2025 Illinois Community College Juried Studio Art Exhibition

About the Open Call

The Art + Design Department at Northeastern Illinois University welcomes studio art submissions from Illinois Community and Junior College students. This exhibition aims to highlight a range of artistic disciplines and techniques that engage with contemporary concepts and themes. The exhibition will be on view for a month in NEIU's Skylight Gallery, with an opening reception on September 25th from 6-9PM. The juror for this exhibition is Jenny Halpern, an artist whose work explores material, time, and identity, and has been featured in various exhibitions and publications. Awards include BLICK Art Materials Gift Cards: 1st Place: $200, 2nd Place: $150, 3rd Place: $100. Key dates include submissions opening August 1st, entry deadline September 7th, notification of acceptance September 11th, drop off work September 17th-19th, exhibition reception and opening September 25th, exhibition open until October 9th, and artwork pickup October 15th-17th. There is no entry fee, and no commissions will be taken from sales; sales inquiries will be forwarded directly to the artist. Artists agree to release images for publicity and cataloging. Notification of acceptance will be via email.

What is Offered

1st Place: $200 BLICK Art Materials Gift Card, 2nd Place: $150 BLICK Art Materials Gift Card, 3rd Place: $100 BLICK Art Materials Gift Card.

Requirements

The exhibition is open to all students currently enrolled in an Illinois Community or Junior College. All artwork must date from August 2023 to the present. Each student artist may submit up to three original works. Eligible 2D and 3D works include painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, ceramics, wood, metal, and digital fabrication, and should not exceed 60 inches in any dimension. Installations, video, web-based, and audio works are currently not eligible. All accepted artwork must be ready for professional installation (framed/wired or alternative approved methods appropriate to the work). Artists are responsible for transportation of their work to and from the gallery.

How to Apply

Submit high-resolution JPEG photographs (approx. 1,500 pixels on longest side) of up to three original artworks via the online form. Name files with your first name, last name, and an entry number (Ex. Jane_Smith_1.jpg). Artists will be notified via email.