Fresh Ideas 2026
- Deadline
- 18 days left
- Entry fee
- $40
- Award
- $1,000
- Location
- Lewisville, Texas
- Exhibition window
- Aug 22, 2026 → Sep 26, 2026
- Applicants notified
- Aug 7, 2026
- Size cap
- ≤ 60" max dimension
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About
Submit up to 3 original 2D or 3D artworks created in the last 24 months for a juried regional exhibition and sale.
Overview
Fresh Ideas 2026 is VAL's Annual Premier Juried Art Exhibition and sale, a juried show of new artworks representing current trends in art, housed in the beautiful 2,400 sq ft Lewisville Grand Theater Main Art Gallery.
Key dates
- Submission deadline: July 31st, 11:59 pm (Mountain Time)
- Artist notifications: August 7th–8th
- Deliver artwork: Monday, August 17th (in person only; no shipped artworks accepted)
- Opening reception: Saturday, August 22nd, 7:00 pm–9:00 pm
- Exhibition: August 22nd–September 26th, 2026
- Pick up artwork: Monday, September 28th, 2026
Eligibility
Open to visual artists 18 years and older who reside in Texas. Artwork must have been created in the last 24 months and must not have been previously shown in any VAL exhibits.
Media & size
- 2D: not to exceed 60" × 60" including frame
- 3D: must fit on pedestal or freestanding sculptures cannot have a depth or width that exceeds 36"
- No installations, video submissions, collaborative artwork, or reproductions
Submission requirements
Submit up to 3 original 2D or 3D artworks via Callforentry.org. One image per artwork. Artwork delivered to the gallery must be original—no prints or reproductions. 2D artworks must look professionally finished and be ready for installation. Framed pieces must be equipped with d-rings and stretched with wire (no sawtooth hangers, uniframes, or cleat hangers). Plexiglass must be used instead of glass for pieces larger than 16 × 20. Multi-piece works (diptychs, triptychs, etc.) count as one piece. Hung pieces may not exceed 50 lbs.
Fees
- Non-members of VAL: $55 for up to 3 pieces
- VAL members: $40 for up to 3 pieces
- Entry fee is non-refundable
Awards
- 1st Place: $1,000 and a solo show in summer of the following year at the Lewisville Grand Theater
- 2nd Place: $500
- 3rd Place: $250
- Six Honorable Mentions: $100 each
- People's Choice Award: $100
Content restrictions
The gallery is considered family-friendly. No explicit nudity, confrontational political content, or disrespectful religious images allowed. All artwork must be an original composition of an individual artist.
Juror
Shelby Bennett, Curatorial Assistant for European Art and Prints and Drawings and Assistant to the Chief Curatorial and Research Officer at the Dallas Museum of Art.
- Award
- 1st Place - $1,000 and a solo show in summer of the following year at the Lewisville Grand Theater; 2nd Place - $500; 3rd Place - $250; Six Honorable Mentions @ $100 each; People's Choice Award - $100
- Entry fee
- $40 / $55
- Entries per artist
- Up to 3
- Eligibility
- Open to visual artists 18 years and older who reside in Texas.
- Audience
- Open to all visual artists 18 years and older who reside in Texas
- Size & format
- 2D not to exceed 60" x 60"; 3D must fit on pedestal or freestanding sculptures cannot have a depth or width that exceeds 36"
- Also worth noting
- 2D not to exceed 60" x 60"; 3D must fit on pedestal or freestanding sculptures cannot have a depth or width that exceeds 36"
- Contact
- [email protected]
Every listing links to the organizer's official page. Always confirm deadlines, fees, and entry rules there before you apply.