2026 North American Print Biennial

About the Open Call

The 2026 North American Print Biennial is an exhibition presenting the best in contemporary and traditional printmaking, recognized as one of the most prestigious events in the field. The Boston Printmakers' mission is to promote public knowledge of printmaking, encourage and support artists working in printmaking, and promote excellence and innovation. The juror for the biennial is Esther Adler, Curator in the Department of Drawings and Prints at The Museum of Modern Art. The exhibition will be held at the 808 Gallery, Boston University, located at 808 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, Massachusetts. Exhibition dates are September 8 – November 21, 2026. The application process opens on July 15, 2025, and closes on February 15, 2026. Notifications will be emailed by April 1, 2026. Accepted works are to be received between April 27 – May 12, 2026, or hand-delivered on June 6, 2026. A public reception and juror's talk will be held on Saturday, September 19, 2026. The exhibition closes on Saturday, November 21, 2026, with pick up of hand-delivered work on the same day and return of shipped work by November 30, 2026. The organization assumes responsibility for selected works from delivery to Boston University until pick up or return shipment, with artwork insured for 35% less than the selling price. Artists must insure their work during transit. Filing the entry form constitutes an agreement to all conditions, including permission to use images of exhibited work for promotional, educational, or archival purposes and for 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. Alternative presentation may be requested and must be fully described in your entry on the CaFE site. Include a clearly defined description of any special hanging or installation instructions. All shipped work must be sent in sturdy, re-usable packaging, pre-paid via UPS, and must include a UPS pre-paid return-shipping label with insurance taped to the back of the foam core backing. Artists from outside of the U.S. who cannot provide a return UPS label will be billed the cost of return ground shipping. Work not protected by a frame is considered at risk and may not be covered by gallery insurance.

How to Apply

All entries must be submitted online at www.callforentry.org on or before February 15, 2026. Review all entry information carefully before submitting, as no changes can be made once submitted. Upload requirements for image files are JPEG format only, no smaller than 1920 pixels on the longer side, 72/ppi/dpi resolution, and a maximum file size of 5 MB.