five (25) pounds.

• Three-dimensional hanging works cannot exceed 20” in any direction. Three-dimensional free-standing work cannot exceed 30” wide and 40” tall. Three-dimensional work must not weigh more than twenty-five (25) pounds.

• Two- and three-dimensional art, including traditional and digital photography, paintings, collage, jewelry, sculpture, ceramics, fiber/textile, mixed media, wood, and glass are acceptable. Giclée prints of art and AI generated art are not permitted.
 

Eligibility Criteria

Deadline:
Entries must be entered into CaFÉ (www.callforentry.org) between February 21 and 11:59pm March 28, 2026.

Presentation Guidelines:
• Artwork must be hand-delivered only on Sunday, May 17, 2024 between 9am-12pm. No shipments accepted.

• Artwork must be delivered with an inventory sheet and attached tags, one on the front and one on the back. Blank tags and an inventory sheet will be emailed to you upon acceptance into the show.  Each work must be clearly labeled with the artist’s name and title of work on the back.

• Only artwork of professional presentation will be accepted.

1. Wall-hung items must be appropriately framed or edges adequately finished (either as an extension of the image or painted in an appropriate color). Canvas depth for unframed art should be a minimum of 1 3/8 inches.

2. Pictures must use D-rings and sturdy wire as a hanging medium. No saw-tooth hangers or eyelets are permitted.

3. Frames must be free of defects.

4. Three-dimensional works, such as ceramics and sculpture, must be able to stand on their own or be submitted with adequate display stands.  

5. Wall hanging 2D artwork is limited in size to no more than 30” in any direction, INCLUDING FRAMING.

The Depot Art Gallery reserves the right to reject any work not matching submission guidelines, or which is not properly presented for exhibit, or which it deems inappropriate for the Depot Art Gallery setting or its clientele.

Entry Requirements:

• Entry fee is $35 for up to two (2) images. A third entry may be submitted for an additional $15 (called 'media fee' in the CaFE application form). If you only wish to submit a single entry, you will re-enter that image as a second image and title it 'Duplicate.'  The entry fee is non-refundable.

• All entries are made through CaFÉ, https://www.callforentry.org/

• JPG images must be cropped to exclude framing and background and must represent the work exactly.

• The price entered in CaFÉ is firm. No changes will be allowed after submission.

• Notification of invited and not-invited entries will be made via email by Sunday, April 19, 2026.

CaFÉ photo guidelines are as follows:

• File format: JPEG or JPG only

• File dimensions: 1200 pixels or greater on the longest side

• File size: under 5 MB

• A tutorial on how to submit entries is available at callforentry.org. For technical support, call CaFÉ support at 303-629-1166.

Juror:  Jill Soukup was born in Buffalo, New York. Shortly thereafter, her family moved to Colorado, where she still resides. Jill’s affinity for horses as a young girl led to countless drawings and studies of them, which laid a strong foundation for her drawing. As a teen, she started a pet portrait business, took on mural painting jobs, and designed logos for local organizations. She graduated from Colorado State University in 1991 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. There, she received awards for illustration and design and worked as an illustrator and designer for the university. She initially pursued a career in graphic design while continuing to paint part-time. After 11 years as a designer, she switched to full-time painting. Her work continues to gain recognition as she receives awards, appears in national publications, and shows in important juried and one-woman exhibitions.

Awards:
A total of $1,500 will be awarded. In total, the Depot Art Gallery will offer cash awards to Best of Show,  2nd and 3rd Place and three Honorable Mentions. The Awards Ceremony will be at the Reception on Saturday, May 23  from 5:30 – 7:30 pm at the Depot Art Gallery.

Sales:
The Depot Art Gallery (the Littleton Fine Arts Guild, Inc.) manages all sales. A 30% commission is retained on all sales.

Additional Information:
The Depot Art Gallery’s regular hours are Tuesday through Sunday from 11am-4pm. 

About The Littleton Fine Arts Guild and the Depot Art Gallery:
The Littleton Fine Arts Guild was founded in 1962 by 10 artists interested in painting. Today, it boasts more than 60 skilled artist members creating work in oil, acrylic, mixed media, watercolor, pastel, etchings, jewelry, silk painting, ceramics, glass, fiber/textile, photography, sculpture and wood. Please visit www.depotartgallery.org.

The Littleton Fine Arts Guild is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

The historic Depot Art Gallery is a restored 1885 Santa Fe train station, adapted for use as a gallery, and opened in 1978. It was enhanced by the addition of a renovated 1890 caboose. It is a unique marriage of community spirit and the arts. The Depot Art Gallery is under the administration of the Littleton Historical Museum and the City of Littleton, and is operated by The Littleton Fine Arts Guild.

Important Dates for the 41st Best of Colorado at the Depot:
 

Saturday, February 21:  Call opens

Saturday, March 28:  Call Closes

Sunday, April 19:  Jury notifications sent by email

Sunday, May 17:  Delivery of accepted artwork to Depot Art Gallery, 9am-12pm.  Artwork must be hand delivered. No Exceptions.  Depot Art Gallery phone: 303-795-0781

Tuesday, May 19:  41st Best of Colorado at the Depot opens at 11am

Saturday, May 23:  Best of Colorado at the Depot Reception, 5:30pm-7:30pm

Saturday, June 27:  Exhibit closes at 4pm

Sunday, June 28:  Pick-up of unsold work, 12pm-4pm.  If you are not available to pick up your work, please make arrangements for someone to pick up your work for you. The Gallery does not have storage space. Artwork must not be left at the Depot Art Gallery.  When applying to this show you agree to abide by the Legal Agreement provided below.