Call Description

UNPRECEDENTED
Art on the edge of change. 

UNPRECEDENTED asks artists to respond to moments that break the pattern—events, ideas, or visions that feel singular, disruptive, or impossible to ignore. The exhibition invites work that captures transformation, rupture, and the unknown, whether personal or collective. Through diverse media and perspectives, Unprecedented explores what emerges when history swerves, rules dissolve, and something entirely new takes shape.

About Metro Art Studios:

Metro Art Studios is a non-profit arts organization located in the South End of Bridgeport, CT. The three-story renovated corset factory houses 38 loft studios for professional musicians and visual artists, as well as Crown Gallery, a large for-profit gallery space on the ground floor. Crown Gallery hosts 6-7 exhibitions a year, a mix of juried and invitational curated shows. Metro supports local, regional, and national artists with professional development workshops and panels, and provides inclusive cultural experiences and diverse opportunities to the Greater Bridgeport area and beyond. 

About the Juror:

MARGARITA KARASOULAS,  PhD, is the Curator of Art at the Bruce Museum in Greenwich, CT. She specializes in 19th and early 20th century American art, focusing on American modernism and issues of race and representation. Karasoulas’ dissertation, titled Mapping Immigrant New York: Race and Place in Ashcan Visual Culture, explored the racial significance of the art of the Ashcan School in the context of period debates about immigration. Formerly Assistant Curator of American Art and Interim Department Head of American Art at the Brooklyn Museum, she led the curation of major exhibitions for the Bruce Museum’s expansion.

Calendar:

Entries Due: May 4, 2026

Notification: May 9, 2026

Artwork Drop Off or Arrive By: May 23, 2026

Dates of Show: May 31 to July 18

Reception: Sunday, May 31, 2026, 1 - 4 PM

Delivery of Accepted Work: Shipped work must arrive at Metro Art Studios no later than May 23, 2026. Artists are responsible for paying shipping costs, including any insurance, with the carrier of their choice to and from Metro Art Studios. Reusable packing materials will be retained by Metro Art Studios for return shipping. Metro Art Studios will not be responsible for damage due to incorrect packing materials or insufficient container when returning artwork as it was originally shipped. Artists must provide a pre-paid shipping label for return of artwork.

Drop off of Accepted Work: For local artists, accepted works can be dropped off in person at Metro Art Studio on May 23, 2026 from 1-4 pm, unless other arrangements are made in advance in writing.

Sales:

A commission of 40% will be retained by Metro Art Studios on all sales. A sale or retail price must be indicated for all work. Artists will be paid for works sold within 30 days after the closing date of the exhibition and the collection of the sales proceeds.

Questions:

Please contact us with any questions. Jane Davila, Executive Director, Metro Art Studios & Crown Gallery, jane@metroartstudios.org 

Application Requirements

Entry Requirements:

Artists must enter online at callforentry.org. One $35 entry fee covers up to three entries. One image must be submitted for each entry. Entry fees are non-refundable. Metro Art Studios reserves the right to refuse a work which has been significantly misrepresented by its entry.

Metro Art Studios is committed to providing opportunity to fine artists, while being highly aware that entry fees can be a financial barriers to entering exhibits. Therefore, our call for entry includes a small number of entries available at no cost. If you would like to be considered for a no cost entry, please send us an email with your request and we will do our best to honor it. No cost entries are paid for by an anonymous donor and are based on financial need. Contact Jane Davila, Executive Director, at jane@metroartstudios.org for more information.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility:

All artists aged 18 years and older may apply. Open to work in any medium except video and sound. We do not have the capability at this time to include these mediums. Entries must be original, entirely the work of the entrant, and made without the supervision of an instructor. Copies of existing artworks or those based on copyrighted artworks by others are not eligible. 

There is no maximum or minimum size for submitted work, although it must fit through a standard doorway. 20” x 20” x 36” pedestals are available. If selected, work must arrive ready for hanging or display. Framed works will only be accepted with plexiglass - absolutely no glass. It is highly encouraged that work be for sale. 

Early pick up of accepted artwork is not permitted. Work purchased during the exhibit must remain on exhibit until the end of the show. Metro Art Studios reserves the right to refuse to hang or display any accepted work with insufficient hanging hardware, at its discretion.