Call Description

Nor'Easter: The NBMAA 56th Annual Juried Members Exhibition.

New Britain Museum of American Art, New Britain, CT.

The Annual Juried Members Exhibition is the New Britain Museum of American Art’s opportunity to expose contemporary visual arts to a wide audience. This prominent showcase in the Northeast region highlights the exceptional work of emerging and established artists in all media.

Exhibition: Saturday, August 15-Sunday, September 13, 2026
Reception and Awards: Sunday, August 16, 12-1:30pm

Prizes:
      First Prize: $1,000
      Second Prize: $500
      Third Prize: $250
      Juror's Award: Upgraded Membership to Friend's Circle level
      Visitor's Choice: Upgraded Membership to Friend's Circle level

Important Dates:
      March 30, 2026: Submissions begin on CaFÉ
      June 5, 2026: Deadline for submissions on CaFe
      June 29, 2026: Notification on CaFÉ and nbmaa.org
      July 30, 2026: Receiving of accepted works at NBMAA, 9:30-11 a.m, 3:30-5 p.m. at NBMAA
      August 3, 2026: Deadline for shipped artwork
      Aug. 15-Sept. 13, 2026: Duration of exhibition
      August 16, 2026: Reception and Awards Ceremony at NBMAA, 12-1:30 p.m.
      Sept. 13, 2026: Close of exhibition
      Sept 16, 2025: Pick-up of displayed works at NBMAA, 1-5 p.m.                  

Eligibility: National and International artists 18 years or older with current NBMAA membership. Original works accepted in all media, executed during the past five years and never previously exhibited in this Museum.

Entry Fee: A $40.00 entry fee will be charged for the first piece submitted and $20.00 per piece after that up to a total of three total works submitted. Check, Visa, Discover, Mastercard, or American Express will be accepted through the CaFÉ website.

Submission: NBMAA will only accept submissions through CaFÉ before the submission deadline of June 5, 2026. CaFÉ is an online application and jury management system for calls for entry. Visit www.callforentry.org and click on "Help" and follow their directions for submitting.

Membership: You must have a current NBMAA Membership to be eligible to submit your work. If you are not a current member, the NBMAA reserves the right to remove your work from the jurying process with the loss of entry fees as a result. For membership information, please contact Jenna Lucas at lucasj@nbmaa.org or (860) 229-0257, ext. 231 or go to nbmaa.org and see “Join & Give” on the homepage before accessing CaFÉ.

Guidelines for Artwork:
·Up to three works per artist may be submitted.
·A maximum of one work per artist may be selected.
·All two-dimensional work must be framed and/or ready for installation with hanging hardware, wire, or d-rings already installed on work and the entire work must not exceed 84 inches in any dimension. The work cannot exceed 75 pounds. Pieces without hanging hardware will not be included in the exhibition.
·Three-dimensional work cannot exceed 48 inches in any dimension and should be accompanied by a pedestal/or be ready for display as a freestanding or self-containing work. The work cannot exceed 150 lbs.
·NBMAA will accept installations that have been previously created. All work requiring assembly or any work with a complex installation procedure must be accompanied by a detailed set of installation instructions with reference photos from previous installations. Verbal instructions will not suffice.
·Artist must provide equipment to be used in the installation of any video or sound work.
·The Museum prohibits glitter, wet paint, sharp objects, open flames, balloons, spray (perfumes, hairsprays, etc), dangerous chemicals, weapons, pressurized containers, plants or animals (alive or dead), hazardous materials (explosive, flammable, or perishable), decaying materials (visible mold or insect infestation), or anything deemed harmful to the Museum’s collection. Anything of question should be cleared by the Collections Department by contacting Keith Gervase at (860) 229-0257 ext. 217 or gervasek@nbmaa.org or Mike Mindera at (860) 229-0257 ext. 216 or minderam@nbmaa.org.

Selected Works: Selected works must be delivered ready to hang/display. Artworks considered unsuitable for hanging/presentation will be refused. Curatorial staff reserves the right to refuse an artwork that is misrepresented through documentation or is not the piece selected by the juror.

Shipped Artwork: The deadline for receipt of shipped artwork is August 3, 2026. If work is not at the NBMAA by August 3, 2026, we reserve the right to not include it in the exhibition. Any artwork being shipped must include return postage/shipping fee that must be received before the end of the exhibition (September 13, 2026). In the case of inadequate or nonexistent return postage, works will be considered abandoned property and disposed of as the NBMAA sees fit. All artwork should be packaged in a manner that will allow for the materials to be re-used for return shipping. Otherwise please include materials for return packaging. Please do not ship artwork with packing peanuts.

Liability: The Museum will not be responsible for any damage whatsoever, before, during, or after the exhibition. No works will be released without proper identification. Any work not picked up by the dates noted above will become property of the Museum and will be considered abandoned property and disposed of as the NBMAA sees fit.

Sales: We encourage the sale of artwork; however work does not have to be for sale if selected for the exhibition. The NBMAA will not deduct a commission for any sale of work in the exhibition. The Museum will not serve as a third party for sales; we will provide artist contact information to any individuals inquiring about purchases.

Information:
·For more information, please visit www.nbmaa.org.
·For questions regarding artwork guidelines only, contact Keith Gervase, Collections Manager, at (860) 229-0257, ext. 217 or gervasek@nbmaa.org or Mike Mindera, Installation Specialist, at (860) 229-0257 ext. 216 or minderam@nbmaa.org.
·For membership and other exhibition questions contact Jenna Lucas, Development Associate, at (860) 229-0257, ext. 231 or lucasj@nbmaa.org.
·For website help, please refer to www.callforentry.org and click on “help".

Application Requirements

Guidelines for Artwork:
·Up to three works per artist may be submitted.
·A maximum of one work per artist may be selected.
·All two-dimensional work must be framed and/or ready for installation with hanging hardware, wire, or d-rings already installed on work and the entire work must not exceed 84 inches in any dimension. The work cannot exceed 75 pounds. Pieces without hanging hardware will not be included in the exhibition.
·Three-dimensional work cannot exceed 48 inches in any dimension and should be accompanied by a pedestal/or be ready for display as a freestanding or self-containing work. The work cannot exceed 150 lbs.
·NBMAA will accept installations that have been previously created. All work requiring assembly or any work with a complex installation procedure must be accompanied by a detailed set of installation instructions with reference photos from previous installations. Verbal instructions will not suffice.
·Artist must provide equipment to be used in the installation of any video or sound work.
·The Museum prohibits glitter, wet paint, sharp objects, open flames, balloons, spray (perfumes, hairsprays, etc), dangerous chemicals, weapons, pressurized containers, plants or animals (alive or dead), hazardous materials (explosive, flammable, or perishable), decaying materials (visible mold or insect infestation), or anything deemed harmful to the Museum’s collection. Anything of question should be cleared by the Collections Department by contacting Keith Gervase at (860) 229-0257 ext. 217 or gervasek@nbmaa.org or Mike Mindera at (860) 229-0257 ext. 216 or minderam@nbmaa.org.

Eligibility Criteria

National and International artists 18 years or older with current NBMAA membership. Original works accepted in all media, executed during the past five years and never previously exhibited in this Museum.