Juried Art Process
This is a juried art exhibition. Jurors will review the images of submitted work based on the criteria of the call: does the piece respond to the quote and/or how libraries and archives can serve as conduits of artistry and activism? Inspire and expand the consciousness of what a thriving Pittsburgh regional community would be, is it bold and authentic, does it inspire and challenge others?
Recognition
All works are eligible for award distinctions and awardees will be announced in December 2026. Their creative works may be displayed and performed in person at Carnegie Museums, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh (CLP), the University of Pittsburgh, Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, 1Hood Media and the August Wilson African American Cultural Center (AWAACC), additionally on web and social media channels. Winners and runner’s up will receive their awards and participate in showcases that will take place throughout February 2027.
Monetary Awards
Adult Winners
First Place: $2000
Second Place: $1500
Display Awards
$50
Artist Criteria
- Artists must be a part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area diaspora: https://pittsburghregion.org/real-estate/ as current residents, attending school in Pittsburgh, or those born and still attached to the city.
- Adult Artists are those who are 18 years old or older on November 1st, 2026.
To respect the spirit of diversity and inclusion, we ask that creators keep overall mindfulness when submitting work, specifically:
- I will embrace the concept of a civil community, which abhors violence, theft, and exploitation of others.
- I will support a culture of diversity by respecting the rights of those who differ from me.
- I will contribute to the development of a caring community where compassion for others and freedom of thought and expression are valued.
- I will honor, challenge, and contribute to the artistic heritage left by those who preceded me and work to leave this a better place for those who follow.
Art Originality
- All work must be original, designed, and created by the applicant(s).
- All work must have a relation to the exhibition theme, “Envisioning a Just Pittsburgh,” described above.
- All work must have been completed within the past four years from the exhibition date of February 2027.
- Artwork and descriptions solely generated by AI will not be considered.
Submission Criteria
- Open to all creative mediums including, but not limited to visual art, music, dance, and writing.
- All works will be submitted virtually initially, with winners and selected works hand deliver for installation and performance.
- If selected, the piece to be displayed is restricted to the piece that was submitted Artists will have two weeks from time of winner announcement to drop off their works.
- Physical canvas or fiber art submissions cannot exceed 10 feet wide or taller than 6 feet high.
- Sculptures cannot exceed 15 pounds, 6 feet in height, and 2 by 2 feet in base.
- Participants can submit up to two (2) creative pieces total for the EJP call. Each piece requires its own submission/application. For each application, artists may upload up to three (3) images of the same artwork including wide-angle and detail shots (especially for dimensional work).
Acceptable submission formats
- Images (hi-res) = .png and .jpg
- Documents = .doc and .pdf
Please submit high quality images or videos/audio of your work as these are the only representation of your piece(s) that will be available for judging (physical work will not be judged).
Exhibition Requirements
All work must be ready to hang, exhibit, or be installed during the scheduled hours of operations as determined by the production team. Installation-based works must be installed by the artist and contractor and should take no longer than an 8-hour workday to install. Work will be displayed as is—framing is at the discretion of the artist.
Artists will receive notification of application status in November 2026. Selected artists must sign and return the institutional agreement by December 4, 2026.
All accepted artworks must be delivered in person and picked up at the curated assigned site during the schedule outlined in the acceptance letter. Shipments of artwork cannot be received directly by the sites. Arrangements must be made by the artist to deliver the work to the site per the acceptance letter requirements and exhibition agreement.
Works that are selected for exhibition may be offered for sale at the artist’s discretion. The exhibition will be staged at the discretion of Carnegie Museums, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, the University of Pittsburgh, Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh and an independent contractor. Display locations will be determined by project curator.
Carnegie Museums, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, the University of Pittsburgh, and Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh reserve the right to refuse any work that differs from the concept submitted as well as any inappropriate work or display.
Please reach out to envisioningajustpittsburgh@gmail.com for any additional questions.
(Based on the number of responses we reserve the right to close this form once we have reached our maximum capacity for submissions).
