Art that Matters to the Planet: Beyond Beauty

The Roger Tory Peterson Institute in Jamestown, NY, invites artists to submit work for our fifth annual juried exhibition of Art that Matters to the Planet.

 Art that Matters to the Planet explores the ways in which art and artists matter – by drawing us into a deeper relationship with nature, opening hearts and minds to the critical challenges of our time and inspiring us to the solutions we need to address those challenges.

Each year, the theme for this exhibition draws inspiration from the work of Roger Tory Peterson, typically his series of field guides. Our 2026 theme, inspired by A Field Guide to Wildflowers, is titled Art that Matters to the Planet: Beyond Beauty. This exhibition will focus on flowering plants across the country and what they can teach us through the dual lenses of science and art. More than just a pretty face (Stamen? Pistil? Calyx?), flowers play vital roles ecologically, biologically, culturally and spiritually.

Art that Matters to the Planet: Beyond Beauty 
March 28 – August 2, 2026

The Roger Tory Peterson Institute in Jamestown, NY, invites artists to submit work for our fifth annual juried exhibition of Art that Matters to the Planet.

Art that Matters to the Planet explores the ways in which art and artists matter – by drawing us into a deeper relationship with nature, opening hearts and minds to the critical challenges of our time and inspiring us to the solutions we need to address those challenges.

Each year, the theme for this exhibition draws inspiration from the work of Roger Tory Peterson, typically his series of field guides. Our 2026 theme, inspired by A Field Guide to Wildflowers, is titled Art that Matters to the Planet: Beyond Beauty. This exhibition will focus on flowering plants across the country and what they can teach us through the dual lenses of science and art. More than just a pretty face (Stamen? Pistil? Calyx?), flowers play vital roles ecologically, biologically, culturally and spiritually.

We are pleased to announce that Heeyoung Kim will be serving as the juror for 2026. Kim is a wildflower painter who contributes to the public awareness about native plants and nature conservation. She is also the first living artist to be represented by the renowned natural history art gallery Joel Oppenheimer Gallery in downtown Chicago.

With Art that Matters to the Planet: Beyond Beauty, we will consider three main themes:

• Advocacy. More than depicting beautiful plants, we encourage submissions from artists who incorporate investigations of, knowledge about, and advocacy for the wild flowering plants of North America.
• Species-based artworks. In order to foster conversation with Roger’s artwork, we raise the question of how the wildflower species listed in the field guide currently are faring. We hope to see artworks that share the unique spirit of the wilderness around you in a way that inspires us to discover it or rediscover it through new eyes. 
• Environmental impact. With this exhibition, we hope to learn more about how our flowering plants are doing. What do you see? How can art help us see and feel what is happening, and connect us to these flowering plants?

Artists will be judged based on three criteria:

1) Originality: artwork that explores dynamic ways to communicate, and demonstrates the persuasive role that artists can play in advocating for the preservation of our earth.
2) Personal voice or vision: artwork with an authentic and unique point of view and style, especially in regards to the artist’s understanding of/research about their subject(s).
3) Technical skill: artwork that uses technique to advance an original perspective or a personal vision or voice, and shows skills being utilized to create something unique, powerful, and innovative.

We are especially interested in interdisciplinary projects which have demonstrable environmental impact, and which creatively combine art and science in order to reflect on the relationship between society and nature. In a world of exceptional natural beauty and overwhelming environmental challenges, help us to make a case that art is indispensable to create a better world.

ABOUT A FIELD GUIDE TO WILDFLOWERS OF NORTHEASTERN/NORTHCENTRAL NORTH AMERICA
Throughout history, flowers have been often depicted in two different ways. One, through an aesthetic or beauty perspective, where the flower serves as an accent piece in an artwork, or often symbolizes a specific message. Flowers in these types of artworks could symbolize secret messages, cultural/religious/ philosophical references, or even simply serve as a pretty prop for a portrait sitter. In this context, the focus is not so much on the actual flower itself, but what it represents.

However, flowers have also historically been popular in botanical art. Botanical illustrations depict the shape, color, and other details of a plant species in order to aid identification. The flower’s appearance is of literal importance. Books on botanical illustration are often composed of a team: the botanical illustrator and the scientific author. A Field Guide to Wildflowers of Northeastern and Northcentral North America, written by Margaret McKenny with illustrations by Roger Tory Peterson, is such a book. Its secondary title even includes: “A Visual Approach Arranged by Color, Form, and Detail”. In Peterson’s plates, his familiar black arrows point out the flower’s field marks—special identifying details such as a unique leaf shape, a certain number of flower petals, or an interestingly-shaped stem.

For the Wildflower Guide, Roger Tory Peterson created more than 1,500 drawings of flowers, driving thousands of miles in northeastern North America to catch the brief period of bloom of many species. The rarer flowers were sketched while lying flat on the ground.  Most, he picked and then drew later in motel rooms during the evening, using a 200-watt daylight bulb for illumination that he always carried.

