GALEX 59 National Competition & Exhibition

GALEX is the combination of the words Galesburg and Exhibition. What began as a regional exhibition has grown into a national competition/exhibition celebrating its 59th year. Open to artists working in all media, this year's juror, Ruth Lantz, will award over $2,500 in prizes choosing over 70+ works for the exhibition. DEADLINE: January 17, 2026 at 11:59pm

GALEX is the combination of the words Galesburg and Exhibition. What began as a regional exhibition has grown into a national competition/exhibition celebrating its 59th year. Open to artists working in all mediums, this year's juror, Ruth Lantz, will award over $2,500 in prizes choosing over 70+ works for the exhibition. DEADLINE: January 17, 2026 at 11:59pm

ELIGIBILITY
• GALEX is open to all artists residing in the United States.
• All work must have been completed within the last three years and MUST NOT have been previously shown in the Galesburg Community Arts Center galleries or gift shop.
• Art must be the original work of the artist.
• All mediums are accepted; however, work is not to exceed 100 pounds or be unstable.
• Two-dimensional work may not exceed 48 inches in either length or width and must be wired and/or ready to hang. Plexiglas is preferred for framed work.
• No work will be suspended from the ceiling.
• One entry (up to three individual works) per artist.

JUROR
Ruth Lantz is a visual artist whose paintings and works on paper explore the collision between 19th-century American landscape painting and the digital environments we now inhabit.

She earned her MFA in Visual Studies from Pacific Northwest College of Art and a BFA in Studio Arts from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Lantz has exhibited nationally and internationally in both solo and group exhibitions, including shows at ARC Gallery, Northern Illinois University, Governors State University, Portland International Airport, and the Rockford Art Museum. Her work has also been included in regional biennials and exhibitions at the Evansville Museum of History, Science, and Art, the St. Louis Artists Guild, the Indianapolis Art Center, and the Freeport Art Museum, among others.

Her practice has been featured in New City Magazine, Art Ltd., and ArtDose, as well as in the Making a Better Painting and I Like Your Work catalogs. She has received support from the Illinois Arts Council, the Regional Arts and Culture Council (RACC), the Brush Creek Foundation for the Arts, and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

A committed educator and community builder, Lantz has taught at institutions including the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Washington State University Vancouver, and Portland Community College. She is also the founder of Crit Connection, a grassroots initiative pairing artists for monthly critique and dialogue. Her work is held in both public and private collections, including the City of Portland Portable Works Collection, Linfield College, and Portland Community College.

Juror’s Curatorial Statement

“As an artist–curator, I view each exhibition as a dialogue between ways of seeing and making. I believe art can deepen our understanding of perception, place, materiality, and time. Exhibitions invite us to slow down and notice the space between what is seen and what is left unsaid. Curating through the lens of a contemporary female artist, I approach each project as an open field of inquiry rather than a fixed statement. Each exhibition becomes a layered exchange between maker, viewer, and myself where seeing is both an act of attention and a quiet provocation to engage.” –Ruth Lantz

AWARDS
Blick Art Materials Purchase Award $1000
One piece is chosen each year to expand the Arts Center’s Permanent Collection. The artwork is not returned to the artist, and $1000 is awarded regardless of the price of the piece. It is optional to be considered, so please indicate eligibility (of any/all submitted works) on your application, as well as the identification form that is sent with your piece.

Lonnie Eugene Stewart Award of Excellence $600
Merit Award $400
Medallion Award $300
Kent Leasure Memorial Fine Print Award $100
Robert Reed Memorial Sculpture Award $150

ENTRY FEE
The non-refundable entry fee is $25 per artist (this applies to all non-member applicants or current GCAC regular, non-artist members). There is a discounted entry fee of $20 for current Artist Members of the Galesburg Community Arts Center. Please note that the GCAC Artist Membership is a separate tier, and only Artist-Members receive the discounted entry fee as a perk/part of their membership benefits! Renew your membership or become a new member now!

IMPORTANT DATES
January 17 ............ entry deadline (11:59pm Central Time)
January 30 at 9am ......... notifications sent
February 11 ...........artwork due by 4pm
February 27, 5pm .........exhibition opens
April 11 ..........exhibition closes
April 14-18 ........ artwork to be picked up or shipped via prepaid return label

ACCEPTED DELIVERY/RETURN OF ARTWORK
Artists are responsible for the cost of ALL shipping. The Arts Center prefers the use of a prepaid return shipping label sent with the piece for return shipping. All shipped works will be returned in original containers with original packing.

Accepted works may be hand-delivered or shipped to the Galesburg Community Arts Center.  Attach identification tag (emailed with notifications) to the back of your work listing artist name and address, title of piece, medium, price and indicate “top” as well as eligibility status for the Blick Art Materials Purchase Award. In the case that your work sells, but you would still like your shipping box returned to you, please include a note clearly indicating your preference with your original shipment. 

If selected, instructions for shipping and picking up or returning artwork will be sent to the artist during the notification process.

Arts Center hours are Tuesday-Friday 10am-4pm, and Saturdays 10am-3pm
Telephone: 309.342.7415, email: exhibition@galesburgarts.org

One entry (up to three individual pieces) per artist. In the case of 3-dimensional work, additional images may be submitted to exhibition@galesburgarts.org - label image file ARTIST NAME_Nameofartwork

Please ensure your CaFÉ contact information (name, email, phone number, and mailing/shipping address) is up to date within the online submission system. We rely on this information being accurate for shipping purposes, payments, as well as communication among artists and GCAC staff.

Eligibility Criteria

• GALEX is open to all artists residing in the United States.
• All work must have been completed within the last three years and MUST NOT have been previously shown in the Galesburg Community Arts Center galleries or gift shop.
• Art must be the original work of the artist.
• All mediums are accepted; however, work is not to exceed 100 pounds or be unstable.
• Two-dimensional work may not exceed 48inches in either length or width and must be wired and/or ready to hang. Plexiglas is preferred for framed work.
• No work will be suspended from the ceiling.
• One entry (up to three individual pieces) per artist.