Organizer Information:

ARC Gallery (Curator: Danni O’Brien). This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency. ARC Gallery is a non-profit, woman-run cooperative gallery.

Title & Description:

Applications are open for the exhibition Body Sovereignty.

This exhibition explores who owns our body, its expression, and its sexuality. The curator invites artists to submit work that claims radical ownership over sexuality, desire, and bodily identity. The gallery welcomes art that explores queer identity, conspicuous consumption, and bodily survival through a fantastical or absurdist lens, transforming everyday materials into something visceral and alive.

Category:

All Media (Sculpture, assemblage, ceramics, collage, painting, drawing, fiber arts, printmaking, papermaking, video, installation, and hybrid/interdisciplinary works).

Eligibility:

  • Who: Artists working across all media.
  • Artwork Age: Ideally, submitted art should have been completed within the last 5 years.
  • Anonymity: The jury process is anonymous. Your artist statement must NOT include your name or any resume details (e.g., education history or past shows).
  • Shipping: For accepted artists shipping their work, a pre-paid FedEx or UPS return label is strictly required. You must NOT use the U.S. Postal Service (USPS).

Program Benefits & Awards:

  • Exhibition: Inclusion in the "Body Sovereignty" exhibition at ARC Gallery from June 5–26, 2026.
  • Opening Reception: An opening event on Friday, June 5, 2026 (5:00–8:00 PM).
  • Sales: ARC takes a 20% commission fee on works sold. Artists should price their work accordingly.

Application Fee & Program Costs:

  • Standard Fee: $40 for 3 images. ($10 for each additional image).
  • Student Fee: $25 for 3 images. ($10 for each additional image). Students must upload a photo of their student ID alongside their images.

Application Requirements:

  • Image Naming / Strict Constraint: Images must be in JPG/JPEG format and strictly labeled with dashes as follows: Last name-Item #-Title of work-Medium-size-date. (Example: daVinci-1-Mona Lisa-30x21x2”-1503).
  • Artist Statement: A brief statement addressing your work/images, limited to strictly under 125 words (and strictly anonymous).
  • Artwork Details: Dimensions, mediums/materials, date produced, and price for each item.

How to Apply?

Submit your application via the ARC Gallery online portal. (Note: The application is a multi-step process requiring image uploads to a Dropbox folder before filling out the payment and application form).

Key Dates:

  • Application Deadline: Saturday, April 18, 2026, at 11:59 PM CST.
  • Notification of Acceptance: May 6, 2026.
  • Artwork Delivery: May 28 & 29 (2–6 PM) or May 30 (12–4 PM), 2026.
  • Exhibition Dates: June 5 – 26, 2026.
  • Artwork Pick-Up: June 27, 2026 (2:30–4 PM).
  • Shipped Work Return: First two weeks of July 2026.

Location:

ARC Gallery, Illinois, USA.

Contact Information:

Email: info@arcgallery.org

Website: https://www.arcgallery.org/calls-for-entry-archive/body-sovereignty