Call for BIPOC+ Artists: Horizon Gallery 2027
Exhibition dates: April 2 – June 12, 2027
Summit Artspace invites local BIPOC+ (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) artists to apply for a funded solo exhibition. Through a blind juried process, one artist will be selected to receive a $1,000 stipend to support the creation of a solo exhibition in Summit Artspace’s Horizon Gallery. The organizational goal behind this exhibition is to actively undo systems of oppression and domination present in the art world. Summit Artspace is interested in the many ways in which BIPOC+ artists impact our communities through their art.
The exhibition is dedicated to– but is not limited to – uncovering the following themes:
· Exploring and advancing meaningful BIPOC+ narratives
· Re-contextualizing traditionally white-dominated genres to give new meanings
· Restoring hope by envisioning a world where social justice has taken hold
· Building support for social change, equity, and inclusion
· Exposing and denouncing injustices to marginalized communities
· Investigating new ideas and genres to transform viewer perceptions
Eligible artists will be Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Color; they will live in Summit County, or surrounding counties and express an interest of making an impact through their artwork. All types of visual artists are welcome to apply for this opportunity.
Why do we use the term “BIPOC”? Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) is a term used in the United States intended to center the experiences of—and create solidarity between—different communities of color. Individuals and communities who identify as BIPOC note the significance of the term as an indicator of solidarity against systemic racism. BIPOC highlights each group of color and their unique experience. While many celebrate its usage, it’s important to know that not everyone agrees with the term BIPOC; there is always an element of personal preference and context to consider when using identity terminology.
The exhibition is funded in part through general operating support from Ohio Arts Council, Akron Community Foundation, and GAR Foundation.
Important Dates:
- Application Deadline: November 8, 2026 at 11:59 p.m.
- Notification of Acceptance: December 14, 2026
- Public Announcement: January 2027
- Exhibition: April 2 – June 12, 2027
Juror: Jordan Wong
About The Juror
As a Chinese American whose childhood was filled with anime, manga, and video games, Jordan Wong (WONGFACE) creates drawings, characters, and icons to contemplate the hero’s journey, the game theory of leveling up throughout one’s life, and the Ultimate Self. He has produced large-scale installations and public artwork for the city of Cleveland as well as exhibited at the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh (2024–2026 and 2020), Massillon Museum (2023), and the Akron Art Museum (2021–2022).
In 2024, Jordan was one of seven artists selected from over 100 applicants to receive the Transformative Arts Fund—a $3 million program supporting public art projects led by artists in partnership with Cleveland-based institutions. In collaboration with The Sculpture Center, Jordan utilized a project budget of approximately $450,000 to lead fabricators, emerging Asian artists, and community partners in creating five new public art installations, completed in September 2025, enhancing a community space and supporting the development of a future permanent park in Cleveland’s AsiaTown.
From 2020 to 2022, Jordan served as the president of the Cleveland chapter of AIGA, the professional association for design. His work has been featured by Graphic Design USA (“People to Watch 2021”), The Great Discontent (issue no. 5), Cleveland Magazine (“Most Interesting People 2021”), Ideastream, Destination Cleveland, Channel 3 WKYC, News 5 Cleveland, Downtown Cleveland Alliance, and other local publications.
Jordan has artwork in the collections of Meta (the parent company of Facebook), Akron Art Museum, Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, Cleveland Public Library, University Hospitals, Laura and Fred Bidwell (founder and executive director of FRONT Triennial), and other private collectors.
Instagram: @wongface.studio
Facebook: facebook.com/jordanwongface
Guidelines and Information:
· Size and weight of final artwork should be easily portable and manageable. If there are special installation requirements, the artist may need to provide necessary hanging devices. Summit Artspace is able to provide basic install supplies. Pedestals and display monitors have limited availability.
· The Horizon Gallery is located on the third floor of Summit Artspace; it has 4 walls for display measuring approximately 34 feet by 26 feet with 11 foot high ceilings.
· Please note all final displays are subject to Summit Artspace approval.
· Upon entering, you will be emailed future calls for art from Summit Artspace.
· We cannot accept artwork that is shipped, nor can we ship artwork.
Questions or need help with your application? Email Director of Artist Programs and Exhibitions, Anna E. Young, at anna@summitartspace.org.
FRESH: Crafting the Narrative
January 8 – March 13, 2027 | Betty and Howard Taylor Main Gallery
The annual FRESH Juried Exhibition at Summit Artspace has challenged local artists to push the boundaries of their art-making through concepts and materials for this show. This exhibition features local emerging artists exclusively to highlight the strong talent rising in our community and to provide a specialized platform to celebrate those artists. FRESH has a new theme each year that reflects current trends in the art world and our culture, generated by a local emerging curator.
2027 CURATOR: Nova Stewart
EXHIBITION THEME “Crafting the Narrative explores how artists use materials and making to tell their own stories, question the stories others have placed on them, and reshape how they are seen. “Crafting” has two meanings here: physically making an artwork and actively shaping a story. The exhibition asks who gets to decide the value of a material, an artwork, an identity, or a lived experience -and- what can happen when artists take control of that story for themselves.I am especially interested in work that challenges the divide between “fine art” and materials or processes that have often been dismissed as decorative, domestic, childish, hobby, or simply “craft.”
