Call Description

Made in VA Biennial 2026

Since 1994, the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art (Virginia MOCA) has celebrated the extraordinary talent of artists living and working across the Commonwealth through this juried exhibition. What began as an annual tradition has grown into one of the Museum’s most anticipated and defining programs.

Now presented in Virginia MOCA’s new purpose-built home, the Made in VA Biennial enters its next chapter. As a biennial exhibition, it features work created within the past two years and reflects the breadth, rigor, and vitality of contemporary art in Virginia today.

Every other year, the Museum dedicates significant gallery space to this exhibition, offering artists an opportunity to present their work within a dynamic institutional context. The biennial format allows for expanded visibility, meaningful professional recognition and opportunities, and a platform that connects artists to broader audiences.

Made in VA remains grounded in its original purpose: to support and elevate artists across the Commonwealth. In this new building and at this pivotal moment in the Museum’s history, the exhibition continues to reflect our commitment to fostering creativity, dialogue, and community through contemporary art.

We invite eligible Virginia artists to submit work and be part of this ongoing story.

Jurors:

A panel of three jurors representing regional and national perspectives will review submitted materials and select artists for the exhibition.

Tyler Blackwell is curator of contemporary art at the Speed Art Museum in Louisville, Kentucky. His work centers queer and historically underrepresented artists, with an emphasis on post-1960s abstraction and postcolonial strategies in video and photography. At the Speed, he founded Current Speed, a series highlighting emerging and mid-career artists, and is organizing the first major museum survey of Marie Watt (Seneca Nation of Indians). Previously, he served as Associate Curator at the Blaffer Art Museum and has held positions at the Smart Museum of Art and the Art Institute of Chicago. In 2026, he was named a “Curator to Watch” by Observer.

Michelle May-Curry, Ph.D. is a writer, professor, and curator based in Washington, DC. She serves as curator at DC’s Commission on the Arts and Humanities, where she manages the Eye Street Gallery, multiple grant programs, and the Art Bank Program, the District’s municipal collection of contemporary art. She is also faculty in Georgetown University’s master’s program in Engaged and Public Humanities. Her scholarly and curatorial work has appeared in The New York Times, American Quarterly, and exhibitions at institutions including Harvard Art Museums and the 2019 Havana Biennial. She co-edited The Routledge Companion to Public Humanities Scholarship (2024).

Heather Hakimzadeh is the juror and site curator for the exhibition and the senior curator and special projects manager at the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art (Virginia MOCA). Since her tenure at Virginia MOCA, she has organized over 50 exhibitions ranging from local to internationally recognized artists. Hakimzadeh’s recent exhibitions include She Says: Women, Words, and Power, Inka Essenhigh: A Fine Line, and Wayne White: Monitorium. She wrote essays for both Inka Essenhigh's monograph and the catalogue that accompanied the seminal group exhibition, Turn the Page: The First Ten Years of Hi-Fructose.

Made in VA Biennial 2026 will be on view September 11, 2026–March 7, 2027 

Juror-Awarded Prizes

The Goode Prize - Best in Show: $10,000 

The Goode Prize Winner will have a solo exhibition that will run concurrently with the 2028 Made in VA Biennial.

2nd: $3,000

3rd: $1,500

Honorable Mentions: $750 (3 awarded)

Special Prizes:

Director’s Prize: $1,000

People’s Choice: $750

Every Selected Artist

Opportunity to participate in a virtual group Q&A session with juror panel

Calendar:

Submissions Open: February 23rd

Entry Deadline: April 20th

Acceptance Notification: June 1st

Artwork Delivery: August 10–14, 17–21(M–F, 9:00 AM–5:00 PM)

Exhibition Celebration: September 10, 2026

Exhibition Opens to the Public: September 11, 2026

Exhibition Closes: March 7, 2027

Application Requirements

Eligible Artwork: All artistic mediums made between the years of 2024-2026 are accepted for review. Art exhibited in previous Made in VA exhibitions is not eligible for review.

• This application will be limited to 800 applicants.
• 2-D work must be ready for installation including hanging devices on the artwork. Each work will not exceed 84 inches in any dimension, including frame and must not exceed 75 lbs. in weight. (Please note: Sawtooth hangers are unsafe for installation and cannot be used.)
• 3-D work will be no larger than 84 inches including base and must not exceed 75lbs.
• Installations: Virginia MOCA will accept previously created installations. Images of installations can be submitted to callforentry.org. Submissions should be flexible to fit any location within the gallery. (Outdoor installations cannot be accepted.)
• Video and sound works can be submitted. There is a limit of 3 video/sound entries per application. Artists should list details of installation and presentation preferences in the comments section of the application.
• Artists are responsible for delivery and/or shipment to and from Virginia MOCA. Accepted artworks may be hand-delivered or shipped by the artist. All artworks must be packed properly for return shipping. Pre-paid return and/or pick-up is the responsibility of the artist. Return prepaid shipping label from UPS or FedEx should be enclosed.
• The call is capped at 800 submissions

Eligibility Criteria

All artists over the age of 18 currently living in Virginia.