Celebration of the Arts 2026 (COA)

Midland, Texas

Application Fee: $25

Contact Information

Arts Council of Midland

Contact Email: info@acmidland.org

Contact Phone: 432-687-1149

Requirement Overview

Eligible Applicant Types: Artist
Emerging Artists: Emerging artists may apply.
Submission Limit: 2

Media Requirements

Images | Min: 5, Max: 5
Total | Max: 5

Opportunity Summary

Celebration of the Arts (COA), organized by the Arts Council of Midland, returns to downtown Midland, Texas for our fortieth year! COA is the cornerstone fine art, fine craft event in the Permian Basin, and is the longest running downtown event in Midland, Texas. COA has a strong reputation locally, with community support year after year, and draws out of town visitors. COA hosts local entertainers, non-profit organizations, family activities, and special events throughout the weekend. Friday night we hold a ticketed Premier Party showcasing visual artists. On Saturday & Sunday, the festival is open to the public.
Don’t be fooled by our humble cowboys. Midland residents’ personal income per capita often exceeds that of metropolitan areas such as Dallas or Houston. Visitors want to find something special that they can’t find anywhere else, and many take the opportunity to begin their holiday shopping. Midland, Texas has a population of roughly 150,000, with a metroplex population of 250,000 to include Odessa and surrounding areas, and serves as the regional business hub for energy, construction, commercial, and entertainment for the Permian Basin. Downtown Midland has experienced a revitalization in the past decade, and is now a community hub, where many locals visit major companies’ offices.
In our forty-second year, Celebration of the Arts will be bigger than ever! With more art experiences to entice crowds, we hope to see 7,500 visitors this year!

General Information

About Celebration of the Arts

Held at the Bush Convention Center, completed in late 2019, is an 100% indoor, air-conditioned venue, with state-of-the-art technology including adjustable indoor lighting within the exhibit halls, and beautiful natural lighting throughout. Next door is Centennial Park, a large park that includes a large lawn, splash pad, and concert venue that brings in many additional visitors. The Arts Council of Midland spends upwards of $30,000 on its advertising campaign that includes print, radio, television, billboards, event posters displayed at high traffic local businesses, targeted digital ads, and social media. Artist amenities include private hospitality area, Friday Artist Dinner and lunchs during the festival, free parking, improved loading/unloading procedures and time slots, and a host hotel, Doubletree by Hilton, with discounted room rates within walking distance from the Bush Convention Center. Our Exhibit Hall is comfortably spaced with wide walkways and an advantageous layout to keep crowds moving throughout the space. In 2024, we had about 5,000 visitors to our festival.

Prize Money
First Place $2,000
Second Place $1,500
Third Place $1,000
Honorable Mention $500

