Vita Poetica Journal is an online quarterly publication of creative work explored through a spiritual lens. This may be engaging directly with religious faith or a broader inquiry into meaning and the human experience. We appreciate a sensibility that is open and thoughtful rather than didactic. We seek diversity in experiences, backgrounds, and spiritual perspectives, as well as in genres and art disciplines. We also welcome cross-genre, cross-discipline, or multimedia experimentation. Those interested in submitting are encouraged to read previous issues to gain a sense of the kind of work we're looking for.
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OPEN CALL ART EXHIBITION: FULLY HUMAN, Washington, DC, Oct. 4 - Nov. 15, 2026
We are delighted to announce an art exhibition in Washington, DC, October 4 - November 15, 2026, on the theme "Fully Human." Artists are invited to submit two-dimensional artworks on this theme for consideration. Up to two artists will receive special commendation and a cash prize. Artists selected for the show may be publicized, and winning artists may be featured in a future Vita Poetica journal issue. All entries are automatically considered for publication in the journal.
Entries must be received before the deadline of August 15, 2026 at 11:59pm ET. There is a $5 fee per entry. You may submit up to 3 entries for consideration, but each artwork must be submitted separately as an individual entry.
For further details and to submit, please see guidelines below or click here.
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*Vita Poetica Journal will be closing journal submissions Aug. 15, 2026, and reopening Nov. 15, 2026. We're currently reading for our Autumn 2026 issue, which will be published in print format in the fall of 2026 and online in early 2027.
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GENERAL SUBMISSIONS
During our open submissions window, Nov. 16 - Aug. 14, we accept submissions in poetry, fiction, nonfiction, visual arts, multimedia, reviews, interviews, and contemplative practices.
For reviews, please see full guidelines and suggested review titles on our website here. Reach out to our Reviews Editor Brandon James O'Neil at james@vitapoetica.org.
For interviews, please send queries to our Interviews Editor Christopher Honey at christopher@vitapoetica.org. Include a brief bio and 1-2 writing samples.
For contemplative practices, please see full guidelines on our website here and send queries and submissions to our Contemplative Practices Editor Deb Baker at deb@vitapoetica.org.
For all other genres (poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, visual arts, and multimedia), please see specific guidelines below and use the appropriate Submittable form to submit.
We do not accept previously published work, including web-published or self-published material. Simultaneous submissions are welcome provided you notify us immediately if the work is placed elsewhere.
We ask for first-time rights of publication and request acknowledgment as the first place of publication. All rights revert to the author/artist after publication.
Please allow up to 3 months while we review your submission. We publish on a quarterly cycle, and it can sometimes take a bit longer if the submission arrived in between issues.
We regret that we’re unable to offer payment for publication at this time. Vita Poetica is a nonprofit organization and relies on a small team of volunteers who read every submission carefully. We appreciate your understanding and thank you for sharing your work with us.
Fully Human, Washington, D.C.
Opportunity type: Call for Entry/Open Call
Opportunity Disciplines: All 2D media
Application Deadline: August 15, 2026 11:59pm ET
Prizes: $200 for 1st & $100 for 2nd place; Opportunity for publication in Vita Poetica Journal
Description
Picasso once said “I have spent all my life learning to paint like a child.” He seemed to be pointing us to his desire to go backwards, into the “cloud of unknowing,” into mystery. Here, polished performance and trained technique are stripped away to reveal the inspired vitality that comes out of a person truly free and alive to our Maker and creation around us. This is a person so fully human, no quest is needed to prove it. It is simply lived.
The empire and its cultural norms would have us believe that we need more to be our best as humans—more efficiency, more product consumption, more resources, more influence, more time… But what if we stripped away “the more” and allowed what waters us down to bubble up and burn off as vapor? What essential human qualities remain through this process of distillation? What truly makes a human rich with vitality? And how do we show our whole self to one another?
Artists are invited to probe and interpret these queries in two-dimensional artworks for a show in Washington, DC, opening October 4th and on view until November 15. The show will open in conjunction with the Takoma Park Street Festival and an open gallery. An artist reception for artists available to attend may be scheduled while the show is on view.
Accepted Artwork: We welcome submissions in various 2-D forms, including but not limited to drawing, painting, printmaking, photography, collage/mixed media, and digital media. All artwork should be original and created within the last 5 years. Artwork may not exceed 36 inches in any direction. The use of AI is discouraged in any part of the creation process and must be disclosed in your application.
The jury will select artwork based on quality of work, interpretation of the theme, and the overall cohesion of the exhibition. The jury will also award a special commendation and cash prize to up to two winning artists; $200 for 1st prize and $100 for 2nd prize. Artists selected for the show may be publicized, and winning artists may be featured in a future Vita Poetica journal issue. All submissions are automatically considered for publication in the journal.
