Gallery open by advance appointment
Gallery open by advance appointment
Chicago Artists Coalition helps people connect with opportunities including calls for artists, jobs, and available studio space

Call For

Artists

Fixed
Visual Art ,
submitted by
Amy Matteson Neill

Call for Art- THE BIG CHILL

Art Fluent invites artists worldwide to submit artwork to our online exhibit, THE BIG CHILL.

THEME
Winter strips it all down with its bare trees, frosted mornings, and that sharp breath of cold air. But it’s not all icy; there’s cocoa, cozy fires, and the sparkle of snowflakes, too. Show us your version of winter’s beauty and transformation… show us THE BIG CHILL from your perspective.


CALENDAR
JPEGs due by Friday, January 23, 2026, at midnight MST.
Notification of acceptance and online gallery opening by Friday, February 20, 2026.

AWARDS
All accepted pieces will be displayed in our online gallery at www.art-fluent.com
Best of Show: $750
Two Director’s Choice awards: $250 each

ENTRY FEE
$25 for first entry/$10 for each additional entry. You may enter up to 20 total. Payment is non-refundable and does not guarantee acceptance. For 3D work, there is no need to pay for additional entries for detail shots. Once your first entry is made, you may send additional views by email to hello@art-fluent.com.

ELIGIBILITY
This call is open to artists worldwide, both amateur and professional. Work selected for previous exhibits with Art Fluent will not be considered.

RULES
Work copied or done under the guidance of an instructor is not eligible. Open to ALL fine art mediums (oil, acrylic, watermedia, pastel, drawing, printmaking, mixed media, photography, sculpture, fiber, wood, ceramics, film/video, digital art). AI will not be accepted. Diptychs and triptychs should be uploaded as a single image.

SELECTION PROCESS
Director’s choice. Each show is curated and juried by Creative Director Amy Matteson Neill, along with an anonymous committee of jurors. Please note, there is no personal feedback given by jurors.

ENTRY PROCEDURE
Entry is done through CaFÉ, a web-based service that allows artists to upload images and organize their artwork for submissions to galleries. To apply for a call, you must leave our website and go to the CaFÉ website at www.callforentry.org where you can create a FREE artist account. You will add your details and upload your images to CaFÉ and then you can submit work to THE BIG CHILL. If you have any questions, please contact us at hello@art-fluent.com. We are happy to walk you through the process.


MEDIA PREPARATION
Please only submit properly cropped images of your work that are in focus. We have a free resource for artists with tips on how to get high-quality images of their work. Visit www.art-fluent.com/resources for a free download. CaFÉ also offers tips on its blog, which you can find here: www.callforentry.org/photographing-artwork/.

All images must be in JPEG/JPG format using CaFÉ guidelines. The image size must be 1,200 pixels or greater on the longest side. The maximum file size is 5 mb.

Accepted video formats include MOV, MP4, WMV. Aspect ratio 4:3 or 16:9, resolution minimum 640x480, maximum 1920 x1080, bit rate recommended above 240 kbps, recommended frame rate 30 fps. File size must be under 100 MB. If your video work has been selected for the exhibit, we kindly request that you provide us with the file link via Vimeo. Please ensure the linked video is set to be shared publicly. Your video will not play if it is set to private.

NOTIFICATION
Notification will be done by email; everyone who submits will be notified of the juror’s selections. If for any reason you do not hear from us by the notification date, please check the filters in your email account. Notification emails are sent to the email on file with CaFÉ.

SALES
All sales inquiries will be directed to the artist’s website and/or contact information. The artists receive 100% of the sale for any artwork sold.

GIVING BACK
A portion of the proceeds from the entry fees is donated to organizations committed to the arts and supporting artists.

REQUIRED FORMS
Cash awards over $600 are subject to federal income tax withholding within the United States. A W-9 form must be filled out by the winner and submitted to Art Fluent, Inc.

REGULATIONS
By entering our calls for art through CaFÉ, you agree to be added to Art Fluent's email list for forthcoming artist opportunities. By submitting images, you agree that the images are your own work, nothing copied, you own all rights to the images, and you take full responsibility for the content of all images, including the likeness of recognizable individuals. The actual artwork will remain the property of the artist, our mission is to promote artists and their work. Should your work be accepted, you grant Art Fluent the right to reproduce your image on our website, on social media, and where appropriate to help promote further online opportunities. Art Fluent will always credit you and your copyright wherever feasible. We will not use your image for any other purpose without the artist’s permission.

Contact
Name: Amy Matteson Neill
Email: hello@art-fluent.com
Address: 1 Washington Mall
Phone: 5084191015