A credentialed judge will be present on the evening of May 16th at 4 pm for in-person judging. Prize recipients from 2025 are automatically accepted to COA 2026 but must still apply to COA through Zapplication at https://www.zapplication.org/
Event Details
The 41st Annual Celebration of the Arts Festival will be held May 16-18, 2025, at the Bush Convention Center, 105 North Main Street, Midland, Texas.
This event is the cornerstone fine art, fine craft event in the Permian Basin. Over 5,000 individuals attended Celebration of the Arts 2024.
Each booth is in a 100% indoor, air-conditioned venue. No commission is collected by ACM, only a flat booth rate.
The advertising campaign for the event includes print, radio, television, billboards, event posters displayed at high traffic local businesses, targeted digital ads, and social media.
The Arts Council of Midland works closely with the City of Midland, the Downtown Midland Management District, Doubletree by Hilton, Bush Convention Center, and many local and regional partners to make this event special and possible.
Celebration of the Arts is produced by the Arts Council of Midland, a 501©3 nonprofit arts agency focused on enriching lives with the Arts through community-wide advocacy, education, outreach, and promotion! Proceeds from COA provide funding for year-round community programs.
Hours of Operations
Early Set-Up: Thursday, May 15, 2025; NOON - 4PM
To note: Security is not present overnight on Thursday, but the exhibit hall is locked. Leave your artwork at your own peril.
Full Set-Up: Friday, May 16, 2025, 8:30AM - 4PM
Premiere Party: Friday, May 16, 2025, 7PM - 10PM
Festival: Saturday, May 17, 2025, 10AM - 5PM
Festival: Sunday, May 18, 2025, Noon - 5PM
Load out: Sunday, May 18, 2025, after 5PM
Important Dates
Application Available: December 1, 2025
Application Deadline: February 8, 2026
Jury: February 9-13, 2026
Jury Results Notification by Email: February 20, 2026
Artist Acceptance and Booth Fee Deadline: March 13, 2026
Artist Info Packet Available: March 27, 2026
Final Event Booth Layout Available: April 2026
Artist Amenities
Volunteer booth sitters, nearby host hotel with a discounted artist rate (within walking distance), state of the art facilities, and free parking. Each artist and one (1) assistant shall receive meal tickets for every meal provided by COA hospitality. These must be presented at the time of redemption. Additional meal tickets are available to purchase at artist hospitality. No exceptions will be made. Please be aware that we are not able to cater to all diets, allergies, or dietary needs.
Admission
Admission is underwritten by local companies to offer free admission to the community.
Silent Auction
Artists accepted into COA are required to give a piece of their artwork (originals only) for our silent auction with a minimum retail value of $100. Artists must e-mail an image of the silent auction donation along with media, dimensions, title, and price if accepted by March 31, 2026, to the ACM office, for promotional advertising. Works must be presented by the artist to the COA representatives upon arrival for booth assignments. Minimum bids provided by the artist will be listed on auction items based upon your information. Prints are not accepted for silent auction requirement unless the artist is a photographer. Silent Auction proceeds go to ACM. All two-dimensional auction items must be framed. Matted work will not be accepted.

Accepted Media Categories
Ceramics: Original clay work. No machine-made or mass-produced work is accepted. Each item must be signed.
Fiber: Original work of primarily fiber including soft sculpture, batik, painted fabric, and baskets.
Glass: Original work in which the primary material is glass. No manufactured molds or other forms of mass production allowed.
Graphic Art/Printmaking/Drawing: Original works made with pen, pencil, or other markers, including charcoal or traditional printmaking. Prints hand pulled by artists from traditional methods, including etching, engraving, silkscreen, stone and plate lithography, linoleum block or woodcut, produced in signed and numbered limited editions from an original image created by the artist.
Jewelry: Original jewelry made from precious and non-precious metals, gemstones, enamel, glass, clay, fiber, etc. No mass production techniques allowed.
Metalwork: Includes all non-sculptural, non-jewelry works crafted from metals.
Painting: Original painted works made with oils, acrylics, watercolors, or pastels.
Photography/Digital Art: Prints from original negatives must be processed by the artist or under artist's supervision.
Sculpture: Original non-functional, 3-dimensional work of any material.
2-D Mixed Media: Original work incorporating more than one material.
3-D Mixed Media: Original 3- dimensional work incorporating more than one material.
Woodwork: Original woodwork, hand tooled, carved, or machine worked.

Application Requirements:
4 Images (a booth shot or grouping of works image is required)
Application Fee: $25.00
Digital Images
· Four (4) images are to be submitted.
· Three (3) images must be of individual pieces of work. Image number 4 must be a display of the artist’s work, showing the overall continuity and presentation of your current body of work. The fourth image is mandatory. If a booth image per se is not available, submit an image taken of a grouping of works representative of the works to be exhibited at the show. The purpose of the booth image is to demonstrate how the artist displays their work. Images submitted must be representative of the body of work to be shown.
Collaborating artists may apply to participate in the event, but only their joint work may be shown and sold. Both names must appear on all application materials and both artists must contribute to the creation of the art pieces. ACM reserves the right to refuse any application. INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. Collaborating artists must both pay the $25 application fee as well as booth fee if accepted.

Application Requirements

All artwork must be the original, handmade work of the artist and produced within 24 months of the 2026 Festival. All work exhibited must be equivalent in quality to that depicted in application images.

Artists marketing any type of prints of their original work must clearly label them as reproductions. Reproduced prints may not constitute more than 50% of the displayed work.

Media using endangered animals or plants and t-shirts are specifically excluded.

Works produced from other sources and commercial patterns, or kits are ineligible.