I’m looking for mixed-media sculpture, assemblage, collage, fiber and textile work, ceramics, illustration, found object and recycled material work, along with unexpected uses of beads, sequins, clay, artificial flowers, toys, paper, and other everyday or inexpensive materials. I would be especially drawn to work that is highly decorated, tactile, repetitive, visibly handmade, or intentionally “too much.” Painting, photography, video, digital work, and other media would also fit the exhibition when they strongly explore storytelling, identity, or how meaning is created.
I am interested in the contradiction that an artwork can be judged as “too much,” too decorative, colorful, sentimental, strange, or excessive. While at the same time being seen as not serious enough to be “fine art.” People can face similar judgments. They may be told they take up too much space, need too much support, or do not fit expectations of who they are supposed to be. This gives artists room to explore disability and access, race, gender, sexuality, body image, family history, regional identity, class, labor, grief, and other parts of personal and social experience. It also leaves room for humor, fantasy, joy, abundance, and self-invention. This theme feels especially relevant now because many contemporary artists are breaking down the boundaries between art, craft, design, and everyday materials.
Artists are using material choices to talk about identity, power, memory, history, and lived experience. Rather than treating craft as something lesser than fine art, Crafting the Narrative treats making as a way of claiming authorship over both materials and stories.At its center, the exhibition asks: Who gets to craft the narrative and what can happen when artists choose to remake it for themselves?” – Curator, Nova Stewart
APPLY HERE!!!
IMPORTANT DATES
- Deadline for Entry: Sunday, November 15, 2026, 11:59 p.m.
- Notification of Acceptance: November 25, 2026
- Drop Off: Monday, December 21, 2026, 12 – 6 p.m.
- Opening Reception: Thursday, January 14, 2027, 5 – 8 p.m. during our monthly Art After Hours event
- Pick up: Week of March 15, 2027 (artists will be notified of pickup dates at least two weeks before the close of the exhibition)
ABOUT THE CURATOR
Nova Stewart (they/she) is an arts administrator, artist, and community advocate based in Northeast Ohio. They hold an MA in Arts & Culture Management from the University of Akron and a BFA in Illustration from the Cleveland Institute of Art. Their professional experience includes exhibition coordination, gallery administration, artist support, programming, and community arts work with organizations including the Emily Davis Gallery, Summit Artspace, Akron Soul Train, Curated Storefront, and Peg’s Foundation Gallery.
Nova’s curatorial interests center on material experimentation, contemporary craft, illustration, disability and access, identity, storytelling, and work that challenges traditional ideas of artistic value. Their mixed-media practice often combines illustration with sculptural, assemblage, and everyday craft materials, shaping their interest in how materials can influence the stories we tell about art, ourselves, and one another. Their work explores disability, memory, grief, and chronic illness through dreamlike narratives where the fantastical becomes a form of survival. They are particularly interested in the way craft materials are often treated as lesser because of their associations with femininity, childhood, domestic making, and hobby craft. For Nova, that dismissal parallels the ways pain and illness can be devalued when they do not present in ways others expect. Their experiences navigating chronic illness have further shaped their interest in how appearance, material, and expectation influence whose stories are believed and taken seriously.
Nova is also the co-founder of StarFall Creative Collective, a grassroots initiative focused on accessible programming, resource sharing, and artist support across Northeast Ohio. Their curatorial experience to date has primarily involved supporting other curators and helping translate exhibition concepts into completed gallery experiences, and they are now developing an independent curatorial voice.
ELIGIBILITY
- Artist must be an emerging artist (active practice within the last five years max). Must be currently based in Summit County or contiguous counties (Cuyahoga, Geauga, Medina, Portage, Stark, or Wayne). Must be at least 18 years old to enter.
- Artwork must have been created since January 1, 2025, and not previously displayed in Summit Artspace. Artwork must be completed upon submission.
- Jurying will be done via digital image. Artists may submit two entries for consideration in the show, and may submit up to three high quality digital images (.jpg, .pdf, .tiff. .png) of the artwork entered. The images must accurately represent the finished work and accepted work must be professionally presented for exhibition (see notes below). Artist’s name cannot be in the file name of digital images.
DISPLAY
- Final installation size of 2-D work cannot exceed 4′ (48″) wide or 7′ (84″) high. 3-D work must not exceed 39″ in diameter, nor may any single component of the work exceed 50 pounds.
- All wall-mounted artwork must be hang-ready with appropriate hardware for weight of piece. All work must be labeled with the artist name and contact information when delivered.
- Summit Artspace has a limited number of pedestals, monitors, and projectors available. The artist may be required to provide a special display fixture appropriate for the installation. Please note all displays are subject to Summit Artspace approval. Suitability of works which must be suspended, require a power source, are between 35-50 pounds, are close to the size limitations or have other special installation requirements will be determined on an individual basis.
- Professional installation will be provided by Summit Artspace. Care will be taken when handling and displaying all artwork; however Summit Artspace waives responsibility for either damage or loss of artwork.
Questions? Contact Director of Artist Programs and Exhibitions, Anna E. Young, at anna@summitartspace.org.
