Open Call Art Exhibition: Fully Human
Ends on
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: Cash prize for 1st & 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.