Art and Mass Culture: Commerce Meets Creativity

Description

THE Gallery | BELVEDERE TIBURON LIBRARY         

1501 Tiburon Boulevard, Tiburon, CA. 94920

Art and Mass Culture: Commerce Meets Creativity

CALL FOR ENTRIES

Exhibition Dates: March 19, 2026 to May 13, 2026

We are excited to invite the artist community to submit new works or good fits from your inventory for Art and Mass Culture: Commerce Meets Creativity. This exhibition explores the dynamic intersection between artistic expression, the visual language of mass production, and how artists have embraced, and critiqued consumer culture through bold imagery, commercial aesthetics, and accessible storytelling. Featured works will include pop art and art inspired by comic books, graphic novels, and illustration. By blurring the lines between high art and media from popular culture, a movement made famous by artists like Lichtenstein and Warhol, these genres challenge traditional hierarchies in the art world, reflecting the influences of advertising, entertainment, and everyday life on contemporary visual culture.Invited media are paintings, drawings, and digital art. Submissions will be evaluated on engagement with the theme, technique, overall mastery, creativity, and originality. We will offer layered programming affiliated with this exhibit in order to introduce selected artists to a broad audience.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES 

OPEN TO ARTISTS 18 YEARS AND ABOVE SUBMISSIONS ACCEPTED: Friday, January 2, 2026, 4:00pm SUBMISSIONS CLOSE:  Tuesday, February 3, 2026, 11:59pm JURYING:  If your signature is on the front of your artwork, please cover it when you submit the images of your pieces. Submissions are first anonymously juried by a panel. Exhibition Co-Chairs then consider the highest ranked artworks to curate from in order to build a cohesive show. ARTIST NOTIFICATION:  Saturday, February 14, 2026 ARTWORK DROP OFF DATES: Friday, March 13, 2026, from 11:00am to 1:00pm (preferred) or Saturday, March 14, 2026, from 9:00am to 10:30am (earlier is preferred) ARTWORK PICK UP DATES: Friday, May 9, 2026, 9am to 10:30am (preferred) orSaturday, May 10, 2026, 9am to 10:30am           OPENING RECEPTION:  Thursday, March 19, 2026, 6pm to 8pm COMMISSIONS:  70% to the Artist, 30% to the Library Art Gallery FEE:  $35 for up to 3 images.

ALL WORK SUBMITTED MUST BE FOR SALE – no exceptions.

BEST PRACTICES FOR FILLING OUT YOUR SUBMISSIONS

It is our privilege to showcase outstanding Bay Area artists. Our reputation for quality art is growing. Help us better help you by following--to the letter--the specific and detailed instructions below for exactly how to input this information. PLEASE do your part by inputting your ARTCALL submission as requested below. Please make certain to:

Capitalize the first letter of your first and last name, your street address, your city, and please use CA for the state.
Please input your phone as xxx-xxx-xxxx.
Please input both your unframed and framed dimension as h" x w". Maximum height is 72" and maximum width is 60". Minimum size is 8" x 10" or 10" x 8". If your work falls outside these parameters, don’t submit that piece.
Your Artist Statement and Bio are both limited to 475 characters, roughly 70 words. If the software won't allow you to finish your sentence while inputting the above, you have exceeded the allowable space. Please go back and reduce copy.  
Note: the artist statement will also be included in the jurying process, therefore, do not include your name please.
Each submission MUST be entered separately. Please review the third bullet of REGISTER ONLINE AT ARTCALL to understand how to submit each entry separately.
IMPORTANT:  Update your ArtCall photo before the end of the submission period as we cannot change it after the Call closes. If accepted, your photograph will be featured in the ArtCall and Library Art Gallery "Meet the Participating Artists" web page and in the show’s exhibition album.
If you have a website and/or Instagram address, please be sure they are up to date for inclusion in the exhibition materials.
And finally, please review all your information again (title, price, dimensions, bio, artist statement, artist photo, etc) before the Call closes. Please help us avoid having to make changes and fix typos late in the process. Again, assist us by inputting carefully at the front end to enable exhibition finalization and early marketing. Your understanding and cooperation are most appreciated.

