Enigmatic Encounters: The Veil Grows Thin

Description

Enigmatic Encounters 2026: The Veil Grows Thin

Exhibit

As the boundary between worlds becomes fragile, what emerges from beyond?

The Veil Grows Thin invites artists to explore the mysterious spaces where reality and imagination overlap. Inspired by folklore, spirits, dreams, unseen forces, and the liminal places between what is known and unknown, this exhibit seeks works that capture the eerie, the ethereal, and the enchanted.

Whether your art reveals ghostly encounters, ancient legends, supernatural landscapes, forgotten memories, or personal interpretations of the unseen, we invite you to share your vision. Help us uncover the beauty, wonder, and mystery that linger just beyond the veil.

Works may be submitted in most forms of digital media including but not limited to:

Traditional: paint, illustration, sculpture, pottery, mixed media, installations;Digital and Video: short film, video, animation, game art,digital illustration, graphic design, photography, 3D print;Fiber Art: fiber creations, quilting, embroidery, and more.PLEASE NOTE: this is for a physical gallery, not an online display. The work may be digitally rendered, but will be displayedas a physical piece in our space. Films and animations will be displayed on monitors. No digital submissions longer than 2 min.

NO AI ARTWORK WILL BE ACCEPTED

Enigmatic Encounters: The Veil Grows Thin will be displayed in the gallery at:

Create Appalachia Kingsport Center for Art & Technology

225 W. Center St., Suite 115 Kingsport, TN 37660

Important Dates

Submission Deadline: August 12, 2026

Notification of selected artists: August 15, 2026, By 9:00pm

Drop off dates: Artwork Drop-Off Dates:Thursday, August 20:   5:00pm - 7:00pmSaturday, August 22:   10:00am - 2:00pm

**Physical work must be dropped off in person or mailed to Create Appalachia**

Exhibit Opening: August 28, 2026

Open House/Artist Reception: September 3, 2026, 6:00pm-8:00pm

Exhibit Closing: October 30, 2026

Artwork Pickup: Saturday, November 7th from 10:00am-2:00 pm

or

Tuesday, November 10th from 2:00pm-5:00pm

Entry Fee: $30 for up to 3 submissions; if the works are part of a series, please note the series name in your submission. Artists may enter more than three works, but each additional set of 1-3 files will require an additional $30 fee.

Presentation: 2D artworks accepted into the show must be delivered ready to hang (see definition below). 3D artworks & installations must be accompanied by detailed instructions & reference photos. New media, sound, and video work should be sent as .mp4 or .mp3 files. If you are including equipment necessary to display the work (digital frames, I-pads, min-projectors, etc.) please let us know ahead of time.

OUR DEFINITION OF READY-TO-HANG: Hanging artwork must be wired or otherwise ready to hang so it is easy to secure on our gallery walls. Create Appalachia utilizes a track hanging system with various hook sizes. We prefer works with secure wires. Claw tooth, cardboard, or triangle hooks are NOT recommended as they often do not accommodate our hooks. No magnets, tape, or loose paper items. NOTE: Work that does not meet these specifications will not be included in the exhibit. If you have questions about how to meet our specs, please email createappalachia@gmail.com for more information.

Pickup/Drop off: Please be respectful of our pickup and drop off dates and hours. Artists are expected to make arrangements to drop their pieces off and pick them up again on the scheduled dates and during scheduled hours. Please check these dates carefully before submitting your files to make sure that you or a designee can meet our deadlines. We are a non-profit gallery run by volunteers and cannot accommodate special requests for alternate dates and times.

Shipping/Delivery: Accepted works must be dropped off in person and picked up in person. Works can be shipped to Create Appalachia but the artist must make prior arrangements by emailing createappalachia@gmail.com. All shipped work must include return shipping labels and the artist will pay all expenses. If there is no return shipping label, the artwork will not be returned. (See policy on unclaimed artwork, below.)

Sales: Create Appalachia will retain a 30% commission on all works sold. Please price your work to include the commission in your total retail price. Payment for works sold will be made to artists within 30 days of the close of the exhibit or sooner. All works submitted will be for sale unless marked “not for sale” (NFS). 

Unclaimed work: Artwork left for more than 30 days after the last pickup date will become the property of Create Appalachia and will be sold (with no commission to the artist) or otherwise disposed of. Thank you for understanding that we have very limited space and cannot accommodate storage of art works.

Liability: We take great care to ensure the safety of your artwork while in our possession. The gallery will be responsible for loss or damage for the value that the gallery owes the artist for the work if it had sold. Liability will be limited to the payment that our insurance company pays for such loss.

Submitting Images: Files must be titled with last and first name and title (Sample: DoeJohn-Title.jpg). Please submit as JPGs with a resolution of 1000 pixels in the long dimension. Please note that any accepted work not accurately represented by the entry submission may be rejected.

 Not sure how to enter on this site?  There is a video tutorial below: