Call Description

Layers - Exploring Depth in Contemporary Art

Live In-Person and Virtual Exhibition

SFVACC invites artists to submit work for Layers: Exploring Depth in Contemporary Art, a live, in-person exhibition at TAG Gallery in Los Angeles, CA, presented simultaneously with a virtual exhibition on the SFVACC website. Layers explores the visual, physical, and conceptual use of layering in art.

Layers may be literal: built surfaces, collage, glazing, stitching, assemblage, digital compositing, or accumulated marks. They may also be thematic - memory, history, identity, time, environment, or narrative revealed in stages. Artists are encouraged to consider how depth, transparency, obscuring, repetition, and material buildup contribute to meaning and structure within their work.

Both abstract and representational approaches are welcome. Layering may create complexity, tension, subtlety, or revelation. It may conceal, expose, or transform what lies beneath.

All media are eligible, including painting, drawing, photography, printmaking, fiber, sculpture, mixed media, and digital work.

Layers - Exploring Depth in Contemporary Art seeks work in which accumulation, structure, and depth, whether physical or conceptual, play a vital role in the final piece.

• Best of Show - $800 plus a featured spot on SFVACC’s Best Of Show Award Winners page
• 1st Place $400
• 2nd Place $300
• 4 Honorable Mentions

JUROR: Kimie Joe 

Kimie Joe is a contemporary mixed media artist and gallery owner based in Hermosa Beach, California. Her work explores themes of memory, movement, and the layered nature of personal and natural histories through painting, ceramics, and mixed media. Known for combining expressive mark-making with textured materials such as hand-built ceramic tiles and layered paint surfaces, her practice reflects both physical and conceptual approaches to depth and accumulation.

Before dedicating herself fully to art, Kimie worked as a chemical engineer on the International Space Station Program and later as a visualization engineer for Northrop Grumman. This interdisciplinary background informs her thoughtful and analytical approach to materials, structure, and experimentation within contemporary art.

Kimie is the founder and owner of the Gallery of Hermosa, a coastal contemporary gallery in Southern California that exhibits emerging and established artists across a range of media. Through curating exhibitions, reviewing artist submissions, and working directly with collectors, she regularly evaluates artwork based on originality, craftsmanship, conceptual depth, and presentation.

Her experience as both a practicing artist and gallery curator gives her a well-rounded perspective when reviewing work. Kimie brings a particular appreciation for artworks that use layering, whether physical, visual, or conceptual, to create meaning, complexity, and emotional resonance.

ELIGIBILITY: Layers - Exploring Depth in Contemporary Art is open to all artists residing in North America. Artists wishing to exhibit in the live, in-person exhibition MUST BE ABLE TO HAND DELIVER their work to TAG Gallery. NO SHIPPING ACCEPTED. ARTISTS WHO ARE UNABLE to hand-deliver their work are still eligible to participate in SFVACC’s virtual exhibition. Juror Kimie Joe will select approximately 50 works for the live, in-person exhibition and an additional 75 works for the virtual exhibition. All selected works - approximately 125 in total - will be presented on SFVACC’s virtual gallery platform and all selected work will be eligible for awards.

LIVE IN-PERSON EXHIBITION LOCATION: TAG Gallery, 5458 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90036

IMPORTANT DATES

Exhibition: June 17-July 10, 2026

Deadline for Entries: Friday, May 8 - 11:59pm PST

Notice of Acceptance (by e-mail): By Thursday, May 14, 2026

Delivery: For the live in-person exhibition deliver art to TAG Gallery, 5458 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90036 

• Friday, June 12, 1-6pm
• Saturday, June 13, 1-6pm
• Sunday, June 14, Noon-2pm.
• All artwork for the in-person exhibit must be hand delivered.
• No shipping accepted.

TAG GALLERY EXHIBITION DATES: Wednesday, June 17, 2026 - Friday, July 10, 2026

TAG GALLERY OPENING RECEPTION:  TAG Gallery, 5458 Wilshire  Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90036.

• Opening ReceptionSaturday, June 20, 2026, 5-8pm.  

ARTWORK PICK-UP: At TAG Gallery. TAG Gallery and SFVACC are not responsible for artwork left at TAG Gallery after July 12, 2026

• Friday, July 10, 5-6:30pm
• Saturday, July 11, 2026, 1-6pm.
• Sunday, July 12, 12-2pm

AWARDS: Award winners selected by the juror will be announced at the Opening Reception on Saturday, June 20, 2026, 5-8pm. Best of Show - $800. First Place $400. Second Place $300. The juror will also select up to four Honorable Mention awards.  

