Call Description

This is a call to artists who are members of Oceanside Museum of Art (OMA)'s Artist Alliance: You are invited to submit up to 20 entries for consideration in this juried art exhibition at Sparks Gallery in down town San Diego entitled “Sugar Rush”.

Selected by juror Sonya Sparks, this exhibition is not strictly themed, but artists are encouraged to submit work that represents your interpretation of the title. Consider vibrant, playful, and visually striking work, such as bold, pop-inspired styles that embrace bright color and the fizzy energy of popular culture. Art that feels sweet, lively, fun, humorous, and/or impossible to ignore.

The juror will select work that she feels creates the strongest show when considering all works in context with the other works submitted. The jurors’ selections are subjective. It is not possible to include every excellent and worthy artwork submitted

ENTRY FEE: $25 for first submission, $10 for each thereafter. 

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

Thank you for being a part of OMA. Your submission fees (less CAfÉ listing fees) and membership dues go toward supporting the museum’s exhibitions and educational programming.

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LOCATION:

Sparks Gallery, 530 Sixth Ave, San Diego, CA 92101

Gallery Hours: Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, 11:00am–6:00pm; Sunday 2:00-5:00pm

sparksgallery.com, (619) 696-1416

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TIMELINE:

• Deadline to submit: Thursday, June 25, 2026, 10:59PM Pacific Standard Time (PST) 
• Notifications of selected artworks: On or before Thursday, July 17, 2026
• Art Drop Off at Sparks Gallery: Aug 1-3, 2026 11:00–3:00pm
  • A limited number of works under 48" may also be delivered or shipped Oceanside Museum of Art before July 29, 2026. Please contact katie@oma-online.org if you plan to ship your artwork.
• Exhibition on view to public: August 9 - October 4, 2026
• Public reception: Sunday, August 30, 5:00-8:00pm 
• Artwork Pickup: October 8-10, 2026 11:00–3:00pm

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JUROR

Juror and Curator Sonya Sparks is the owner and chief curator at Sparks Gallery. Sonya studied art in conjunction with obtaining her Bachelor's degree in Business Administration at the University of San Diego. Sonya founded Sparks Gallery in 2013 to encourage the patronage of local artists, support local art groups and institutions, and to educate the public about Southern California artists. Sonya has curated exhibitions for multiple organizations, including, but not limited to: the Oceanside Museum of Art Artist Alliance, Allied Craftsmen of San Diego, Cannon Art Gallery (Carlsbad, CA), and the Escondido Arts Partnership. As an inducted member of the Beta Gamma Sigma Business Honor Society, Sonya champions ethical business leadership. 

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Submissions will be accepted exclusively through the CaFÉ platform, www.callforentry.org. 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.

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. 

Artists who are not members of the OMA Artist Alliance but are interested in participating in this exhibition must submit their membership applications for OMA with the Artist Alliance add-on before submitting artwork for consideration. Details on how to join can be found in this prospectus, or at oma-online.org/membership.

All active OMA Artist Alliance members are eligible to submit to the open call, irrespective of any affiliation with the museum. This includes OMA staff, volunteers, and board members. Please note that Museum staff and members of the board are not eligible to receive awards, if and when awards are a part of the submission opportunity (awards are not offered for the PHES exhibition). This exhibition will be determined through blind jurying (ie. the names of submitting artists will not be shared with the juror during the jurying process).

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

Application Requirements

Media

• All submissions must be original works of art. No giclees or other reproductions of original works, with exception of limited edition prints in traditional printmaking media, limited edition digital art prints, and/or photography
• Artwork depicting nudity will not be included in this exhibition
• Artwork may be in any style
• A maximum of two artworks per artist will be selected
• Contact katie@oma-online.org before submitting artwork requiring special or unusual lighting or electricity
• Unusual methods of installation cannot be accommodated

Size

• 2D artwork maximum dimensions: 60” high x 60” wide.
• 3D artwork maximum dimensions: Must be able to fit through a double-door entrance 90" H x 69" wide.

Frames & Hanging Hardware

• Works on paper must be framed. Frames must be simple and neutral. Edges of unframed two-dimensional artwork must be finished or gallery wrapped.
• If work is gallery wrapped no frame is needed.
• Wires and/or D rings are mandatory.
• Artworks with cleats of any kind will not be accepted and a piece with only cleats may be excluded from the show if alterations are not able to be made after drop off.

Eligibility Criteria

OMA Membership with Artist Alliance add-on

Artists must be a current OMA member with the Artist Alliance affiliate membership add-on. Artists who are not members of OMA with the Artist Alliance add-on but are interested in participating in this exhibition must become members of OMA at any level and add Artist Alliance before submitting artwork for consideration. 

• Join online: Visit oma-online.org/membership. Choose any level of membership and then add Artist Alliance
• Join by phone: Call the OMA membership center at (760) 435-3724
• Join in person: Visit Oceanside Museum of Art at 704 Pier View Way, Oceanside CA (please check www.oma-online.org for public hours)

Image Quality

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.