Call for entry
"This Place, Our Time" Exhibition
Overview:
Exhibition Theme: Colorado’s 150th Anniversary as a state, and USA’s 250th anniversary as a nation.
Venue: Cantril School Building: 312 Cantril St., Castle Rock, CO
Exhibition Dates: July 8 – October 18, 2026
Timeline:
– Call for Entries Opens: May 15, 2026
– Call for Entries Closes: June 14, 2026 at 11:59 pm MST
– Invited/Not Invited emails sent by June 25, 2026
– Art Drop Off Day: June 29 – 30, 2026
– Art Pick Up Day: October 19 – 21, 2026
– Awards: First Place $500.00, Second Place $350.00, Third Place $200.00
Submission Guidelines – PLEASE REVIEW GUIDELINES CAREFULLY
Eligibility:
– Open to all artists working in 2D mediums. This includes, but is not limited to, painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, and mixed media.
– Unfortunately, we cannot accept 3D work at this time.
Theme:
– The subject matter for artwork is
Colorado’s 150th anniversary of our statehood (the state’s sesquicentennial) and the 250th anniversary of the United State’s Declaration of Independence as a nation (the country’s semiquincentennial). Uniquely, Colorado is the only state celebrating two anniversaries, termed “sesquisemiquincentennial.” The subject matter for artwork should pertain to all things Colorado and USA. Artists are encouraged to interpret the theme broadly and creatively with regards to Colorado and United States across time. Artists are welcome to submit a variety of media and subjects.Â
Size & Weight Limitations:
– Maximum size for a piece is 60 inches on any side
– Minimum size for a piece is 11 x 14 inches
– Artwork must not exceed 20 lbs
Framing & Presentation:
– All artwork must be ready to hang. We require secure, wired pieces with secure D-rings.
– Do not submit anything with sawtooth hangers, as they are not compatible with our hanging system.
– Canvases do not need to be framed if they have finished, gallery-wrapped edges.
Sales:
– Work does not have to be for sale.
– If your work is for sale, you must handle the transaction through your own website or contact method and you must provide that info with your submission.
– Tri Arts Project will not take a commission on sales; artists retain 100% of the proceeds. However, we recommend a 10% donation to Tri Arts Project for any sold work to support future exhibitions. This is entirely optional and is tax deductible.
Duration:
– The exhibition runs from July 8 – October 18, 2026. All selected works must remain on display for the entire duration of the exhibition.
Juror: Mary Williams
For over two decades, Mary has dedicated herself to crafting sculptures and installations that bring vibrant expressions to life in public spaces across the United States. As a self-taught artist, her journey has been one of discovery – an ever-evolving fusion of techniques and a celebration of nature’s beauty through form and color.
Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, she began her career in advertising as an artist before journeying west in search of new creative endeavors. This shift led her to workshops with accomplished artists, where she honed her skills in wood carving and painting. It was during these transformative experiences that she fell in love with creating vibrant, colorful pieces, channeling her passion into sculptural artworks that reimagine the potential of wood.
Today, Mary’s artistic practice spans both sculpture and painting. By blending the dimensionality of sculpture with the expressive qualities of painting, she creates works that merge the essence of both mediums. Throughout her creative process, nature, color, and form remain her guiding inspirations, grounding and shaping each piece she creates.
Juror: Carrie Martin
Carrie Martin is an oil painter based in Denver, Colorado. Her work centers around the colorful American West, where she captures vibrant landscapes, big sky and the exuberant enjoyment of the Rocky Mountain lifestyle. She enjoys telling amazing stories about places that capture people’s interest, by connecting with their imagination through inspiration, and mastery of technique and color.
Color is Carrie’s primary language. She uses saturated, layered hues and confident brushwork to push beyond strict realism into something more felt than seen. In some pieces, that means capturing a landscape with nuanced light and texture; in others, it becomes more abstract—blue creatures that feel half-animal, half-spirit, or figures that seem to be harvesting pure color from the ground. Whether she’s painting a serene river, a garden, a mountainside, or a whimsical, voodoo-inspired scene under a moonlit sky, Carrie is always looking for that moment when the painting tips from representation into resonance.
Ms. Martin’s work often moves between realism and abstraction because she sees them as two sides of the same experience. The realistic pieces honor the specificity of place—the rock formations, snow fields, trees, and waterways that define this region. The more abstract and surreal works explore the emotional undercurrent: the energy, mystery, humor, and sometimes mythology that live just under the surface of what we see. That’s why you’ll find everything from serene winter fences and kayakers to expressive skulls, crows, and imagined creatures in Carrie Martin’s portfolio; they all belong to the same visual conversation about how we inhabit the world.
Submission Process:
1. Once the Call for Entry has opened, use the form below, submit at least 1 and up to 3 pieces per submission fee paid for consideration by our jurors. Include high-quality images of each work (JPEG or PNG format, 300 DPI resolution, no more than 2MB per image).
2. Include all requested information, including your name, the title(s) of your work, dimensions, price, and how one may purchase your work.
3. Submission Deadline:
All submissions must be received by 11:59 PM MST on June 14, 2026. Late submissions will not be considered.
4. Notification of Acceptance:
Artists will be notified of acceptance by June 25, 2026.
5. Delivery of Artwork:
Accepted work must be hand delivered to Cantril School at 312 Cantril St. Castle Rock, Colorado 80104 between June 29 – 30, 2026. Instructions for drop-off will be provided upon acceptance. We do not currently have the ability to accept shipped artwork, so all pieces must be hand delivered.
6. Pickup of Artwork:
All work must be picked up between October 19 – 21. No early pickups will be allowed.
Additional Information:
– All submitted works must be original and created by the artist.
– Tri Arts Project and the Town of Castle Rock are not responsible for insuring artwork during the exhibition. Artists are encouraged to insure their own work if necessary.
– By submitting your work, you agree to allow Tri Arts Project to use images of your work for promotional purposes related to our gallery and the exhibition.
For any questions, feel free to contact us at CallForEntry@triartsproject.org. We appreciate your submission and supporting the arts in our community!
Call for Entry is Open.