All resale items are ineligible for this show.

Soap/Bath/Body/Candle products are ineligible for this show. 

An on-site standards committee will be present to enforce policies. Artists who are found in violation of these restrictions will be required to remove those items from their booths. Full booth parameters will be outlined in the artist packet.

Celebration of the Arts and the Arts Council of Midland reserve the right to close the booth of any artist who refuses to adhere to the regulations set forth in this prospectus and in future distributed media.

Celebration of the Arts is juried for a general audience and reserves the right to remove any work deemed unsuitable by officials.

The Festival reserves the right to photograph, for promotional purposes only, any artwork or participants in Celebration of the Arts.

Artist is responsible for remitting all state and local sales tax and reports. 

No agents, dealers, or representatives may attend the event in place of the artist. 

Acting on the Board of Trustees' behalf, the Executive Director, or their appointed representative, has final authority to make adjustments as deemed necessary for the benefit of the show. 
 

On-Site Requirements, Set-Up, and Sales

Artists must be present during the entire event and must personally staff their exhibit space. ACM works directly with invited artist only. Other individuals, whether family, friends, assistants, partners, and the like, will not be permitted to negotiate on the artists' behalf.

Please wear your provided artist ID badge for the duration of the show after checking in on Friday.

Artists must obtain a Texas Sales Tax Permit. It is not the responsibility of the Arts Council of Midland to advise exhibitors of any city, state or local taxes with respect to payment. All city, state and local taxes, and licenses, if any, are the responsibility of participating exhibitors. Artists retain all revenue from the sale of their work. Artists are responsible for collecting and reporting of all taxes, including 8.25% sales tax. For information call the Texas Comptroller’s Office at 800.252.5555 or go to window.state.tx.us. 

No agents, dealers, or representatives may attend the event in place of the artist.

Each artist is required to show photo identification at check-in.

Assistance from festival staff / volunteers will not be available for unloading, booth set-up or load out. Please arrange your own help prior to the festival. 

No commission on sales will be charged.

Artists must comply with all staff and uniformed security regarding site safety and regulations.

Vehicles must be parked only in designated areas.

Noncompliance will result in elimination from consideration for any future attendance in events produced by the Arts Council of Midland. 

Jury Details

Average number of applications submitted each year

100

Average number of artists selected from the jury to participate in the event

Average number of exempt from jury artists who are invited to participate in the event

Booth Information

BOOTH INFORMATION
$350- 10' x 10' Pipe & Drape. Electricity provided.
$425 - 10' x 10' Corner Pipe & Drape. Electricity provided.
$700 - 10' x 20' Pipe & Drape. Electricity provided.
Booth sharing is available for an additional fee of $75. A maximum of two people may share a booth but both artists must individually apply through Zapplication and each artist must pay the Zapplication fee. No exceptions.
Artists must bring their own booth set-ups (panels, pedestals, etc.). Displays must be professional and pleasing to the eye. A booth number will be issued to the artist at check-in.
Pipe and drape are used only to divide spaces. It is not sturdy enough to hang artwork on. Please bring your own display system to set inside the pipe and drape. All provided drapes are black, in like-new condition. Floor coverings are accepted if they do not pose a trip risk. No tents. Additional overhead lighting systems are unnecessary as the BCC has excellent indoor lighting.

Assistance from festival staff and/or volunteers is not available for unloading, booth set-up or load out. Please arrange your own help prior to the festival.

All booth placements will be arranged by the COA committee and will be issued on a first-come, first serve basis after the juried selection process.

Refund Policy

Cancellation must be received in writing (email is accepted) by March 6, 2026, to receive a 50% back plus $25 administrative fee. After March 6, 2026, fees are non-refundable.
Please do not hesitate to call us directly for questions you may have. Call our office at 432-687-1149 or email us at info@acmidland.org

Additional Fees

Inside Booth 10 x 20: $700

Corner Outer Booth 10 x 10: $425

Corner Inside Booth 10 x 10: $425

Inside Booth 10 x 10: $350

10 X 20 Upgrade from 10x10: $275

Booth Sharing (add on): $75

Table, Black Table Cloth and 2 Chairs Package : $20