TYPES OF WORK ACCEPTED

Two-dimensional original artworks, including but not limited to, framed or stretched canvas framed works on paper including paintings, drawings, and digital art. 
Reproductions of your art in another medium (e.g. an offset lithograph of your painting or a giclée print of your watercolor) will not be considered. Art created using artificial intelligence will not be considered.
Two-dimensional includes low-relief works (5 inches deep or less measured from the wall as hung). 
We cannot accommodate works that are suspended from the ceiling or free-standing three dimensional pieces (sculpture).
The library is a family destination and subject matter must be acceptable. 
The images submitted must be the creation of and owned solely by the artist submitting. No copyright infringement of any artist, living or deceased, is permitted. 

SIZE / WEIGHT / FRAMING AND FINISHING 

Maximum dimensions of ready-to-hang pieces (including frame, if framed) are 72” high x 60” wide. Work cannot exceed 50 pounds. Minimum dimensions allowed are 8” high x 10” wide or 10" high and 8" wide.
Hanging hardware for accepted work: D-rings with wire (a braided stainless-steel wire or multi-filament preferred). No sawtooth hangers are permitted.
Note:  Most pieces hang well if the D-rings are placed 1/3 to 1/4 down from the top. Please check to assure that a) the top of the artwork does not project out from the wall at an angle when hung and b) the wire is not so long that it shows above the top edge when hung, meaning, the wire should be somewhat taut. 
In some cases, especially larger works, two D-rings towards the top of your frame without a wire across the back work best. 
Regarding installation, please select the above approach that best accommodates our STAS system such that your artwork hangs flat against the wall rather than tips forward.
Art work delivered without appropriate hardware cannot be accepted.

REGISTER ONLINE AT ARTCALL & SUBMIT YOUR ENTRIES

All entries are to be submitted digitally via ArtCall. If you do not have an account on ArtCall.org, you will be asked to create a profile by registering online. This takes only a few minutes, and then you can upload your images.
If you already have an account, sign on with your username and password.
You may submit up to three works of art for consideration. Each submission will need to be entered into ArtCall as a separate entry (click on “Add new Submission” for each entry) with one fee covering all three submissions. For each submission, in addition to the primary image, you may attach two additional images showing details of your artwork with no additional charge. 
Please submit images for each entry in JPG/Jpeg format showing the full piece. Images must be in 72 ppi resolution and between 1920 px (minimum) and 4600 px (maximum) for the longest side. Photo files must not exceed 10MB. If your signature is on the front of your artwork, please cover it when you submit images.

DELIVERY AND DISPLAY

Accepted pieces must be labeled with the artwork’s title, the artist’s name and contact information (email and phone) securely adhered to the back of the piece in the lower right-hand corner.
Wrapping materials must be removed and taken with you upon Intake completion.
Accepted work will be hung in either the principal gallery or the hall gallery with placement at the complete discretion of the exhibition committee. Installation decisions are based on cohesive groupings and an overall visual rhythm re placement. (fyi to artists: more art gets sold from the hallway gallery as viewers are able to connect with artwork more privately.)
Work must remain on view for the duration of the exhibition.
In addition to the physical gallery and gallery hallway, all accepted artwork will be displayed in a Web Gallery and in an exhibition album including your artist’s statement, bio and ArtCall profile picture.
By submitting the images, accepted artists agree the artwork, in whole or in part, may be used by the Library for publicity in various forms including print, online and social media.
Any sales and sales tax will be handled through the Belvedere Tiburon Library Foundation. Artists retain 70% of the purchase price; the Library Art Gallery receives a 30% commission. Please do not submit with us if you cannot honor this arrangement. The Belvedere Tiburon Library cannot guarantee sale of any artwork.
Volunteers will handle your work with utmost care. The library has insurance coverage but strongly recommends that in addition, exhibiting artists carry their own insurance.
Artists outside the Bay Area must include a return shipping label with their shipped artwork.

Please contact us at art@beltiblibrary.org if you have further questions.

Art and Mass Culture Exhibition Co-Chairs: Katie Sutton and Morag Stewart.

Thank you for sharing your artwork with us!