Organizer Information
Graphite Arts Center is a nonprofit arts organization in downtown Edmonds, Washington, operated under the nonprofit foundation Art Start Northwest, a 501(c)(3) founded to make art accessible to the communityand known for building school partnerships that place art supplies and sketchbooks in local classrooms. The center opened its current building at 202 Main Street in 2021, a multi-use space that houses a gallery, artist studios, and community programming, developed with support from local fundraising and a grant from the City of Edmonds.
Beyond its exhibition program, Graphite supports a resident community of 11 full-time studio artists and 23 part-time locker artists, and its gallery space is open to the public for browsing, meeting artists, and watching them work, with access also available daily through the adjoining Charcoal Restaurant. According to the submitted call for art, since opening in 2022 The Gallery at Graphite has hosted 27 exhibitions in its 760-square-foot gallery space.
Title & Description
Illuminate
Illuminate is a juried group exhibition organized by The Gallery at Graphite Arts Center, open to all media and open to all interested artists. The exhibition takes illumination as its curatorial theme, inviting artists to explore how light functions within their work — whether as a visual phenomenon, a structural component, or a conceptual framework. Artists may investigate reflection, shadow, and atmosphere, or use illumination to direct attention and shape a specific visual or physical experience. Works may incorporate illumination directly through material, process, or installation, including projection, reflection, transparency, or light-sensitive methods, and artists are also encouraged to consider illumination in its intellectual, emotional, or spiritual senses — revelation, discovery, awareness, knowledge, or insight.
Submitted works will be selected by jury based on strength of concept, relationship to the theme, technical command, overall execution, and adherence to submission guidelines.
Theme
Illumination — including its literal, material, and conceptual expressions (light as visual phenomenon, structural component, or metaphor for revelation, discovery, awareness, knowledge, or insight).
Categories
- Visual Arts
- Light Art
- Multimedia
- Mixed Media
- Installation
- Photography
- Sculpture
- Painting
- Drawing
- New Media
- All Discipline
Eligibility
- Open to all interested artists
- Artwork must be new and original in concept
- 2D work must not exceed a maximum outside framed dimension of 48 inches in either direction (larger works may be considered and will incur an additional $15 entry fee if accepted)
- 3D work must be intended for pedestal or floor display and must not exceed 50 pounds
- Artwork must not be committed to another exhibition or otherwise unavailable for the full duration of the exhibition (August 14–October 4)
- All artwork must be for sale
Program Benefits & Awards
- Inclusion in a juried group exhibition at The Gallery at Graphite, on view August 14–October 4
- Participation in the exhibition's opening reception on Friday, August 14, 7–8:30 PM
- 70% of the sale price paid to the artist for any works sold (30% commission retained by Graphite)
- Promotional use of accepted artists' names and images of their art, in print or online, if selected
Application Fee
$20 entry fee for up to 3 different works of art, required and non-refundable, due at the time of entry. An additional $15 fee applies for accepted 2D works exceeding the 48-inch maximum outside framed dimension.
Application Requirements
- Completed online entry form
- A digital image of each work entered (required)
- Images must be clear, color photographs, cropped to the artwork only, with no glare
- Images must be properly oriented for viewing
- JPEG file format only
- Image files must be labeled in the format: Artist Last Name_Title.jpg (e.g., Picasso_Figure of a Woman.jpg)
- Payment of the $20 entry fee at time of entry
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 24 July 2026
- Notification of Acceptance (email): 29 July 2026
- Drop-off Day for Accepted Works: 12 August 2026
- Opening Reception: 14 August 2026
- Exhibition Dates: August 14–October 4
Location
The Gallery at Graphite Arts Center, 202 Main St., Edmonds, WA, United States
Additional Details
- All accepted artwork must be delivered ready to install, with proper wiring; glass clip frames are not permitted
- Drop-off and pick-up may be handled by a representative if the artist is unavailable
- The Gallery Director (gallery@graphiteartscenter.org) is available to advise on framing and presentation prior to drop-off
- By submitting an entry form and images, the artist consents to Graphite's use of their name and artwork images for promotional purposes, in print or online, if accepted; accepted artists will be asked to sign a formal agreement covering these terms