2026 North American Print Biennial

About the Open Call

Esther Adler is Curator in the Department of Drawings and Prints at The Museum of Modern Art, who most recently organized Woven Histories: Textiles and Modern Abstraction (2025) and New Ground: Jacob Samuel and Contemporary Etching (2023). Past exhibitions include Joseph E. Yoakum: What I Saw (2021) and Betye Saar: The Legends of Black Girl’s Window (2019). Ms. Adler joined MoMA in 2005, having previously worked at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. She holds a BA from Brandeis University and an MA from the University of Maryland. The Biennial will be held at 808 Gallery, Boston University, 808 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, Massachusetts. Exhibition dates are September 8 – November 21, 2026. Key dates for selected artists include: April 27 – May 12, 2026 for receipt of shipped work; June 6, 2026 for hand delivered work at 808 Gallery; September 19, 2026 for Public Reception and Juror’s Talk; November 21, 2026 for exhibition close and pick up of hand delivered work; November 30, 2026 for return of shipped work. Every precaution will be taken in handling accepted prints. Boston University will assume 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 for loss or damage to submitted or accepted works. Work not protected by a frame is considered at risk and may not be covered by gallery insurance. Filing of the entry form constitutes an consistent agreement to all conditions set forth in the prospectus, including permission to use images of the exhibited work in print or online media for promotional, educational, or archival purposes and for the creation of a catalog of the exhibit.

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 (e.g. Nielsen) 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. Also, please include in your submission a clearly defined description of any special hanging or installation instructions. All shipped work must be sent in sturdy, re-usable packaging. It must be sent pre-paid via UPS. It must include a UPS pre-paid return-shipping label held in a clearly marked envelope taped to the back of the foam core backing of the art. Work will not be exhibited without a UPS pre-paid return packing slip, which includes shipping insurance. Artists from outside of the U.S. who are unable to provide a return UPS label will be billed the cost of return ground shipping (including insurance) via a carrier chosen by the Boston Printmakers. These artists agree to pay these charges promptly on receipt of the invoice.

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. No changes can be made once submitted, including price revisions. Submitted work requires JPEG image files only, no smaller than 1920 pixels on the longer side, 72/ppi/dpi resolution, and a maximum file size of 5 MB. The non-refundable entry fee of $50 USD for non-members (or $35 USD for members with a coupon code) entitles the artist to submit up to 3 works and is payable by credit card at www.callforentry.org. Notifications will be emailed before April 1, 2026, and a list of accepted artists will be posted on www.bostonprintmakers.org. Accepted artists will receive labeling forms, detailed packing and shipping instructions, and a loan agreement to complete and sign.