Calls for Artists
In the Shaira Ali Gallery
Members Show: Opposites Attract
Arlington Center for the Arts invites all current ACA members to submit work to the 2026 Members Show: Opposites Attract. Art has the profound ability to present us with peaceful and serene scenes that ground and calm us. Art also embraces chaos and contrast, capturing bold and vibrant moments in our world. Opposites Attract welcomes artists in helping us build the intersections where our diverse work can live in harmony. Whatever frequency your work resonates on, Opposites Attract will invite artists and viewers to challenge our perceptions and reveal intriguing new relationships between contrasting subjects and approaches
Artists must be members of ACA to apply. Do you want to participate but you are not a member yet? Now is the perfect time! Explore our membership packages and join ACA as a member today!
You are welcome to submit up to three pieces of art for this exhibition. Work previously exhibited at ACA will not be accepted.
If you have questions or concerns, please contact Delia Tharnish, Education and Programs Director at delia@acarts.org or at 781-648-6220.
Featured Artwork: The Cities - Boston by Hao Wu (left) and Cordoba by Ricardo Maldonado (right)
Important Dates
Deadline for Submission: Monday, September 7, 2026 @ 5pm
***Please note - ACA offices will be closed Saturday, August 29 through Monday, September 7 for an end-of-summer break. If you have any questions regarding your submission, we encourage you to reach out to ACA staff prior to the break period, as we will be unable to respond to emails or phone calls during that time. ACA staff will respond to any inquiries after we reopen.
Selected Artwork Announced: Friday, September 11, 2026
Artwork Drop Off: Wednesday, September 23, 2026
Exhibition Opening: Thursday, October 15, 2026, 6-7:30pm
Exhibition Closes: Thursday, December 10, 2026
Artwork Pick Up: Friday, December 11, 2026
Submission Guidelines
-
All active ACA members are eligible to submit up to three (3) pieces of art to this exhibition. If you are unsure of your membership status or would like to join/renew, you may do so here.
-
Creatives must be ages 16 and up.
-
All media accepted
-
A written artist statement must be submitted
-
Work must be ready to hang, installed, or displayed. 2D works must be on canvas or framed with a wire in the back for hanging or it will not be accepted. Specific display needs must be specified and provided by the artist.
-
Site-specific proposals are welcome, but there is no guarantee we can accommodate. Please reach out to delia@acarts.org if you have any questions.
-
There are no size restrictions beyond the height of the gallery, which is 6 feet tall. There are limited opportunities for anything taller than 6 feet (see site-specific proposals).
-
Artwork shown at ACA in the past year will not be accepted.
.jpg)
In the Hallway Gallery
We do not currently have any open calls for our Hallway Gallery. Please check back soon!
Offsite Exhibit Program
Interested in exhibiting your work at local businesses and venues around Arlington, MA? The Arlington Center for the Arts has well-established relationships with many local business owners and cultural partners who are looking to display locally-made artwork in their public spaces. The ACA Offsite Exhibit Program is an artist bank that the ACA manages and presents to our local partners annually, and arranges exhibitions of selected artists work in these spaces for 3-6 months at a time.
How It Works
Our exhibits team reviews the submissions on a rolling basis as requests are made from the community for local art.
-
Artists who are selected from this bank will be contacted by our Operations Manager, Pam Shanley who will review the opportunity for exhibition, and if accepted by the artist, will coordinate the artwork selection, installation, publicity, and reception for each artist.
-
Submitting to the Offsite Exhibit Program does not guarantee an exhibition opportunity.
-
Once an artist submits their work to the form, they are added permanently to the bank, but they are invited to reach out to ACA staff after a period of one (1) year if they have updates to their portfolio and have not yet been selected.
-
Opportunities for exhibition range from a few pieces of art by one artist, to a large-scale exhibition featuring multiple artists.
How to Submit
Please complete the form below and be prepared to provide between 5-10 images of your work.
-
Preference will be given to local artists.
-
Exhibit opportunities are available for a range of large (10’ and under) medium (48” and under) and small (12” and under) sizes, and price points. All types of 2-D work is acceptable (painting, printmaking, photography, drawings, etc) as well as 3-D work that can be installed on a wall (fiber art, ceramics, etc).
-
Unfortunately we cannot accommodate free-standing 3-D work at this time.
-
All exhibited work will need to be ready-to-hang (wired, no saw hooks) prior to installation.
-
The ACA takes a 30% commission and Artists will receive a 70% commission on all artwork sold during their placement.
Visit our Offsite Exhibits Page for more information. Any questions should be sent via email to ACA's Operations Director, Pam Shanley, at pam@acarts.org.
.jpg)