2026 Application

About the Open Call

The Every Woman Biennial 2026, themed 'SPECTALiA: Punk-Rock Revival of the Carnivalesque,' draws inspiration from early 20th-century movements like Cabaret, Dada, and Surrealism as responses to social and political unrest. One hundred years later, the Biennial asks how artists are building in a troubled, rapidly moving world. The answer proposed is SPECTALiA, blurring binaries of gender, analog and digital, sense and nonsense, and embracing punk rock, carnivalesque absurdity, tech witch magic, spectacle, and strange, delightful quiet resistance. Joy is presented as the most subversive act. For the first time, in addition to its salon-style show, the Biennial will feature work by artists employing digital tools, including moving image, creative coding, XR, AI, and more. The organizers describe the event as 'not just a show… it’s a world-building spell.' The event will take place from March 8th to April 11th, 2026, at PEN + BRUSH, NYC. Applications are open to women and non-binary artists of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities. Accepted artists will be selected in one of four categories: VISUAL ARTS (painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, photography, textiles, mixed media), PERFORMANCE (music, spoken word, dance, performance art), INSTALLATION (large-scale, multi-part works, tech or analog), and NEW MEDIA ARTS (video, XR, projections, AI, interactive, physical, hybrid works). Artists must hand-deliver or arrange delivery and pickup of their works, as shipped works cannot be accepted.

Requirements

Open to women and non-binary artists of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities. Artists must hand-deliver or arrange for delivery and pickup of their pieces; shipped works are not accepted.

How to Apply

Applications close October 20, 2025. Apply through the provided link: https://www.everywomanbiennial.com/apply-now