SUBMISSION CRITERIA AND CONTENT: Entries must be original and of the artist’s own execution.  Do not submit works which violate copyright laws. Artwork created and completed under the direct supervision of an instructor is not eligible. Once artwork is submitted, it may not be substituted or withdrawn by the artist.  All juried artwork exhibiting at live in-person at TAG Gallery must remain at TAG Gallery until the end of the exhibit.

• All artwork must be for sale and priced $250 and above
• Please do not submit work that has previously been exhibited at SFVACC or TAG Gallery.
• For the live in-person exhibition - only plexiglass on 2D work. No glass!
• For the live in-person exhibition, all 2D work MUST be wired and ready to hang

ARTWORK FORMAT, PRESENTATION & REQUIREMENTS: Artwork submissions are limited to six (6) original artworks per artist as .JPGs. 

• No AI. No Video. No giclee prints.

SIZE OF WORK 

• 30-inch maximum frame width for all wall art
• Maximum height for 3D work is 36-inches

FORMAT FOR DIGITAL IMAGES (JPGS): All entries must be submitted as a HIGH RESOLUTION (1-5MB), digital .JPEG. Image should be cropped to remove background and/or frame. If cropping is not possible, a neutral background is preferable.  Image quality is critical: Poor photography and presentation may affect acceptance by the juror. The digital image (JPG) must represent the submitted art. Directions for uploading photos to CaFÉ are clearly described on their website.  

ENTRIES & FEES: One entry is $40.  Early Bird Discount of $10 use code Layers10 until April 8, 2026. Artists may add up to 5 additional entries at $5 each.  Payment is made through CaFÉ via credit card.  Fees are non-refundable.  There is no guarantee of acceptance into the exhibit.

SALES AT TAG GALLERY: TAG Gallery receives 35% commission on all sales at the live in-person exhibition. Artists will receive 65% of the sale price approximately 60 days after the in-person exhibition closes. All live in-person sales at TAG Gallery will be handled by the TAG Gallery staff.  TAG will collect sales tax. Prices cannot be changed from those stated at submission.  SFVACC will receive NO commission on any sale of art from the in-person exhibition. All artwork MUST be for sale. All work must be priced at $250 or more. Artwork sold for $600 or more requires that the artist receive a 1099 tax form at the end of the year.

• TAG Gallery receives 35% commission on all sales. Artists receive 65% of the sale price
• All artwork MUST be for sale
• All work must be priced at $250 or more

LIVE IN-PERSON ARTWORK PICK UP: TAG Gallery, Friday, July 10, 5-6:30pm, and Saturday, July 11, 2026, 1-6pm. TAG Gallery and SFVACC are not responsible for artwork left at TAG Gallery after July 11, 2026

PROMOTION OF THE EXHIBIT: Promotion will be handled by the SFVACC and TAG Gallery, but we welcome artists promoting the exhibit as well. The exhibit’s prospectus will be available online at www.sfvacc.org/open-call.

LOCATION: The live in-person exhibition will be at TAG Gallery, 5458 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90036. Open Wednesday to Sunday 1-7pm. 323.297.3061. Visit taggallery.net 

SFVACC VIRTUAL EXHIBITION: Layers - Exploring Depth in Contemporary Art will also be exhibited virtually on the SFVACC website. The virtual exhibit will remain on view on the SFVACC website Archived Exhibits page indefinitely.

SALES ON SFVACC WEBSITE POST IN-PERSON EXHIBITION: After the live in-person exhibition closes, on the SFVACC website, a prospective buyer may contact the artist via email by clicking on the artist’s name under the image they are interested in purchasing.  All sales will be handled directly between the artist and buyer. SFVACC will receive NO commission on any sale of art from either the live in-person or virtual exhibition. If artwork is sold, the artist must notify the SFVACC so a red dot (signifying it’s been sold) and SOLD in the place of the price, can be added. Collecting sales tax is the responsibility of the artist. Shipping and insurance shall be by mutual agreement between the buyer and artist. All artwork MUST be for sale. 

The virtual exhibit may be viewed 24/7 on the SFVACC website - www.sfvacc.org > EXHIBITS > Current Exhibit.

Application Requirements

Application Requirements: See FORMAT FOR DIGITAL IMAGES above.

Eligibility Criteria

Layers - Exploring Depth in Contemporary Art is open to all artists residing in Southern California and adjacent areas.