Beyond the Horizon

Description

Call for Entries
Beyond the Horizon
Cowgirl Artists of America Juried Exhibition
Call Open: November 15, 2026 – February 15, 2027(Deadline for submissions to be considered for advertising/promotional designs December 15)Call closes 11:59 PM Central on Feb 15. Non-members are welcome to apply.  
Exhibition Dates: May 1–July 4, 2027
Opening Reception: Friday, April 30, 2027 | 4–6 PM

Location: Ironwood Gallery, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum | Tucson, Arizona
Cowgirl Artists of America (CGA), in partnership with the Art Institute of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, invites artists to submit original artwork for Beyond the Horizon, a juried exhibition at the Museum’s Ironwood Gallery.
The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is a 98-acre zoo, aquarium, botanical garden, natural history museum, and Art Institute located just west of Tucson, Arizona. The Museum will curate and install the exhibition, manage artwork sales, host a public opening reception, and feature the exhibition through its website, online store, and 360° virtual tour.
At a Glance
*Open call; CGA membership is not required
*All mediums, contemporary and traditional approaches, welcome
*Up to 3 artworks may be submitted
*No size restrictions
*Artwork must have been created within the last four years and not previously exhibited in Tucson
*December 15, 2026:  Early submission deadline for promotional consideration. Artists who wish to have their work considered for official exhibition graphics must submit by this date. Early submission does not guarantee exhibition acceptance.
*Artists receive 70% of the retail price; the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum retains a 30% commission
*CGA members receive 15% off the application fee. Code found in member space.(Want to become a member before applying? Email info@cowgirlartistsofamerica.org for a special “Beyond the Horizon” enrollment link.)
*Original artwork only. No AI-generated imagery or automated image-creation/interpretation tools. See Artistic Authorship & AI Policy below.
Application Fee:
First entry: $35
Optional second entry: +$5
Optional third entry: +$5
Application fees are non-refundable. Refunds are not given for incomplete applications. We do not recommend applying at the last minute as help is not offered 24 hours a day 7 days a week. CGA member discounts must be applied at the time of purchase and cannot be retroactively applied.
Thematic Guidance
Beyond the Horizon invites artists to explore the natural intersection of Western art and the missions of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and its Art Institute: inspiring people to live in harmony with the natural world through appreciation and understanding of the Sonoran Desert, and advancing conservation through art education.
Artists are invited to consider the West as an interconnected ecosystem, including relationships among species, habitats, water, plants, pollinators, keystone species, predators and prey, and the many forms of adaptation and interdependence that shape the natural world. This thematic direction was developed with the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Art Institute.
Jury Process
CGA will conduct an initial eligibility review. Incomplete applications or submissions that do not meet eligibility or submission requirements will not advance.
Following this review, a panel of jurors will review the submitted works along with each artist’s bio, statement, and CV. Jurors will view the work independently and collectively when making final exhibition selections based on the following criteria:
*Initial impression*Composition and design*Technical execution*Attracts and holds attention*Aesthetic quality*Relevance to the exhibition theme
Awards
Best in Show and Honorable Mention will be selected by awards jurors, in person.
Submission Instructions and Tips
Submit a clear, sharp, well-lit image of the artwork only (no framing, etc.).
Please note the system times out after 60 minutes for security. Make sure to save your progress. We recommend that you do not type/edit your documents inside the ArtCall platform, as data will be lost if the system times out.
You may edit your application until the Call for Art closes on February 15, 2027, at 11:59 PM Central.
Technical Notes
*JPG files*Files must be 10 MB or less*Images must be between 2400 pixels minimum and 3600 pixels maximum on the longest side*No specific file-name requirements
Accepted Artwork & Shipping
Artists are responsible for shipping accepted artwork. A prepaid return shipping label must be included with each shipped artwork.
Airfloat StrongBox™ or a comparable reusable fine-art shipping container is required by the Museum.
Important Dates
November 15, 2026–February 15, 2027: Call for Art open
February 20, 2027: Acceptance notifications
February 28, 2027: Accepted Artist Agreements due
April 12–16, 2027: Accepted artwork must arrive at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
April 30, 2027 | 4–6 PM: Opening Reception, open to the public
May 1–July 4, 2027: Beyond the Horizon, Ironwood Gallery, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
July 5, 2027 | 12–4 PM: In-person pickup of unsold artwork, advance RSVP required
Within four weeks of exhibition close: Unsold shipped artwork returned to artists
By submitting an application, artists certify that their submitted artwork and artistic process comply with all eligibility, originality, copyright, and AI requirements stated in this prospectus.
Please direct questions regarding the Call for Art to:
info@cowgirlartistsofamerica.org
Originality, Artistic Authorship & AI Policy
Guiding Principle: Artistic Authorship
Regardless of medium or process, the submitting artist must make their own artistic and creative decisions and create the finished artwork themselves. Work must be original.
Digital tools such as Lightroom or Photoshop may be used as part of the artist’s process. However, AI-generated imagery and generative AI tools are not permitted in any part of the creation process.
Artists may not use AI, posterization filters, paint-by-number generators, or similar tools to generate, stylize, simplify, or interpret an image and then reproduce that generated interpretation as their artwork. Tools may not generate creative content or make artistic decisions on the artist’s behalf.
Works that are pre-printed and painted over are not accepted. Works created in a class, workshop, or under instruction may not be submitted.
Process Verification
CGA reserves the right to request reference images, original unedited photographs, source files, intermediate working files, progress photographs, written permissions, or other documentation of an artist's process when necessary to verify eligibility. Failure to provide requested documentation may result in disqualification.
Reference Materials
Artists may work from their own reference materials. Use of another photographer's or artist's reference material requires the express written permission of the copyright holder for the creation and commercial sale of the resulting artwork. CGA reserves the right to request documentation of this permission.Photography Categories: Photographers please ensure you select the correct category when submitting your work.Photography (Documentary) Photography with no post production, beyond standard film development or digital photography printing. Film Photography- Photographs captured on a film camera with no digital post-processing. Photography (Digital)Photography with a digital camera intent to capture what is actually seen. Any significant manipulation (if added) of an image is done primarily in camera, with only basic corrections done in post production.
Photography (Digital Art Photography)Photographs that have a significant amount of post production with editing intended to alter or enhance the original image beyond reality. Images that contain multiple photos taken with different lenses and stitched together, or images that are heavily edited in post production to significantly add, take away, or distort what was seen go into this category. This category also includes photographs that have been edited in post-production to appear as a painting or drawing.