The Annual Juried Members Exhibition is the New Britain Museum of American Art’s opportunity to expose contemporary visual arts to a wide audience. This prominent showcase in the Northeast region highlights the exceptional work of emerging and established artists in all media.

2026 Exhibition Dates:

August 15–September 13, 2026

Reception and Awards: Sunday, August 16, 12-1:30 p.m.

2026 Important Dates:

• March 30, 2026: Submissions begin on CaFÉ
• June 5, 2026: Deadline for submissions on CaFÉ
• June 29, 2026: Notification on CaFÉ and nbmaa.org
• July 30, 2026: Receiving of accepted works, 9:30-11 a.m., 3:30-5 p.m. at the Museum
• August 3, 2026: Deadline for shipped artwork
• Aug. 15 - Sept. 13, 2026: Duration of exhibition
• August 16, 2026: Reception and Awards Ceremony, 12-1:30 p.m. at the Museum
• September 13, 2026: Close of exhibition
• September 16, 2026: Pick-up of displayed works, 1-5 p.m. at the Museum

Prizes:

• First Prize: $1,000
• Second Prize: $500
• Third Prize: $250
• Juror’s Award: Upgraded Membership to Friend’s Circle level
• Visitors’ Choice: Upgraded Membership to Friend’s Circle level

2026 Juror:

Robert Calafiore
Associate Dean of Finance and Administration, Hartford Art School, University of Hartford

Calafiore was born in New Britain, Connecticut, to Italian immigrants who arrived to the United States in 1947. Both his early childhood and young adult experiences have played a significant role in shaping his interests and practice. Raised in a traditional Roman Catholic home, and part of a large extended family, the religious influence and the strong ties to family, traditions, culture, history, and work ethic, contribute to molding the way he relates to the world. He was the first to attend college, noting he is a first-generation American. His long-term pinhole series has focused on the shift from interactions in a physical world to those in a digital life, questioning what it means to be human. After attending art school for both BFA and MFA degrees, Calafiore has focused on his artistic practice while administrating, teaching and promoting the fine arts, internally and externally from a university staff and faculty position.

He received his MFA in Photography from the State University of New York at Buffalo and his BFA in Photography from Hartford Art School. Currently he lives and works in West Hartford, Connecticut, exhibiting his work nationally and internationally. He is represented by ClampArt, New York City.

His most recent solo exhibition, “As My Eyes Open and You Disappear,” which took place in November 2026 at Clamp, NYC, included new figurative works. His next exhibition, a two-person show with Ellen Carey, will open in September 2026 in Hartford, CT.

Eligibility:

National and International artists 18 years or older with current NBMAA membership. Original works accepted in all media, executed during the past five years and never previously exhibited in this Museum.

Entry Fee:

A $40.00 entry fee will be charged for the first piece submitted and $20.00 per piece after that up to a total of three total works submitted. Check, Visa, Discover, Mastercard, or American Express will be accepted through the CaFÉ website.

Submission:

The Museum will only accept submissions through CaFÉ before the submission deadline of June 5, 2026. CaFÉ is an online application and jury management system for calls for entry. Visit www.callforentry.org and click on “Help” and follow their directions for submitting.

Membership:

You must have a current NBMAA Membership to be eligible to submit your work. If you are not a current member, the Museum reserves the right to remove your work from the jurying process with the loss of entry fees as a result. For membership information, please contact Jenna Lucas at [email protected] or (860) 229-0257, ext. 231 or go to nbmaa.org/support-us before accessing CaFÉ.

Guidelines:

• Up to three works per artist may be submitted.
• A maximum of one work per artist may be selected.
• All two-dimensional work must be framed and/or ready for installation with hanging hardware, wire, or d-rings already installed on work and the entire work must not exceed 84 inches in any dimension. The work cannot exceed 75 pounds. Pieces without hanging hardware will not be included in the exhibition.
• Three-dimensional work cannot exceed 48 inches in any dimension and should be accompanied by a pedestal/or be ready for display as a freestanding or self-containing work. The work cannot exceed 150 lbs.
• The Museum will accept installations that have been previously created. All work requiring assembly or any work with a complex installation procedure must be accompanied by a detailed set of installation instructions with reference photos from previous installations. Verbal instructions will not suffice.
• Artist must provide equipment to be used in the installation of any video or sound work.
• The Museum prohibits glitter, wet paint, sharp objects, open flames, balloons, spray (perfumes, hairsprays, etc), dangerous chemicals, weapons, pressurized containers, plants or animals (alive or dead), hazardous materials (explosive, flammable, or perishable), decaying materials (visible mold or insect infestation), or anything deemed harmful to the Museum’s collection. Anything of question should be cleared by the Collections Department by contacting Keith Gervase at (860) 229-0257 ext. 217 or [email protected] or Mike Mindera at (860) 229-0257 ext. 216 or [email protected].

Selected Works:

Selected works must be delivered ready to hang/display. Artworks considered unsuitable for hanging/presentation will be refused. Curatorial staff reserves the right to refuse an artwork that is misrepresented through documentation or is not the piece selected by the juror.

Shipped Artwork:

The deadline for receipt of shipped artwork is August 3, 2026. If work is not at the Museum by August 3, 2026, we reserve the right to not include it in the exhibition. Any artwork being shipped must include return postage/shipping fee that must be received before the end of the exhibition (September 13, 2026). In the case of inadequate or nonexistent return postage, works will be considered abandoned property and disposed of as the Museum sees fit. All artwork should be packaged in a manner that will allow for the materials to be re-used for return shipping. Otherwise please include materials for return packaging. Please do not ship artwork with packing peanuts.

Liability:

The Museum will not be responsible for any damage whatsoever, before, during, or after the exhibition. No works will be released without proper identification. Any work not picked up by the dates noted above will become property of the Museum and will be considered abandoned property and disposed of as the Museum sees fit.

Sales: 

We encourage the sale of artwork; however work does not have to be for sale if selected for the exhibition. The Museum will not deduct a commission for any sale of work in the exhibition. The Museum will not serve as a third party for sales; we will provide artist contact information to any individuals inquiring about purchases.

Contacts:

• For questions regarding artwork guidelines only, contact Keith Gervase, Collections Manager, at (860) 229-0257, ext. 217 or [email protected] or Mike Mindera, Preparator, at (860) 229-0257 ext. 216 or [email protected]
• For membership and other exhibition questions contact Jenna Lucas, Development and Membership Coordinator, at (860) 229-0257, ext. 231 or [email protected].
• For website help, please refer to www.callforentry.org and click on “HELP.”

Click here to download the Prospectus.