2026 North American Print Biennial

About the Open Call

The 2026 North American Print Biennial presents the best in contemporary and traditional printmaking, recognized as one of the most prestigious events in the field. Founded in 1947, The Boston Printmakers' mission is to promote public knowledge of printmaking, encourage and support artists working in printmaking, and promote excellence and innovation within the field. The juror for the 2026 Biennial is Esther Adler, Curator in the Department of Drawings and Prints at The Museum of Modern Art. Eligibility: North American artists 18 years and older are eligible to enter. Original, innovative works in all printmaking media are eligible. Photographs, offset reproductions, or reproductions of artwork originally produced in another medium will not be considered. Submitted work may not have been exhibited in any other Boston Printmakers exhibition. Artists may submit up to three digital images of original prints completed within the time frame of 2023-2026. Specifications: All delivered work must match the juried image; substitutions of accepted works will not be allowed. All work must be framed in simple black metal or black wooden frames no more than ½” thick on the front edge, with Plexiglas and a standard white or off-white window mat, minimum 3 inches wide. Prints must be securely mounted to the backing board and frames must be ready to hang with wire or D-rings. Alternative presentation may be requested and must be fully described in the entry. Special hanging or installation instructions must be included. Work not protected by a frame is considered at risk and may not be covered by gallery insurance. Shipping: All shipped work must be sent in sturdy, re-usable packaging, pre-paid via UPS, and include a UPS pre-paid return-shipping label with insurance. Artists from outside the U.S. unable to provide a return UPS label will be billed for return ground shipping. Sales: A 35% commission will be charged on all sales. Artists must assume the expense and responsibility of supplying any additional prints in the edition that may be sold. Proceeds from commissions are used for exhibition expenses. Liability: Every precaution will be taken. Boston University assumes responsibility for exhibited works from delivery to pick-up. Artwork in the gallery will be insured for 35% less than the selling price. Artists must insure their work in transit. The Boston Printmakers assumes no responsibility in case of loss or damage to submitted or accepted works. Agreement: Filing the entry form constitutes agreement to all conditions, including permission to use images of exhibited work in print or online media for promotional, educational, or archival purposes and for the creation of a catalog.

What is Offered

$10,000 is available in juror-designated purchase prizes and materials awards. The Boston Printmakers’ purchase prizes are placed into permanent collections at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; the Art Complex Museum, Duxbury, MA; Boston Athenaeum; and the Boston Printmakers Collection at the Boston Public Library. Additionally, this show generates a large number of sales through patron and public purchases.

Requirements

North American artists 18 years and older are eligible to enter. Original, innovative works in all printmaking media are eligible. Photographs, offset reproductions, or reproductions of artwork originally produced in another medium will not be considered. Submitted work may not have been exhibited in any other Boston Printmakers exhibition. Artists may submit up to three digital images of original prints completed within the time frame of 2023-2026. All delivered work must match the juried image; substitutions of accepted works will not be allowed. All work must be framed in simple black metal or black wooden frames no more than ½” thick on the front edge. All frames should have Plexiglas, and a standard white or off-white window mat, minimum 3 inches wide. Your print must be securely mounted to the backing board. Frames must be ready to hang with wire or D-rings. Place your framed print into a clear plastic bag before boxing. Where appropriate, due to size or aesthetics, alternative presentation may be requested and must be fully described in your entry on the CaFE site. A list of acceptable presentation methods is available via a provided link. Please include in your submission a clearly defined description of any special hanging or installation instructions.

How to Apply

All entries must be submitted online at www.callforentry.org. Entries must be submitted on or before February 15, 2026. Review all entry information carefully before submitting. No changes can be made once submitted. Upload requirements for image files: JPEG format only, no smaller than 1920 pixels on the longer side, 72/ppi/dpi resolution, 5 MB maximum file size. The entry fee is $35 USD for members of the Boston Printmakers with a coupon code, and $50 USD for non-members. The non-refundable entry fee entitles the artist to submit up to 3 works. The entry fee is payable by credit card at www.callforentry.org. Results of the jurying will be emailed before April 1, 2026, and a list of accepted artists will be posted on www.bostonprintmakers.org.