Call Description

Drawing Rooms
We invite you to submit work for consideration in our Drawing Rooms exhibit, “Black White & Gray: an Achromatic Color Exhibition”.

In this show we are looking for exciting works which focus on graphic form, delicate abstraction, narrative works, and anything and everything in between using achromatic colors–black and white which sit on opposing ends of the grayscale–and works in gray too! 

Black, as with all achromatic colors, lacks hue and absorbs all light wavelengths. White combines and reflects all visible wavelengths, so while it contains all colors, it is still perceived as lacking hue. The contrast between white and black is the greatest of any color combination, providing a bold and dramatic look. 

Famous artworks using an achromatic color scheme—composed entirely of black, white, and grey—focus on form, contrast, and texture over color. Examples include Bridget Riley’s op-art piece White Disks, Kazimir Malevich’s Black Square, featuring a simple black square on a white background, Robert Motherwell’s Elegy to the Spanish Republic series, Vija Celmins’ gray-toned illustrations of oceans, deserts, and night skies, and Franz Kline’s large-scale, black-and-white abstract expressionist paintings, such as Black, White, and Gray.

Acceptable media includes painting, drawing, printmaking, collage, photography, sculpture or any other fine art medium. Monochromatic works are acceptable, as are works using two or three of these colors. 

In keeping with our love of music, “Black White & Gray: an Achromatic Color Exhibition” is dedicated to the song “Back to Black” by Amy Winehouse, an English singer, songwriter, and musician, a global phenomena, who blended jazz, soul, R&B into her music. Known for her distinctive contralto vocals, beehive hairstyle and tattoo’s, Amy won five Grammys and was the first British woman to do so. "Back to Black" is a critically acclaimed 2006 song detailing intense emotional turmoil, heartbreak, and despair following a breakup and reclaiming her power while singing it. We loved Amy and this song, as well as so many of her other songs.

Artists chosen will also be considered for our other programs, such as The Art Project JC lobbies, and online Artsy.net exhibits throughout the year. Drawing Rooms will feature selected works from this exhibition for sale on Artsy.net
See: https://www.artsy.net/partner/drawing-rooms 

Artists included in any of our 2026 shows will have preferred status for our end-of-the-year holiday blow-out exhibition, The Big Small Show, replete with a full weekend Opening, wine, delicious holiday snacks, and a catalog. The Big Small Show is like a party in appreciation of the artists we work with throughout the year, along with new artists we hope will continue to be part of our community. 

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Drawing Rooms is a nonprofit art space and gallery in the Topps Building on the Mana Complex in the Journal Square neighborhood in Jersey City. We show two and three-dimensional works by emerging and mid-career artists in NJ and the NY metropolitan area, as well as nationally and internationally. Our innovative and exciting exhibitions, public programs, and publications enrich the lives of our community through an appreciation of and involvement with contemporary art.

Drawing Rooms art gallery at the Mana Contemporary complex in Jersey City is a project of Victory Hall Inc., a 501(c)3 non-profit organization producing exhibitions, programs, and public art projects in the NJ/NY area with a national and international reach since 2001. www.drawingrooms.org

About the Curator

Anne Trauben is the Curator and Gallery Director at Drawing Rooms, a non-profit art center and gallery. Anne began working with Victory Hall Inc. in 2009, and was a founding artist of Drawing Rooms in 2012. Since 2013, she has organized, curated and created programming for year-round exhibitions of multiple artists at Drawing Rooms in the former convent on Grand St. in Jersey City and, in 2018, at the new Drawing Rooms gallery in the Topps Building. In 2020, during the pandemic, she organized, curated, and created programming for Prayers for the Pandemic, a 4-part Drawing Rooms national public art exhibition, and solo / two-person exhibitions at Dvora Gallery. In 2022, after the pandemic, Drawing Rooms reopened in a newly expanded space in the Topps Building where she has since been organizing, curating, and creating programming for gallery exhibitions and public art programs. Anne is the Founder, Publisher and Editor of Nieuw Art Blog since 2017.

Learn more about the call below.

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EVENTS
*Opening Reception Saturday, 6/13/26, 6-8p
*Meet The Artists Sundays, 6/21/26 and 6/28/26, 3-5p, 
*Closing Reception Sunday 7/11/26 4-6p  

ACCEPTABLE WORKS 

• Size: Works that will be dropped off can be any size. Shipped work can be 2D: unframed, 18” x 24” or less, and 3D: 30" x 36" x 36" or less.
• 2-dimensional works that are unframed, framed, or mounted on cradled panel as well as 3-dimensional works will be considered. Please make sure any unframed paper works are durable enough to be exhibited with clips. We will not accept ripped, torn, wrinkled, or otherwise damaged or overly fragile paper.
• Media: painting or drawing on paper, canvas, or other media; collage or textiles, photography, prints, sculpture. Works must be original. No AI or reproductions of original works.
• All works must be For Sale.

HANGING PREPARATION

Please use simple frames in white, black, or wood tones, no floating acrylic frames. All works must be ready-to-hang. Works can be hung from picture wire (not fishing line), D-rings, saw-tooth hangers, or the top of the frame or cradled panel. Please self-assess if your frame is strong enough for this. Cleats or any hanging systems that require the use of screws in the wall are not acceptable. 

Works that present hanging problems may not be included in the exhibit. 

SALE OF ARTWORK
All works in the exhibit must be for sale with 60% to artists and 40% to Drawing Rooms. 

Submissions Due 5/14/26

ARTIST NOTIFICATION 5/18/26
Please remember to check your spam and promotions folder. If you haven't received a notification by 5/19/26, please check the status of your submission in CAFE. Accepted works will be listed as "invited."

DROP OFF 
*Fri 5/29/26,  5-7p, Sat, 5/30/26, 2-5p 
Sun 5/31/26 3-5p

Size: works that are dropped off can be any size.
Accepted work may be delivered by yourself or someone you assign. Our entrance is on Newark Avenue. Drivers: turn into Mana/Topps building driveway. Free parking lot.

MAIL-IN
Must ARRIVE by Monday, 6/1/26

SHIPPING REQUIREMENTS
If you live at a distance or live locally and have an extenuating issue, you may ship to our location below. 

Please Follow These Instructions. 

2D: ONLY unframed 18” x 24” or less, works on paper or panel/canvas may be mailed in and must fit in a padded or cardboard shipping envelope, (stay flat photo envelope / rigid mailer) and you may include a piece of cardboard inside the envelope if you choose, or a tube, and you MUST include a return label or postage. NO BOXES, please. Send to the Drawing Rooms location listed.

3D: Please pack well in a box 30" x 36" x 36" or less. Work not packed well may be rejected. (Drop-off preferred)

EXHIBITION LOCATION 
Drawing Rooms
926 Newark Ave. T101
Jersey City NJ, 07306
Closest PATH stop is Journal Sq
Free parking lot. Entrance is on Newark Avenue. 
Drivers: turn into Mana/Topps building driveway.

PICKUP
Sat, 7/11/26 6-7p, Sun, 7/12/26 4-7p

MAIL BACK
Starts Mon, 7/13/26

Application Requirements

JPGS

• You may submit up to 3 images of your work, unframed.
• Each jpg must measure at least 1200 pixels on the shorter dimension.

FAQ

What resolution and size should my images be? 
Any resolution (pixels per inch) is fine. We only care about the overall dimensions (how many pixels height by pixels wide). This is called pixel dimensions on the Image Size function of Photoshop. Minimum size 1,200 pixels on short dimension. Please crop any background out of your 2D images. 

Is the work insured?
All works are insured when they are in our possession. 

How are sales handled?
Commissions from any sales will be paid to the artist within 30 days of our receiving the payment, via check, PayPal or cash depending on the situation.

Why did my work not get chosen?
There are many factors which influence final selections and ultimately not all submissions can be included.The work is looked at individually, as well as how it relates to the other submissions in order to make a strong overall exhibit. We hope all the artists submitting work understand this and continue to respond to future calls.

Eligibility Criteria

You must be over 18