CALL FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN ARTISTS

The Power We Hold–A Century of Remembering & Celebrating Black History

Location: Gallery 1701 at the Chicago Center for Arts and Technology (CHICAT), 1701 W 13th St, 60608, Chicago. IL
Exhibition Period: Early February – February 27, 2026
Opening Reception: TBA

About the Exhibition

The Power We Hold will celebrate a century of Black history in Chicago, the city where the movement first took shape. It seeks to honor the enduring strength of Black history and affirm the responsibility — and joy — of carrying this history forward together.

In 1926, historian Carter G. Woodson launched Negro History Week to challenge the absence of African American history in our nation’s public life and education. For a century, Woodson’s vision has been sustained not only through institutions, but through individuals and community. It has lived in homes and churches, in music and movement, in art, storytelling, and celebration.

Through a curated art exhibit in our gallery – Gallery 1701 – the Chicago Center for Arts and Technology (CHICAT) seeks to commemorate 100 years of remembering and celebrating Black History. We invite Chicago area based African American artists to submit works that reflect the power of Black history and how this power has carried individuals and the community forward, shaped by personal experience, collective memory, and place.

About the Space

This exhibition is presented at the Chicago Center for Arts and Technology (CHICAT), an organization rooted in the belief that equitable access to creative space matters. Gallery 1701 provides such a space. By prioritizing work by BIPOC artists, particularly those who may not have access to traditional gallery spaces, Gallery 1701 offers opportunities for often overlooked creative works and voices to be seen and heard. It is a welcoming, light-filled place where artists and audiences come together to convene, exchange ideas, and build connections.

Art is not passive in Gallery 1701. It invites dialogue, sparks reflection, and activates community. The works presented here are meant not only to be viewed, but to be felt — touching the lives of students, neighbors, and visitors who encounter them.

Who Can Apply

This open call welcomes submissions from:

• Black and African American artists of all career stages
  
• Artists based in the Metropolitan Chicago area
  
• Artists ages 16 and up
  

All Media Accepted

• Painting & Drawing
  
• Performance
  
• Photography
  
• Printmaking
  
• Mixed media
  
• Textile / fiber works
  
• Sculpture (wall-based or freestanding)
  
• Digital or new media works
• Poetry/Poem
• Others

Theme Interpretation

Artists are invited to respond to The Power We Hold through personal, cultural, historical, or communal perspectives. Submissions may explore:

• Black history as a lived experience
  
• Memory, inheritance, and cultural tradition
  
• Place, community, and belonging
  
• Joy, celebration, and resilience
  
• Storytelling, education, and shared knowledge
  
  

Interpretations may be reflective, celebratory, narrative, or critical.

How to Apply

Please submit your work through the online application form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdxmMj673mvhJlNN3u1UZR2-U6Bl2cqKR03h1h6eZgVfqw2Fg/viewform?usp=publish-editor

Each artist may submit up to three (3) different artworks.

Important Dates

• Open Call Period: December 19, 2025 – January 16, 2026
  
• Artist Notification: January 23, 2026
  
• Artwork Drop-Off Window: February 2 – February 6, 2026
  
• Exhibition On View: Early February – February 27, 2026
  
• Opening Reception: Date TBA

Sales Information

• CHICAT and Gallery 1701 will not process artwork sales.
  
• Artists who wish to sell their work must handle all sales independently.
  
• Artists must provide a QR code or contact information (website, email, or payment link) if work is for sale.
  
• All pricing, payment, and shipping arrangements are the responsibility of the artist.

Additional Notes

• There is no submission fee
  
• All selected work must be exhibition-ready
  
• Artists are responsible for delivery and pickup of artwork
  
• Final selections are made by the curatorial team
• If you have any questions, please email Yidi@CHICAT.org.