CSU Spur Juried Exhibition - What Does Water Mean to You?

CSU Spur invites artists of all backgrounds and experience levels to submit artworks for a juried exhibition celebrating the intersection of community, sustainability and innovation. We seek compelling works that explore ideas of environmental stewardship, scientific curiosity and the power of local storytelling through art. The theme for this year’s exhibition is “What Does Water Mean to You?” Artworks should focus on the many ways water shapes our lives.Submissions will be due by 11:59 p.m. MT on Saturday, Feb. 28th, 2026.  

CALL FOR ARTWORKS: JURIED EXHIBITION AT CSU SPUR

CSU Spur invites artists of all backgrounds and experience levels to submit artworks for a juried exhibition celebrating the intersection of community, sustainability and innovation. We seek compelling works that explore ideas of environmental stewardship, scientific curiosity and the power of local storytelling through art. The theme for this year’s exhibition is “What Does Water Mean to You?” Artworks should focus on the many ways water shapes our lives.Submissions will be due by 11:59 p.m. MT on Saturday, Feb. 28th, 2026.  

ABOUT CSU SPUR

CSU Spur is a public-facing campus dedicated to education, sustainability and community engagement. Through this exhibition, we aim to foster dialogue between artists, scientists and the public to inspire meaningful connections around our shared environment. 

DATES TO REMEMBER 

• Applications due: 11:59 p.m., Saturday, February 28, 2026
• Artists Notified: Friday, April 10, 2026
• Artwork Drop-off: Monday, May 4 – Friday, May 8, 2026, from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
• Exhibition Dates: June 1,2026 – October 31, 2026
• Artwork Pick-up: Monday, Nov. 9 – Friday, Nov. 13, 2026
• Location: CSU Spur Campus, Denver

JURY PROCESS

A panel of three to five artists, scientists, and/or community members will review submissions. Selected artists will be notified by Friday, April 10, 2026. Artworks must be dropped off in person to the CSU Spur campus Monday, May 4– Friday, May 8, 2026, from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.  

CONTACT

For questions, please contact Lauren Bína at lauren.bina@colostate.edu. We look forward to showcasing your creative vision at CSU Spur! 

HOW TO APPLY

Submit the following materials. You may submit up to three artworks per application.  

• High quality images of submitted artwork. You may submit up to three images for each artwork showing different angles. If you are submitting three artworks, you can submit a total of nine images (three per artwork).
• Artwork details (title, medium, dimensions, year created).
• Artist statement (max. 250 words) explaining how your work connects to the theme.
• Artist bio (max. 150 words).
• Contact information (name, email, phone, website/social media if applicable).
• Resume or CV (File should be no larger than 2mb, and txt, pdf, doc, docx, xls, xlsx, or jpg format only.)

ELIGIBILITY & SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

• Open to artists working in any medium, including but not limited to painting, sculpture, photography, digital art, fiber arts and mixed media.
• Artworks will be in a public space. Staff presence is not guaranteed in the exhibition space, and you must be okay with your artwork being left unattended.
• Artworks should align with the exhibition theme of “What Does Water Mean to You?” 
• Artworks must be ready to be hung on a wall. Framed artworks require security hardware. If your artwork arrives without security hardware, it will be added for you.
• If selected, works must be dropped off in person to CSU Spur in Denver during the week of Monday, May 4 – Friday, May 8, 2026, from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Upon drop-off work must be ready to be displayed (unmounted works on paper will not be accepted).
• All works must be original and created within the past five years.
• Both emerging and established artists are encouraged to apply.
• Residents of the 80216-zip code are encouraged to apply.
• CSU Spur will provide promotional materials and may choose to host an opening reception featuring artist talks and interactive programming.