Light of a Clear Blue Morning

Overview

Kinhouse invites artists to submit work for a group exhibition exploring light, hope, and the small acts of beauty that carry us through winter's dark. Taking its title in spirit from Dolly Parton's Light of a Clear Blue Morning, this exhibition asks us to sit with the dark honestly and to find or make the soft, luminous things that help us through it.

What we're looking for

• The winter solstice as threshold — the turning point between darkness and returning light
• Hope that isn't naive, but hard-won: the kind that comes after a long night, not instead of it
• Softness as a form of resilience — comfort, warmth, tenderness, rest
• Literal or symbolic light: candles, lanterns, dawn, fire, the glow that persists in low light
• Ritual, gathering, and the ways communities make it through winter together
• Quiet, interior, or domestic scenes that hold beauty in small, unremarkable moments

Media

All mediums welcome — painting, drawing, textile, ceramics, photography, printmaking, sculpture, fiber art, and mixed media. We're especially drawn to work that embraces softness in both subject and material.

Key dates

• Submission deadline: October 26, 2026
• Exhibition opening reception: Friday, December 4, 2026
• Exhibition closing: January 22, 2027

Eligibility

Persons with any gender identity, ability, and from any location are welcome to apply. Work must be submitted in its finished state (no works in progress) and available to be shown December 4, 2026 through January 22, 2027 in the gallery in Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA.

Application requirements

• Submit 1–3 digital images, audio files, or video files (max 3 total items)
• Work must be available for installation upon reception
• Work must come ready to hang and include any special installation equipment in the shipment