Freeport Art Museum 22nd Regional Juried Show

Description

CALL FOR ARTISTS
22nd Regional Juried Exhibition
Freeport Art Museum - Freeport, Illinois

Exhibition Dates: May 9th, 2026 - July 18th, 2026
Opening Reception: Saturday, May 9th, 5 - 8 PM
Applications are due March 2nd, 2026
Acceptance Notification March 20th, 2026
Up to four artworks may be submitted by each artist. ($45 for up to four works. $35 for museum members)

This annual competition is open to artists living in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. The Freeport Art Museum's annual Regional Juried Exhibition (RJE) mission is to offer established and emerging artists the opportunity to debut work created in the last two years. Opening on Friday, May 9th, 2026, the show runs through July 18th, 2026. As FAM has gained a distinguished reputation for displaying a wide range of contemporary art, this exhibition has become a visitor's favorite. Each year, FAM invites a new juror to select approximately 50 artworks for inclusion, and to give awards for first, second, third place, and honorable mention. Award winners are announced at the opening reception. The awards are 1st place $300, 2nd place $200, 3rd place $100, and honorable mention.The museum retains 10% of the sales price of work sold while on exhibit during the Regional Juried Exhibition.

This year's juror is Brian Allen.

Brian Allen is the Executive Director of Quad City Arts, where he brings a passion for relevance, accessibility, and community-centered arts engagement. Throughout his career, he has championed the belief that meaningful cultural experiences should meet people where they are, whether in schools, parks, galleries, airports, or public spaces.
Before joining Quad City Arts, Allen served as Executive Director of the German American Heritage Center and Museum, where he expanded audience engagement through innovative family-focused programs and impactful community partnerships. He previously worked at the Figge Art Museum, managing the Studio School and education galleries, leading the merger with the Bereskin Academy, and curating community-driven exhibitions with local schools and colleges.
A longtime advocate for arts access, Allen’s commitment extends beyond his professional roles. A former AmeriCorps member, he serves on the boards of Arts Basics and the Association of Fundraising Professionals (Quad Cities Chapter) and volunteers with his local Cub Scout committee. He holds an MA in Museum Studies from Western Illinois University and a BFA in Painting and Drawing from Illinois State University, with additional studies in San Francisco and Tokyo that broadened his global perspective.
Originally from the Chicago area, Allen now lives in Orion, IL with his wife and three children, all of whom are deeply engaged in the arts. His personal experiences, from collaborative art installations to cross-country trips in a vintage van, influence his creative outlook and his belief in the transformative power of the arts. As he leads Quad City Arts, he looks forward to empowering artists, strengthening community connections, and ensuring that the arts remain an inspiring, accessible force throughout the Quad Cities.

IF YOUR WORK IS SELECTED:
Acceptance Notification March 20th, 2026
Delivery Dates: Thursday, April 16th, 2026 - Saturday, April 25th, 2026 during regular museum hours.
Pickup Dates: July 23rd - July 30th during regular museum hours.

All works must have been completed within the last 2 years.

Works previously exhibited at the FAM are ineligible.

Accepted works must remain on display for the duration of the exhibition.

Works not-for-sale will be listed as NFS, but they must still include a value for insurance purposes.

 
EXHIBITION SPECIFICATIONS

Artwork is installed by FAM staff. Works requiring special installation, including 2D larger than 5ft. and 3D over 100 lb., are welcome but must be approved before they are submitted.

2D work must be ready to hang. Works on paper must include an appropriate hanging device. Do Not Use Sawtooth Hangers. Non-traditional forms of presentation must be communicated to the director of exhibitions and accompanied by detailed instructions.

FAM will insure the selected works at fair market value while on the museum premises, beginning from the delivery dates throughout the pickup dates.

Artists are responsible for insurance while the works are in transit. SHIPPING AND DELIVERY

Artists are expected to include a typed label identifying the Title, Artist’s full name, and Media. All packaging must also have labels to match the artwork it belongs to.

Artists who are notified of their acceptance into the exhibition will receive an exhibition contract with their notification email. This contract must be completed and presented to museum staff when the work is delivered.

Accepted works may be delivered or shipped to FAM in order to arrive between April 16th and April 25th during regular museum hours. (See museum hours)
Shipped works must arrive in a reusable shipping container. A pre-paid return shipping label and the completed exhibition contract must arrive with the work.

Accepted works must arrive by 5 pm on Saturday, April 25th, 2025 unless pre-approved by FAM Staff.

All shipping and or transit costs are the artist's responsibility.

Please contact FAM with questions or concerns.

Applications for RJE22  are due March 2, 2026
Steps To Get Started

Click “register” at the top right corner to create an account on ArtCall. Fill in all specified information including your first and last name, email, and password. Once you have registered, click “login” to submit entries to our call.

Log in to your account and you will see a button that says “add new application.” Click to add. Remember: you will need to add a new application for each piece of work you plan on submitting. Think of applications as individual submissions.

After adding a new application, you will see several blank fields that say “category, sub-category, title, and dimensions.” Using the drop-down menu for “category” and “sub-category”, choose the categories that best describe your artwork. Each category will have at least one sub-category. You may only select one sub-category per entry. If there is only one sub-category, please select that sub-category. In the field that says “title”, please put the title of your work, your last name, and RJE22 as in the following example: A Long Way Home_Jones_RJE22

Below the blank fields, you will see a box where you can add images of your artwork. You may submit four artworks. (Again: Each submission is a new Application.) Please submit no more than 1 image of each 2D artwork and 2 images of each 3D artwork. Submission attachments must be under 4mb and a maximum of 4800px on the longest side. All artwork must be original and completed within the last two years.

Once you have filled in all information and added images of your artwork, click “submit.” Please only give title, dimensions, and media. You will have the ability to edit your application after submission until the due date, March 2nd, 2026.

Once your application is submitted, it will be blind juried by a juror chosen by the staff of the Freeport Art Museum. You will receive a notification email after final decisions have been made on March 20th.

User Entry Process Tutorial
Here is a tutorial that takes you step-by-step through the application process.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7QnOh5WBhM&t=7s

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the application process or your application, please contact the Freeport Art Museum at (815)235-9755 or email the Director of Programs and Exhibitions Sarah Tapper at stapper@freeportartmuseum.org.