Independence for Whom?

Description

Independence for Whom?
Amplifying Voices, Honoring Histories
As we approach the 250th anniversary of our nation's independence, we face a challenging question: Independence for whom? Women and marginalized groups continue to fight for representation, recognition, and equity in every arena. Rights and freedoms that our forebears struggled to obtain are being systematically stripped away. Our stories are suppressed, our voices are muted, and our contributions are marginalized.
This milestone of American independence from colonial rule provides an opportunity to confront the legacy of inequity and re-imagine independence as a shared promise. What kind of world can we create when we are all truly free? The Women’s Caucus for Art invites all women-identified artists in the United States to submit work that amplifies our narratives, addressing themes such as:

Freedom and Equity: What does independence truly mean, and for whom?
Resilience and Resistance: Representations of struggle, survival, and strength.
Voices of the Marginalized: Perspectives often overlooked in history and society.

Approximately 50 works will be featured in a juried exhibition June 20 to August 8, 2026, at the Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton, VA. This unique setting, once a suffragist prison and now a vibrant arts space, highlights the enduring legacy of women's voices and the transformative power of art. A closing reception will be held August 8, 2026, from 6 – 8pm EST.
We invite you to join us in amplifying voices, celebrating stories of independence, and using art to inspire transformative changes. Together, we will challenge the status quo and redefine what independence means in the 21st Century.
Visit workhousearts.org
to learn more about this historic venue and support its mission to inspire and connect people through the transformative power of art.
Juror Information
Shanna Aberle, artist and educatorJanathel Shaw, artist and educatorDebra Wright, artist, activist, and Regional Coordinator Chair, The Feminist Art Project (TFAP)
Carter Wynne, MFA Student
Eligibility
All women-identified artists in the United States. Join us at www.nationalwca.org.
Submission Requirements
Please follow all instructions carefully to ensure an accurate and high-quality presentation
of your work. Submissions that do not follow the guidelines will not be accepted.
Each entry must contain the following information:
ARTIST STATEMENT (up to 200 words)
Please provide a statement regarding your entry and your submission’s relevance to the exhibition theme.
DIMENSIONS
Please include the dimensions of your work in inches (L x W x H).
Media
Please describe your artistic media: oil on canvas, handmade paper, digital illustration, fiber arts, etc.
Digital Media:
The digital media you submit will be used to present your work in an online gallery and should follow best practices for art photography and professionalism. If your work is accepted, your images will be used in the exhibition catalog.
Photos should be titled with your last name, artwork title, and dimensions.
(ex. Smith_Artwork_5inx7inx2in.jpg)
Image Requirements: You may include up to three images per submission. Images must high resolution at 72dpi, but no larger than 4000px on the longest side.
Video Requirements: The resolution for video files is SD 720p or HD 1080p. MPEG-4 format is preferred for optimal performance.

Artwork Price/NFS: Please give price of art or mark as not for sale (NFS)
Entry Fees
All submissions are subject to a $40 entry fee for non-members, and WCA Members will receivea coupon code reducing the fee to $26. (Code will be posted)
Deadline for Submission
All entries must be received by 11:59 pm EST
on January 31, 2026
Agreement and Release
By submitting this application, I confirm I have read and agree to the conditions outlined in this prospectus. I give WCA permission to use images of artwork accepted into the exhibition for publicity and archival purposes. Images of my work will be attributed to me and may be featured on social media and at www.nationalwca.org. I agree to allow the reproduction of my digital files and/or photographs of my art for educational, publicity, and archival purposes.
Workhouse Gallery will remain a 30% commission on each sale. Entry fees are NON-REFUNDABLE. 
Entry Instructions
The information you provide will be used to present your work. Please carefully review your information for accuracy and completeness before submission.
Follow this link to complete your entry: https://independenceforwhom.artcall.org

