Call Description

This is a call to Southern California and Baja-based artists to submit entries for Changing Terrain, a joint contemporary landscape exhibition exploring new interpretations of Southern California/Baja landscapes by artists based in the region. The exhibition will present a region in flux, reflecting its changing environment, communities, history, and evolving sense of place. This exhibition will take place concurrently at San Diego History Center (SDHC) and Oceanside Museum of Art (OMA).

Established and influential artists invited by the curatorial team will be featured alongside artists chosen through  this regional call for submissions, intended to identify emerging and lesser-known artists working in the landscape genre. Artworks that demonstrate originality of vision, artistic merit, and relevance to the ways environment, culture, and social context shape our region will be prioritized.

The curatorial panel will select work that they feel creates the strongest show when considering all works in context with the other works selected. The jurors’ selections are subjective. It is not always possible to include every excellent and worthy artwork submitted. Artists may be selected to show work at OMA and/or SDHC, and the jurors will determine the location where selected artworks are presented. 

Artwork will be selected by the panel of curatorial experts: Katie Dolgov, Director of Exhibitions and Collections at Oceanside Museum of art, Bill Lawrence, President and CEO of San Diego History Museum, Tina Zarpour, Vice President of Community Engagement, Education & Collections at San Diego History Museum, Johnny Bear Contreras (sculptor and Kumeyaay public artist), and Gabriel Boils Teran (visual artist and cultural agent).

Contact katie@oma-online.org with questions about this submission opportunity after carefully reading the prospectus in full.

ENTRY FEE: $25 to submit up to 20 artworks

Scholarships are available, please contact katie@oma-online.org if you would like to be considered for a scholarship.

Thank you for your interest in this call. Your submission fees (less CAfÉ listing fees) go toward supporting the museum’s exhibitions and educational programming.

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TIMELINE:

• Deadline to submit: Thursday, June 4, 2025, 10:59PM Pacific Standard Time (PST) 
• Notifications of selected artworks: On or before Friday, July 17, 2026
• Art Drop Off/Delivery to OMA: August 9-11, 2025 12:00–3:00pm
• Art Drop Off/Delivery to SDHC: Dates TBC

Artwork may be shipped to the museum or transported by the artist. Further details will be provided when selections are announced.

• Open to the public at OMA and SDHC: August 22, 2026 (close dates TBC)
• Public reception at OMA: Saturday, September 19, 2026, 5:00–7:00pm 
• Public reception at SDHC: TENTATIVELY Saturday, October 1, 2026, 6:00–8:00pm
• Artwork return: within two weeks of the close of the exhibition

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All technical submission issues will be handled by CaFÉ technical support. Contact them here. 

Find answers to most common technical questions on the Help page. 

CaFÉ is an all-in-one artist submission platform designed for the arts field that is not owned by or affiliated with Oceanside Museum of Art.

Contact katie@oma-online.org with questions about this artwork submission opportunity after carefully reading the prospectus in full.

Application Requirements

Artwork parameters:

• Artwork may be in any style or media except photography, giclees or other reproductions
• Sculptural and installation works are allowed including Mixed media / multidisciplinary proposals
• All submissions must be original works of art
• Tasteful nudity is acceptable

Size and frames

• Two-or three-dimensional work, maximum 120” in any direction and 100 lbs
• Works on paper must be framed
• Edges of unframed two-dimensional artwork must be finished or gallery wrapped
• You are encouraged to submit a variety of sizes

Installation

• Works may be wall mounted, ceiling mounted, free standing, or pedestal standing
• D Rings preferred with wires removed for wall mounted works. D rings must be installed on the back at precisely equal distances from the top of all wall mounted work.
• Cleats and other hanging methods are acceptable

Eligibility Criteria

Artists must be Southern California or Baja California-based, defined by Tijuana to the south and Santa Barbara to the north, including all inland counties.

There are no museum membership requirements to submit to this open call. However if you are interested in joining OMA please visit: oma-online.org/membership or SDHC please visit: sandiegohistory.org/become-member

Keep in mind, the quality of artwork photography may affect whether your artwork will be selected. Ensure your artwork is photographed in good lighting with a steady camera. Direct sunlight on a clear day is ideal if studio lighting is not available. Include the artwork image only without frame, unless the frame is an artistically defining part of the submission.

CURATORIAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Tina Zarpour, PhD, Vice President of Education, Collections and Community Engagement at San Diego History Center is a museum leader with two decades of experience guiding mission-driven cultural institutions of varying scale, from the Smithsonian to regionally anchored museums, through periods of strategic transition, community engagement expansion, and interpretive innovation across many different material types– from paintings to oral histories. She has deep expertise in collections stewardship, community-centered exhibition processes, curatorial leadership, and is experienced in supporting teaching, research access, and scholarly collaboration across diverse disciplines. Tina holds a PhD in Cultural Anthropology with a scholarly focus on migration, diaspora, civic life, and qualitative research methodologies. Tina combines academic training with proven leadership to build cohesive teams, steward complex collections, cultivate external partnerships, and articulate institutional vision. Tina is committed to equity-focused museum practice, inclusive interpretation, and public humanities that amplify historically marginalized voices.

Katie Dolgov, Director of Exhibitions and Collections at Oceanside Museum of Art, is dedicated to creating meaningful, inclusive, and engaging experiences through contemporary art. With more than a decade of leadership in the arts and culture sector, she has produced and curated over 200 exhibitions, while spearheading major museum initiatives—from OMA’s nationally recognized Plein Air Festival and and other large-scale public programs to strategic exhibition development and cross-institutional collaborations. Katie approaches her work with a deep belief in the power of art to foster connection, spark dialogue, and strengthen community. She prioritizes artist-centered practices and collaborative partnerships to bring diverse voices to the forefront and expand access to cultural experiences for OMA’s 26,000+ annual visitors and growing digital audiences. Her background includes a BA in Studio Art and Graphic Design from the University of California, Irvine, and an MA in Collections Preservation and Museum Studies from the University of Lincoln, UK. During her time living and working in England, she gained hands-on experience at a range of cultural institutions before returning to Southern California in 2013 to join OMA’s team. Today, she is proud to be part of a vibrant arts community in North County San Diego, where she lives with her family.

Johnny Bear Contreras is recognized for his multi-disciplinary contributions to the art world as well as indigenous communities. He is an award-winning Sculptor and Public Artist whose work is displayed throughout the United States. Johnny's work has been featured in galleries and cultural exhibitions across the country. Each piece he creates is a testament to his dedication to keeping the Kumeyaay heritage alive and thriving.​ Johnny Bear's work is not just about preserving the past, but also about inspiring a brighter future. Johnny is a highly requested keynote speaker moving audiences and inspiring generations as a cultural bearer.   He is a mentor to Native youth and started his own private  foundation the Eyaay Ahuun Foundation to inspire young artists and the next generation. He is passionate about advocating for arts pathways in communities and for continued cultural preservation. Serving as a community board member for the La Jolla Historical Society and cultural advisor for multiple organizations, he understands the importance of indigenous cultures and preserving them for generations to come.

Gabriel Boils Teran is a Mexican visual artist and cultural agent living and working in Tijuana. His practice is focused on the fracture between image and support, information and matter. In his work contemporary art strategies, scientific methodologies and traditional art techniques merge, to explore environmental and social fragmentation. He has been awarded with the San Diego Art Prize 2024 and the Acquisition prize at the 12th Biennial of Visual Arts of the Northwest. Gabriel has also received honorable mentions at the International Banners Biennial 2006 and in the 4th Miradas Biennial. He has exhibited his work in various cities in the United States, Mexico and other countries, and his work is in the collections of the Tijuana Cultural Center, the Sinaloa Art Museum, the Sonora Art Museum, the FEMSA Collection, and the CODET Foundation. Gabriel has co-coordinated the first three editions of the National Landscape Biennial, a project of the Sonoran Institute of Culture, and participated in curatorial and editorial projects. In 2023 he published the book Here is Also Like This. Currently he is a mentor for the Artistic Development Program VISOR funded by CONARTE in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon.