Beyond Color: The Language of Black and White

Bedford Gallery’s next annual juried exhibition featuring local, national, and international artists explores the complex simplicity and expressive power of artwork rendered exclusively in black and white. Featuring a diverse range of work, this show highlights the remarkable ways artists harness the stark contrasts and subtle gradations of achromatic media to convey profound emotion, intricate detail, and striking composition.

Jurors: Melissa Mohr, Executive Director & CEO of FIGGE Art Museum; Demetri Broxton, Artist & Executive Director of Root Division 

Bedford Gallery’s next annual juried exhibition featuring local, national, and international artists explores the complex simplicity and expressive power of artwork rendered exclusively in black and white. Featuring a diverse range of work, this show highlights the remarkable ways artists harness the stark contrasts and subtle gradations of achromatic media to convey profound emotion, intricate detail, and striking composition.

Jurors: Melissa Mohr, Executive Director & CEO of FIGGE Art Museum; Demetri Broxton, Artist & Executive Director of Root Division 

Entries open: September 18, 2024
Deadline to submit work for consideration:  April 3, 2025 at 12 pm PT
Notice of participation: May 2, 2025
Artwork Delivery: June 16 – 20, 2025
Exhibition dates: July 12 – September 14, 2025
Opening Reception: Saturday, July 12, 2025 from 11 am – 2 pm

Entry Fee: Free for new or current Bedford Gallery donors who donate $50 or more; $40 non-refundable entry fee for all other applicants.

To Become a Donor:

1. Donate $50 or more on our website at https://www.bedfordgallery.org/support/donate BEFORE you submit your application. Click “Donate Now” and follow the prompts to make your donation. Thank you for your support!
2. Upon making your donation, you will receive an automatic reply email from our non-profit partner Diablo Regional Arts Association at info@draa.org that includes a DISCOUNT CODE for you to enter on CaFÉ when you submit your application. This will waive your entry fee on CaFÉ.
3. Login to CaFÉ and complete your application. When prompted, enter the DISCOUNT CODE upon check out. Then submit your application. For tech support, please contact CaFÉ at (303) 629-1166 or cafehelp@westaf.org. They are available Monday through Friday, 8:30 am – 5:00 pm Mountain Time.

Donors Who Have Donated $50+ in the Last Year: You will receive the DISCOUNT CODE in a series of emails from Bedford Gallery at galleryinfo@bedfordgallery.org. If you still need the code, please email galleryinfo@bedfordgallery.org BEFORE you submit your application. A Bedford Gallery staff member will reply within 72 hours and give you the DISCOUNT CODE. Then you may submit your application on CaFÉ.

NOTE TO ALL DONORS: IF YOU SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION WITHOUT THE DISCOUNT CODE, THE $40 NON-REFUNDABLE ENTRY FEE WILL NOT BE REIMBURSED.

Prizes: There will be over $2,000 in cash and prizes for artist awards.

Submissions: Submit your images and other materials online via CaFÉ. Only digital images uploaded to CaFÉ will be accepted and reviewed. Physical submissions delivered to Bedford Gallery will not be reviewed. NOTE: IF YOUR ARTIST NAME IS DIFFERENT FROM YOUR LEGAL NAME, PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION UNDER YOUR ARTIST NAME ONLY.

Artwork Specifications: Artists may submit up to three artworks for consideration. Works must meet the theme of the exhibition. Only artwork in black, white, and gray will be juried; no artwork with any color will be considered and the entry fee will not be refunded if any of these requirements are not met. Open to all media. All work must be original or fully licensed and shall not infringe any patent rights, copyright, trade secret, or any other proprietary right or trademark and all other intellectual property rights of any person or persons.

Artwork Size: Please include overall dimensions for each entry (H x W x D inches). There are no size limitations for entries, however, Bedford Gallery reserves the right not to accept exceptionally large, heavy, or cumbersome pieces.

Presentation: All art must be labeled with artist’s name, title, year, and medium on the back/bottom. 2D work must be ready to hang (wire, d-rings, or cleat) and framed (where applicable). Framed artwork must have either NO GLAZING OR ACRYLIC GLAZING ONLY; GLASS GLAZING WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. Glazing refers to the protective barrier that sits in the frame between the artwork and outside environment.

For installation concepts: Include images, description, concept design or similar installations, and installation info (i.e. timeline, if installation requires artist to be present, etc.).

Image specifications: Submitted images must be the same as the works intended for the exhibition. Unfinished or “like” work will not be considered. Work that has been modified from the original image submitted will not be accepted. Do not include borders or backgrounds in images as this only reduces the size of your artwork for viewing by jurors.

Allowable formats:

• JPEG or TIF image files (up to 10MB each)
• Video (up to 500MB each)
• Audio (up to 60MB each)
• PDFs (up to 20MB each)
• External media from YouTube, Vimeo and SoundCloud

Additional requirements: Along with artwork images, please submit the following:

• Artist biography: This is a brief history of your artistic practice and should be two paragraphs or less. If applicable, include any art degrees and a short list of awards, exhibitions, and other major accomplishments.
• Artist statement: Include a brief description about EACH artwork submitted.

Loan Agreement: If accepted, artist will receive a loan agreement stating Bedford Gallery’s insurance and sales terms. All artworks will be insured while on Bedford Gallery’s premises. Artists are encouraged to list their artwork for sale.

Tech Support: Should you need technical support while submitting your application on CaFÉ, please contact CaFÉ at (303) 629-1166 or cafehelp@westaf.org. They are available Monday through Friday, 8:30 am – 5:00 pm Mountain Time.

View the call on our website: https://www.bedfordgallery.org/programs/artist-opportunities/call-for-entry

NO PHONE CALLS, PLEASE. FOR QUESTIONS, PLEASE EMAIL GALLERYINFO@BEDFORDGALLERY.ORG.

Open to all local, national, and international artists, 18 years of age or older.