ABOUT THE GALLERY

Workhouse Arts Center
9518 Workhouse Wy, Lorton, VA 22079
(703) 584-2900
Business Hours: Wed–Sat 11am–6pm
Sun 12–5pm, Closed Mon & Tues
https://www.workhousearts.org

https://www.facebook.com/Workh...
@workhousearts

ABOUT OUR JURORS
Shanna Aberle is a Virginia-based artist whose practice is driven by an inherent curiosity about the possibilities within diverse materials. Her work spans an array of mediums, including charcoal, mixed media sculpture, oil paint with wax, watercolor, wire, and wood. Her technique, characterized by meticulous attention to detail, incorporates elements such as pointillism, obsessive line work, and the precise craftsmanship of dovetail joints—skills she refined during her studies at the University of Mary Washington (UMW), where she graduated summa cum laude in 2024 with Studio Art Departmental Honors, as well as minors in Contemplative Studies and Business Administration. Shanna’s work has been exhibited at the UMW Galleries and Fredericksburg Center for the Creative Arts, where it has earned multiple Honorable Mentions and awards. Her sculpture Coopered Stand, crafted from poplar wood with coopered legs and dovetail joints, received the Award of Excellence at the 2022 Annual UMW Student Art Exhibition.
Janathel Shaw is a ceramic sculptor, a pencil portrait artist and educator. She earned an Associates of Arts degree from Prince Georges Community College, a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Master of Fine Art from George Washington University. Janathel is a member of Touchstone Gallery in DC, a member of the Black Artists of DC, and NCECA (National Council on the Education of Ceramic Arts). She has exhibited at Northern Clay Center in MN, Crawford Museum in Sacramento, CA, the D’Amour Museum in Springfield, MA, the McLean Project for the Arts, VA, the Washington Sculptor’s Group, Joan Hisaoka Gallery, WDC, the Cosmos Club, WDC, The Society for Contemporary Art, Pittsburgh, PA, the Manchester Craftsman Guild, Pittsburgh, PA, to name a few. Ms. Shaw has also been cited or published in the following: Contemporary Confrontational Ceramics by Judith Schwartz; East City Arts, The Washington Post, Ceramic Review, Ceramics Monthly, Studio Potter, and Afro News.
Debra Wright is an artist and curator based in Northern Virginia. Her work as a found object, installation, and avant-garde artist explores themes of social justice, human rights, and personal identity. Wright's art has been exhibited internationally in traditional venues, as well as in public art installations throughout the Washington metropolitan area. As a curator, Wright brings her artistic vision and community engagement to the forefront. She served on the City of Fairfax Commission on the Arts, where she chaired the Public Art Committee from 2021 to 2024. In 2025, she was selected as the Curator of The Stacy C. Sherwood Community Center in Fairfax, Virginia. Wright is actively involved in the art community through her roles as Regional Coordinator Chair of The Feminist Art Project, Artist Member of The Museum of Modern Art, Supporting Member of The National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D. C., and Ally of 5célula Arte y Comunidad, an alliance of artists and collectives from Mexico, Latin America, Asia, and the rest of the world.
Carter Wynne is a self-taught painter and curator, raised and based in Washington, D. C. Her work explores the emotional weight of entrenched inequity, tracing how personal and collective experiences are politicized, obscured, or transformed into sites of resistance. Rooted in a decade of organizing and a former career in civil rights, Carter uses painting as visual rhetoric: a means of bearing witness, challenging hegemonic systems, and insisting on relational clarity in an age of desensitization. Her curatorial work investigates the potential of play as an insurgent force. Drawing from her lived experience, Carter’s practice affirms that art and justice are not separate pursuits but entangled partners. She holds a B. A. in Art History and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from Colby College. Her paintings have been exhibited throughout the Washington D. C. metro area and Baltimore, including Hillyer Gallery and Sheila & Richard Riggs Gallery. Her curatorial work “Intrinsic Tool” has most recently been exhibited at the DC Arts Center.

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