An open-call exhibition of portrait art

“Portrait: a painting, drawing, photograph, or engraving of a person, especially (but not limited to) one depicting only the face or head and shoulders.”

Among one of the oldest, simplest, and most common art forms is portraiture. While the portrait is most often associated with the depiction of a person’s face, it can be far more than that. A portrait captures not only a person’s features but their essence. Through style and substance, an artist can translate their subject’s mood and spirit in a myriad of ways, lending the canvas or photograph an identity of its own. People are extraordinary and complex; portraits are the way that we explore those complexities, exposing the simple and beautiful details that reveal the true nature of a person. With “Capturing Essence” we invite artists of all skill levels to undertake the challenge of portraiture with any subject of their choosing.

Open to all mediums including painting, drawing, mixed media, and photography.

Submission Guidelines for Capturing Essence

Please read them carefully before submitting artwork!

The deadline is Friday, March 22nd, 2024.

*Artists may submit up to Three pieces for consideration. (There is no submission fee)

*All artists, regardless of experience level, are encouraged to submit. 

*All media is accepted, including sculpture. There are no size restrictions, so long as the piece will fit through standard doorways, weigh no more than 50 lbs, and is ready to display. (3-dimensional pieces must be display-ready, either free-standing or wall-hanging)

*Please upload quality images (no more than 2MB in size, jpeg, no less than 1MB) labeled appropriately for identification purposes (ex: lastname_title.jpg) 

IF YOU ARE MISSING CRITERIA YOUR SUBMISSION MAY NOT BE ACCEPTED.

*Artists not from the SWFL area are responsible for any and all shipping costs for the delivery of accepted artwork and the return of unsold work.

*Pending acceptance, artwork must be ready to display. 2D work must be ready to hang with hanging wire or appropriate hardware, and the sculpture must be free-standing. Pedestals can be provided for small-scale 3D works. Any works not display-ready upon the drop-off date are subject to rejection!

*Artwork must have been produced within the past 24 months. 

Art previously exhibited at SBDAC shows will not be accepted.

**Most importantly, artwork must adhere to the theme of “Capturing essence” – portraiture.