CALL FOR ART: Submission guidelines and other useful information
Call for art! The Groundwork Gallery is open for submissions for solo and group exhibitions. Read the submission guidelines and other info on how to share your work in our community art space.
Since 2015, the Groundwork Gallery has offered a commission-free space for artists to show and sell their work. Previously, we’ve relied on the networking efforts of our Gallery Director to find artists. In order to make our gallery more accessible to a diverse community of artists and creatives, we’ve created our first call for art submission page! This blog will cover submission guidelines, how to submit your artwork, and what the process entails once you’ve been selected for an exhibition.
STEP ONE: Submit your artwork
You can submit your work here or by navigating to the Groundwork Gallery homepage. Guidelines and requirements are provided in the submission form but we’ll review some important details below.
An overview of submission guidelines
- We accept art submissions year round and review submissions on a rolling basis. There is no deadline to submit.
- Themes and mediums are open. But please do not submit work that is derogatory, offensive, or sexual in nature.
- We encourage student and youth submissions. However, minors are required to have an adult present throughout the exhibition process (install, deinstall, art opening, art talks, etc.)
- Artwork images and bio must be uploaded directly to the submission form. Please note, you will need to login to a Google account. This is a requirement in order to upload files.
- Artists should submit examples of their work and ensure high quality of images.
- Your submissions must include an artist bio as well as brief statement about the submitted work.
- The Groundwork Gallery is commission-free meaning that artists collect the full amount of any work they sell. This also means that Groundwork does not handle art sales. All sales are the responsibility of the artist.
- Our current response time for submissions is around one month. If you haven’t heard from us after 30 days, or if you have any questions, feel free to reach out to gallery@groundwork.space.
Our gallery schedule is full for 2025. There may be circumstances where we seek art for this year; however, most artists will be considered for exhibitions starting in 2026.
Group Art Shows
We strongly encourage group shows as their collaborative nature aligns deeply with our mission and they often result in higher engagement and turnout at art openings. If you are organizing your own group exhibit, one representative should submit and include the names of all others artists in the specified section on the submission form.
Alternatively, even if you apply as a solo artist, our Gallery Director will take note of the synergy between artist application and may suggestion group shows accordingly.
STEP TWO: Connect with the Gallery Director
Once you’ve been accepted for an exhibition, our Gallery Director, Korie Ellis will be your main point of contact. You will coordinate with Korie to install your work and set a date for your opening exhibition. Artists are expected to install and deinstall their own work but the Gallery Director will be available to assist with this process.
Most exhibitions run between 1-3 months. We provide a gallery contract that outlines the exhibition run time, a date for deinstallation, liability, and other important details. The gallery contract is reviewed and signed prior to installation.
Once selected, the Gallery Director will request the following information:
- Title & a brief description of your exhibit
- Date, time & duration of your opening exhibit
- Finalized artist bio and artist statement
- Artist headshot
- An event flyer
- Price list and means of collecting payment (such as a QR code and/or an email address for buyers to contact directly)
- Any additional details about your art opening: Are you hosting an artist talk? Providing snacks & refreshments? Entertainment? Vendors? These are all optional additions to your art opening.
- Please note all expenses with the exception of exhibit signage are the responsibility of the artist(s).
STEP THREE: Complete an artist spotlight Q&A
Artists will have the option to complete a Meet the Artist spotlight which appears on the Groundwork blog. A Groundwork team member will send the spotlight questions a few weeks prior to the opening exhibition. We feature the spotlight in our monthly newsletter and share it across our social platforms. We also promote your exhibition on these channels and submit your art opening to public event calendars. Artists are encourage to share and promote their exhibition as well.
STEP FOUR: Attend your art opening
Creation is often a solitary endeavor, but opening night is a chance to celebrate your art and connect with the community of art lovers who attend your exhibition. You can host an artist talk. Answer questions. Share the thoughts and ideas behind your current body of work. Or just sit back and enjoy the experience of others experiencing your work. This is your day. The choice is yours to put as much or as little into it as you want.
Be sure to arrive early if you are setting up refreshments, music, or anything else that requires preparation.
Selling art, prints, & other merch
Your art can remain on sale for the full length of the exhibition. Make sure you have a means of managing sales so interested buyers can contact you directly (you will have set this up prior to your art opening).
The easiest way to do this is with a QR code to your PayPal or Venmo along with your contact information and price list displayed in the gallery. Any inquiries about your art will be directed to this display so be sure it is clear and accurate.
You are also welcome to have prints, sticker, and other merch for sale during your exhibition. These items will only be available for purchase during staffed hours. We can provide a locked cash box for these smaller purchases; however the sale of expensive items should be managed directly by the artist.
We welcome drop-in visitors to the gallery during our business hours Monday-Friday 9AM-2PM. Artwork will remain in the gallery until the exhibition ends. The artist is responsible for distributing their sold work. We do not collect any commission. Artists keep the full amount of what they make and are solely responsible for all art transactions.
STEP FIVE: Pick up your artwork
When the day arrives to pick up your art, our Gallery Director will meet you at Groundwork to assist with the deinstallation. You are welcome to submit again in the future; however, we will prioritize artists who haven’t yet exhibited their work.
That covers everything you need to know about our open call for submissions. If you have any additional questions, feel free to email us at gallery@groundwork.space
- CALL FOR ART: Submission guidelines and other useful information - September 22, 2025
- The Art of Jim Charette: Four Decades of Chaos and Creation - July 21, 2025
- Meet our Gallery Director: Korie Ellis-St. Pierre - April 30, 2025