ABOUT GUEST JUROR HEEYOUNG KIM
Growing up in an environment where plants were used as medicine, Heeyoung Kim’s connection to the plant world goes beyond the ‘pretty look’. Her art communicates the profound purposes of plants intertwined with other lives in functioning ecosystems, urging the viewers to see the world around them with deeper appreciation. Her works have been exhibited in prestigious galleries and institutions, and included in public and private collections including Transylvania Florilegium. Her renderings of native flora and fauna received Gold Medal (Royal Horticultural Society, London, 2012) and Best In Show (American Society of Botanical Artists/Horticultural Society of New York, 2012) among others.

ABOUT THE ROGER TORY PETERSON INSTITUTE
Roger Tory Peterson’s signature contribution to the arc of the global conservation movement was the modern field guide. Trained as an artist, Peterson understood the power of art to inform, inspire and illuminate about the natural world. The experience of using the field guide sparked a revolution–it helped millions of people across the globe really see the natural world. To be inspired by it. To fall in love with it. Throughout his multifaceted career, Peterson helped us to see the challenges, too–the devastating impacts of pesticides, habitat loss and other environmental ills. Through art and action, he also demonstrated that each and every one of us can make a difference in protecting the earth’s diversity of plants and animals.

The Roger Tory Peterson Institute is a living embodiment of the field guide. In fulfillment of our strategic vision, a primary goal is the nurturing of the next generation of artists working at the nexus of art and nature. More than ever, we need art–we need artists–to explore dynamic new ways to help us experience the beauty of the natural world, the environmental challenges we face, and the opportunities for recovery and redemption.
 

APPLICATION INFORMATION
Artists should focus on a specific series or project which aligns with the exhibition themes. Artists may submit any combination of materials that provide a picture of their overall artistic practice. In addition to images of finished artwork and an artist statement, submitted materials may include images of sketches, journal entries, photographs, published writing, videos or other relevant materials. All submitted materials must be available for inclusion in the exhibition.

Include information for individual artworks, including title, date, processes, materials, dimensions, insurance value, and brief description. Artists may also include whether they would be interested in presenting talks, workshops, or demonstrations, should scheduling allow.

APPLICATION DEADLINE
All entries must be submitted online via CaFÉ by Friday, January 9th, 2026, 11:59 pm, MDT. Due to the expected volume of submissions, we will be unable to respond to inquiries about the application requirements or process. For assistance with your application, please refer to: https://www.callforentry.org/artist-help-cafe/how-to-apply-artists/#apply
 

EXHIBITION DATES: March 28 – August 2, 2026

LOAN DATES: March 13 – August 14, 2026

LOCATION: The Roger Tory Peterson Institute, 311 Curtis Street, Jamestown, NY 14701

ACCEPTABLE MEDIA CATEGORIES: All categories of art are welcome.

SPECIFICATIONS 
• For crated works, crate dimensions shall not exceed: 78” H x 78” L x 36” W and shall not exceed 150 pounds.
• All work must be original to the submitting artist.
• Recent works (created since 2018) will be given preference.

NOTIFICATION
• All submitting artists will be notified by email upon the receipt of their submissions, and will be notified regarding exhibition selection by February 10, 2026.
• Artwork packing and shipping instructions will be sent with selection notification.

ARTIST RESPONSIBILITIES
Artists selected for Art that Matters to the Planet exhibition are responsible for the following: 
• Packing costs
• Works which are ready for display
• Publication quality images of works selected for the exhibition

RTPI RESPONSIBILITIES
The Roger Tory Peterson Institute is responsible for the following: 
• Insurance of the artworks while in transit and onsite at RTPI
• All costs associated with shipping and installation of artworks
• All costs associated with producing an exhibition catalogue
 

TIMELINE
• October 1, 2025 - Call for entries opens
• January 9, 2026 - Submission deadline
• January 10-February 3, 2026 - Exhibition jurying
• February 10, 2026 - Selected artists notified
• March 1, 2026 - Deadline for receipt of loan agreement
• March 14, 2026 - Deadline for art to arrive at RTPI
• March 27, 2026 - Exhibition opening reception
• March 28, 2026 - Exhibition open to the public
• August 2, 2026 - Exhibition closes

APPLICATION INFORMATION
Artists should focus on a specific series or project which aligns with the exhibition themes. Artists may submit any combination of materials that provide a picture of their overall artistic practice. In addition to images of finished artwork and an artist statement, submitted materials may include images of sketches, journal entries, photographs, published writing, videos or other relevant materials. All submitted materials must be available for inclusion in the exhibition.

Include information for individual artworks, including title, date, processes, materials, dimensions, insurance value, and brief description. Artists may also include whether they would be interested in presenting talks, workshops, or demonstrations, should scheduling allow.

APPLICATION DEADLINE
All entries must be submitted online via CaFÉ by Friday, January 9th, 2026, 11:59 pm, MDT. Due to the expected volume of submissions, we will be unable to respond to inquiries about the application requirements or process. For assistance with your application, please refer to: https://www.callforentry.org/artist-help-cafe/how-to-apply-artists/#apply
 

Emerging, mid-career, and established artists are eligible and encouraged to apply.