Call Description

L7 Gallery invites contemporary artists to share their art that investigates and represents the concept of stillness. Being more than just quiet or calm, stillness in a moment can be filled with serene reflection, joyous possibility or anxious alertness. Stillness can be evoked through muted colors such as Giorgio Morandi's still lifes, Gwen John's various portraits and Agnes Martin's large abstract expressionist works; or stillness can be as richly colored as Vermeer's "Girl Reading a Letter at an Open Window". Animals can represent the moment of stillness before action, such as Rosa Bonheur's "Stag", or  seemingly humorous self-realization of a frog by Meika Gafu.

Consider what work you have, or create something new that you feel depicts "stillness", be it figurative, landscape, or abstract and let us present your work in our online show.

Awards: An award of $500. will be granted to one selected artist based on originality of expression and craftsmanship.

For this exhibition we are accepting painting, drawing, printmaking, mixed media, collage, fabric art and sculpture. 

About the Juror: Maria Porges is a writer and artist. Since the early ‘90s, her reviews, articles and interviews have appeared in many publications, including Artforum, Art in America, Sculpture, the New York Times Book Review, Hyperallergic.com and a host of other now-defunct art magazines. She has also authored more than 150 exhibition essays and book contributions, as well as blogposts about unusual museums and outstanding artists at wordsaboutart.com. The recipient of a SECA award from SFMOMA, her studio practice focuses on sculpture and works on paper; over 25 solo shows of her work have included exhibitions at galleries, museums and alternative spaces across the country. Porges received a BA from Yale University and an MFA from the University of Chicago and has twice been in residence at the Headlands Center for the Arts. She is currently a full professor at California College of the Arts.

Our mission at L7 Gallery is to provide contemporary artists an opportunity to present original work to an international audience. The overall aesthetic of L7 Gallery is based on artistic imagination and personal expression. Consistency in style is not something we particularly value, so please feel free to submit a wide range of work if you feel that represents your best artistic efforts.

The Award winner will be announced  March 10, 2026. 

Timeline

• Application Opens:1/22/2026
• Application Deadline: 3/01/2026
• Jury Dates: 3/02/2026 - 3/07/2026
• Notification Date: 3/09/2026
• Exhibition Date: 3/10/2026 - 4/10/2026
• Award Announcement Date: 3/10/2026

Application Requirements

All artwork must be original.

Artist must be 18 years or older

Applications must be completed online through CaFÉ (Callforentry.org).

The fee for artists to submit art for consideration is $30.00 for 1 to 3 images. 

No statement needed for submission, but selected artists are asked to submit a short statement about their art once accepted.

Contact/Questions: info@L7gallery.com

Eligibility Criteria

For this exhibition we are accepting painting, drawing, printmaking, mixed media, collage, fabric art and sculpture. 

Please note: Photography, computer-generated, AI or AI assisted submissions will not be accepted for this show.