CALENDAR
September 25
Submission Deadline
October 13
Notification of Jurying Results
October 22-30
Receiving Accepted Work
November 2-4
Final Review and Award Selection by Juror
December 12
Award Reception 6pm-8pm CST
December 12, 2026 - March 28, 2027
Exhibition
April 1–9, 2027
Claiming of Accepted Work
Any artist residing in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, or Tennessee may enter. All work must be original, completed within the last three years, and not previously exhibited in the Mid-States Art Exhibition or at the Evansville Museum.
The competition is open for the following categories: Painting, Drawing, Graphic Arts, Collage, Sculpture and Mixed Media. Work that is suspected of being created primarily using generative AI is subject to elimination from the exhibition. Entries must not exceed 108 inches in any direction and/or 150 pounds. No entry that requires the artist to be present for moving or assembly will be accepted.
ENTRY FEE
$40.00 fee entitles entrant to submit up to TWO entries.
ENTRY SUBMISSION VIA CaFÉ
All entries must be submitted via CaFÉ, a free and secure online application service for calls for entry. The website allows artists to create a free profile and submit to calls for entry. Entries by mail will not be accepted.
ENTRY PAYMENT
Artists have several options to pay for the entry fee. Payment can be made securely online through CaFÉ. Payment options with CaFÉ include credit cards, PayPal, and check.
If selecting pay by check option on CaFÉ, please make check payable to the Evansville Museum of Arts, History & Science. Do not send cash. Your check will need to be received by the museum no later than October 9th to be eligible for the jurying process. Any checks received after that date will be returned, and your entry will be removed. Mail check to the address below.
Evansville Museum
Mid-States Art Exhibition
P.O. Box 3435
Evansville, IN 47733-3435
INSURANCE
All works accepted for exhibition will be insured, while on the premises, at a value agreeable to the artist and the Museum. Maximum insurance by the Museum for any entry will be $5,000. The Museum will not be responsible for insuring work in transit or works unclaimed after April 11, 2027.
Works selected for exhibition must either be delivered in person or shipped PREPAID between October 17–25, 2026. Arrangement for weekday and weekend in-person delivery must be pre-arranged with the staff coordinator. If shipping, please make certain that the shipper is aware that the museum can only accept delivery during Museum open hours (Thursday-Saturday, 11am-5pm; Sunday 12pm-5pm).
The Museum reserves the right for the Juror to reject, upon review, work with unacceptable artsmanship and/or quality not discernible in the digital images.
Exhibited work may be picked up in person from April 1-9, 2027; pick-up arrangements must be made with the staff coordinator. The Museum will not be responsible for work not claimed by April 11, 2027.
Shipped work will be returned in the method it was received, unless otherwise specified by the artist. All shipping costs and liability for damage are the responsibility of the artist. Return shipping label must be included in packaging material.
Submission for a work of art to this exhibition shall be understood to indicate an agreement on the part of the entrant, with all conditions set forth, including permission for reproduction in general publication, newspapers, and social media. All purchase award winners must grant the Evansville Museum a non-exclusive, royalty-free, and unrestricted license. By entering the show, you are agreeing to the statements set forth in the prospectus.
EXHIBITION
The Mid-States Art Exhibition will be open to the public from December 12, 2026 – March 28, 2027. You are cordially invited to attend the Awards Reception on Saturday, December 12, from 6:00 – 8:00 CST. Awards will be presented at this time. Award winners, or their representatives, are requested to be present for the awards presentation.
Purchase and merit awards, underwritten by individuals, corporations, foundations, and philanthropic organizations, will be presented at the opening reception. Purchase award-winning works will become part of the permanent collection of the Evansville Museum.
Juror will select awards on November 3rd after reviewing entries in person. If the sale price stated is in excess of the assigned purchase award, the artist will be contacted immediately after the jurying and given the opportunity to accept or reject the award. NFS entries may be eligible for purchase awards. All entries are eligible for merit awards.
https://artist.callforentry.org/festivals_unique_info.php?ID=17614
Q: Are all artists eligible to enter the 63rd Mid-States Art Exhibition?
A: Any artists residing in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, or Tennessee may enter.
Q: Are there medium restrictions?
A: Yes, Mid-States Art only accepts artwork in the categories of Painting, Drawing, Graphic Arts, Collage, Sculpture, and Mixed Media. (Every other year, the Evansville Museum also organizes a Mid-States Craft Exhibition. Please stay tuned for next year’s call-for-entry if you wish to enter artwork in the categories of Ceramics, Glass, Textiles/Fiber Art, Metals, Wood, Enamel, and Mixed Media.)
Q: How many entries may each artist submit?
A: Each artist is entitled to submit up to two entries.
Q: How do I enter the competition?
A: All entries must be submitted via CaFÉ, a free and secure online application service for calls for entry. The website allows artists to create a free profile and submit to calls for entry. Entries by mail will not be accepted.
Q: Am I still eligible for merit awards if I listed my artwork as NFS (Not For Sale)?
A: Yes, all artwork accepted into the exhibition is eligible for merit awards.
Q: Does the Museum collect a commission on artwork sales?
A: No, 100% of the sales proceeds will go directly to the artist.
Q: Do I still need to enter a value for my artwork if it is listed as NFS (Not For Sale)?
A: Yes, please list the value even if the artwork is NFS.
Q: May I remove my artwork early from the exhibition?
A: No, all artwork must remain on display until the end of the exhibition, even if it is sold.
Q: Is generative AI allowed in the exhibition?
A: Artwork suspected of being created primarily using generative AI is pr