Submission Deadline
August 15, 11:59 PM (ET)
Artists will be notified of their acceptance status no later than August 31, 2026.
Artwork must be received in DC no later than September 26, 2026.
Exhibition Date
October 4 – November 15, 2026
Artists are responsible for delivering ready-to-hang artwork in person or via post no later than September 26, 2026. All artwork must be available for the duration of the show, and return shipping/pickup is the responsibility of the artist. Artwork may be for sale, with 100% of the sale going to the artists, but sales will not be managed by Vita Poetica or Seekers Church Art Gallery.
Exhibition Address
276 Carroll Street, NW, Washington, DC 20012
How to Apply
Vita Poetica uses Submittable to review applications. The following information is required to complete your application before the deadline of August 15, 2026 at 11:59pm ET. There is a $5 fee per entry. You may submit up to 3 entries for consideration, but each artwork must be submitted separately as an individual entry.
Required Application Details:
- Contact info
- Artist’s biography
- List of qualifications/prior exhibitions
- Title, media, dimensions and creation date for submitted artwork entry
- High-resolution digital JPG or PNG image(s) of entry — 1 main image and optionally 1 detail image per entry
- Artist statement — up to 250 words describing the entry
- Whether AI assistance was used in any part of the creation process, and if so, details as to how
- Whether the artwork has previously been published by a journal or magazine, print or online
Questions
Please contact us at hello@vitapoetica.org.
Vita Poetica Journal is an online quarterly publication of creative work explored through a spiritual lens. This may be engaging directly with religious faith or a broader inquiry into meaning and the human experience. We appreciate a sensibility that is open and thoughtful rather than didactic. Those interested in submitting are encouraged to read previous issues to gain a sense of the kind of work we're looking for.
Please submit fiction of up to 5,000 words in a standard word-processing format (.doc or .docx).
Vita Poetica Journal is an online quarterly publication of creative work explored through a spiritual lens. This may be engaging directly with religious faith or a broader inquiry into meaning and the human experience. We appreciate a sensibility that is open and thoughtful rather than didactic. Those interested in submitting are encouraged to read previous issues to gain a sense of the kind of work we're looking for.
Please submit creative nonfiction (including personal essay, memoir, reportage, and other types of literary nonfiction) of up to 5,000 words in a standard word-processing format (.doc or .docx).
Vita Poetica Journal is an online quarterly publication of creative work explored through a spiritual lens. This may be engaging directly with religious faith or a broader inquiry into meaning and the human experience. We appreciate a sensibility that is open and thoughtful rather than didactic. We seek diversity in experiences, backgrounds, and spiritual perspectives, as well as in genres and art disciplines. We also welcome cross-genre, cross-discipline, or multimedia experimentation. Those interested in submitting are encouraged to read previous issues to gain a sense of the kind of work we're looking for.
Please submit up to 3 poems at a time, as a single file, in a standard word-processing format (.doc or .docx). Pdf files are permitted if special formatting is required. All efforts are made to preserve formatting in publication across platforms (web, social media), but we may at times be subject to limitations within a particular platform.
Vita Poetica Journal is an online quarterly publication of creative work explored through a spiritual lens. This may be engaging directly with religious faith or a broader inquiry into meaning and the human experience. We appreciate a sensibility that is open and thoughtful rather than didactic. We seek diversity in experiences, backgrounds, and spiritual perspectives, as well as in genres and art disciplines. We also welcome cross-genre, cross-discipline, or multimedia experimentation. Those interested in submitting are encouraged to read previous issues to gain a sense of the kind of work we're looking for.
We welcome visual art, including but not limited to painting, drawing, photography, ceramics, textile, and sculpture. Previously published pieces (in a magazine/journal, print or online) are not eligible. The work should engage, whether directly or indirectly, with our publication's focus on art and spirituality. We ask that artists be familiar with our publication and the art we've featured in past issues before submitting.
Submit up to 5 pieces as a zip file or private link(s). Lower-resolution images may be submitted first, with high-resolution files (300dpi) required upon acceptance. Please include an artist statement of at least 1 paragraph or up to 250 words addressing your work as a whole and the submitted pieces in particular. Submissions without an artist statement will not be considered.
As a digital publication, we are open to exploring new ways to create and share, as well as new ways to publish and help creative people reach as wide an audience as possible. We welcome submissions of multimedia art, short film or performance, audio, and other hybrid or experimental forms suitable for web publishing and within the duration of 15 minutes in length. The work should engage, whether directly or indirectly, the theme of art and faith. Submitters are strongly encouraged to look at past issues to gain a sense of the kind of work we publish. Work may be submitted as a file (compressed if needed) or via private link.