Guidelines

Key dates

• Submissions close: January 7, 2027
• Jury notifications sent by: February 13, 2027
• Completed work due for delivery: April 19, 2027

You do not need to have completed the proposed work at the time of application. Submit images representing your existing body of work along with a clear description of what you intend to create or submit if selected. Between jury notification and the delivery deadline, accepted artists have roughly nine weeks to finish and prepare work for shipping or delivery to Seattle.

Eligible work

This call is for visual art.

Eligible media may include painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, sculpture, textiles, illustration, comics, artists’ books and zines, and other visual work that can be safely and practically exhibited at Gallery Erato.

Works may be subtle or explicit, representational or abstract.

Subject matter may not depict minors. All persons depicted in submitted work must be adults.

Gallery space is limited. As a general guide, a selected artist might be represented by one large work, two medium works around 18 × 24 inches, or several smaller works. Final selections will depend on the dimensions and installation requirements of the submissions received and the exhibition as a whole.

Artists considering unusually large, heavy, fragile, or complex work are encouraged to contact us before submitting.

Privacy, consent, and depicted persons

Respect for consent and confidentiality is fundamental to Jacks culture.

Artists are responsible for ensuring that they have the rights necessary to exhibit the work they submit. Because confidentiality is especially important within Jacks communities, the organizers may contact an artist if a submitted work appears to identify or document private individuals or Jacks experiences in a way that raises privacy or confidentiality concerns.

The artwork itself remains the property of the artist.

Jury and selection

Submissions will be reviewed by a jury combining artists and people with deep firsthand knowledge of Jacks-club culture, including experienced organizers and longtime community participants.

The jury will consider artistic strength, understanding of Jacks culture, feasibility within Gallery Erato, and the contribution each work makes to the exhibition as a whole.

The complete jury and selection procedures will be announced before jury review begins.

A portion of the exhibition may also include work by invited artists selected directly by the curators, outside the open jury process. Both open-call and invited artists are subject to the same eligibility, consent, and rights requirements described throughout these guidelines.

Sales and artist terms

The Art of Jacks 2027 is a sales exhibition.

Under the provisional consignment model, artists receive 60% of the sale price, Gallery Erato receives 20%, and Rain City Jacks receives 20%.

Final terms concerning insurance, sales, payment timing, editions, taxes, and return of work will be provided to accepted artists before they sign a consignment agreement.

Artists are responsible for getting accepted work to Seattle and, if the work is not sold, for the cost of its return. Rain City Jacks and Gallery Erato will coordinate installation and deinstallation; artists are not required to travel to Seattle to install their own work.

How to submit

Submit through the application portal on the Call for Submissions page. The portal will request:

• A brief artist statement and biography
• Images of your work: upload 3–5 images to our submission Dropbox, using the same name you enter on the application. Images may represent your existing body of work and do not need to depict the exact piece you intend to submit if selected
• A description of your proposed work: for each piece, title (a working title is fine), medium, approximate dimensions, edition size if applicable, asking price, and any special installation requirements. You do not need to have completed the work at the time of application
• Confirmation that all persons depicted in your work are adults and that you hold the rights necessary to exhibit it
• Acknowledgment that you’ve read and agree to these guidelines
• An optional CV or exhibition history

There is no submission fee.

Questions about eligibility, accessibility, media, technical feasibility, or alternate submission methods may be directed to submit@jacks.art.