Open Call - Due by April 5th, 2025
New Growth
Celebrating Juneteenth and Freedom through Black Hair.
Exhibit Theme
The theme of the exhibit is Freedom, with a primary focus on Black Hair and its impact on Juneteenth and African-American culture. Artists will creatively explore various cultural and historical contexts of Black hairstyles—from afros to ‘cornrows’ to locs, braids, and more. These unique hairstyles are significant to the empowerment of formerly enslaved Texans and continue to trend in Black culture.
While Juneteenth celebrates positive ideologies such as ‘freedom’ and ‘liberation,’ it’s difficult to ignore the cold reality of its premise of slavery.
Prospectus
In collaboration with A Beautiful Message, Art Center Waco invites emerging and established African American visual artists living in the State of Texas over the age of 18 to submit their original artworks for a juried exhibition.
This juried group exhibition will primarily feature traditional art mediums and works by African-American visual artists based in Texas over age 18. All content will focus on Black Hair- its cultural and historical significance to Juneteenth, widely known as Freedom Day.
Please read this prospectus carefully, submissions will only be accepted and considered if all requirements are fulfilled and deadlines are met. This is a juried exhibit, not all submissions will be accepted for the exhibit.
Open Call Deadline: April 5, 2025
Artist Notification of acceptance: April 9, 2025
Artwork Drop off: May 6 – May 10, 2025
Exhibit Dates: May 22, 2025 – June 28, 2025
Artwork Pickup: June 30-July 5, 2025
Exhibit Location: Art Center Waco, 701 S. 8th Street, Waco, TX 76706
Why it matters
Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, is a federal holiday celebrating the freedom of 250,000 enslaved people of Texas. On June 19, 1865, nearly two years after the Emancipation Proclamation took effect, Union Troops visited Galveston Bay, Texas.
They announced that all enslaved people of Texas were considered “free” by executive decree. The news sparked a revolution within the Black community, allowing formally enslaved people to reclaim their destiny by reuniting lineages, building schools, obtaining jobs, exploring identity, and more.
Fast forward to 2024, Juneteenth is the first Federal holiday established since Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
Art Center Waco and A Beautiful Message share common values such as diversity, innovation, education, and community-focused projects. Let’s analyze how the theme, ‘Freedom through Black Hair,’ will fulfill each of these core values.
DIVERSITY, INNOVATION, EDUCATION & COMMUNITY
From city-wide parades to communal banquets, Black people in Waco have notoriously celebrated Juneteenth every year. It is one of the most consistent celebratory moments for black people in Waco, with early events documented from 1876. Although the holiday commemorations span many decades, not many (if any) art showings or exhibits focused on Juneteenth are apparent.
By curating a Juneteenth themed exhibit, Black artists and community members can share diverse cultural stories while deepening the understanding of the federal holiday. The exhibit also allows space for additional programming and innovative events such as hair shows, educational presentations, decorative workshops, and more. The goal is to ins
How to submit
- Read the full prospectus to understand key dates, eligibility and artwork requirements.
- Ensure you have all of the required application details ready, you will only be permitted a one-time submission link after making the submission payment.
- Click the ‘Apply’ button
- Purchase 1 ticket for
- Complete the submission form details
- add ‘Communications@artcenterwaco.org’ to your email contacts to not miss out on important open call notifications.
- Look for an email notification from us by April 9th, 2025
- Invite your artist friends by sharing sharing this page or posts on instagram.
Submission Requirements
- This is a juried exhibit, final selection of artworks is subject to jury selection. Submitting does not automatically include your artwork in the exhibit.
- Artist bio up to 100 words
- Artist Statement up to 300 words, related to this work
- Submissions can include up to 3 artworks.
- Max size- 2D 24×36” ; 3D (free standing) 48×48
- Artworks can be for sale. Include retail price (ACW commission = 40%, artist keeps 60%)The sale of works supports both the artist and ACW programming. Please indicate your artwork as NFS (Not For Sale) if not available for purchase.
- Emerging and established visual artists working in all visual media, living in the state of Texas, over the age of 18 and who identify as African American.
- Submission fee is $25 for one entry of up to 3 artworks. This fee supports the operational aspects of the open call and forthcoming exhibit.
- Submitting does not guarantee a spot in the exhibit. By submitting artwork to this Call for Entry, and if your work is selected for this exhibition, you agree to exhibit your work from May 22, 2025 – June 28, 2025.
Artwork Requirements
- All 2D and 3D media are eligible. Sculpture, Painting, Drawing, Printmaking, Photography, Mixed Media, and Ceramic Fine Art are welcome, no digital prints.
- Artwork must have been created in the past 2 years.
- Artwork previously exhibited with ACW is not eligible.
- Artwork previously exhibited at a local gallery in the past year is not eligible.
- All work must be original. Work found to be copied from copyrighted work will not be included. Reprints (ex: digital prints of paintings) and copies are not permitted.
- All work must be exhibition-ready to install.
Hanging hardware: No saw-tooth hangers or clips.
Works on paper, photography, and collage on paper must be framed and ready to hang.
Work that does not adhere to the guidelines, or is deemed not to be a faithful representation of the image submitted, will not be exhibited.
Important Dates
Submission Deadline Saturday, April 5th, 2025 by Midnight CST — ACW will announce the final selection of works on or before Wednesday, April 9th, 2025.
All juried artwork must be on-site at Art Center Waco, on or before Saturday, May 10th no later than 1pm. Any artwork that does not meet that deadline will not be included in the exhibit. Artists are responsible for either dropping off or shipping artwork to Art Center Waco by this date.
Drop-off and Shipping
In-person drop-off
Artwork will be accepted onsite for drop off Tuesday, May 6th – Saturday May 10th.
Art Center Waco Hours:
Tuesday – Friday 10am – 5pm
Saturday – 10am – 2pm
Shipping Instructions
Art Center Waco
“New Growth Exhibit”
701 S. 8th Street
Waco, TX 76706
Artwork Pickup
Participating artists who delivered their art in person will pick it up at the Art Center Waco no later than Saturday, July 5th, 2025 during business hours. We are closed for 4th of July.
Return of Shipped Artwork
Those who shipped their artwork will make arrangements to have it shipped back with the packaging that it came in. The artist is responsible for the cost and arrangement of shipping. The artist is solely responsible for any time, materials, storage, shipment, or other charges that may arise from inadequate packaging, or delayed or redirected shipments. The artwork will be returned no later than July 8th, 2025.
Terms
Liability
Legal Agreement & Participant’s Waiver: Submission of work automatically waives any claim for damage or loss against ACW, including the officers, members, and employees. ACW will exercise reasonable care in handling all entries, but will not assume any liability for loss or damage while in ACW’s possession.
Art Center Waco is not responsible for any damage or loss that may occur during shipping to or from our facility. The artist is responsible for purchasing any extra insurance during shipment. Art Center Waco holds Fine Art Insurance that covers artwork while exhibited in our gallery at 701 S. 8th Street, Waco, TX 76706. Properly completed artist agreements are required for our insurance to cover your artwork.
Usage Rights
The artist retains all copyright interests or claims that they have in their art. By submitting images, you give ACW the right to use and reproduce the images to market and document the exhibition, and to enable the image to be part of an online exhibition.
Artist’s recognition is provided with any use. ACW reserves the right to adjust any deadline(s) as the result of causes beyond its immediate control. Payment of the submission fee indicates acknowledgment of all terms and conditions.
For questions, email communications@artcenterwaco.org