Future Tense 2026

FUTURE TENSE 2026
SDA Juried Student Exhibition

Surface Design Association (SDA) invites students to submit work for the annual SDA Juried Student Exhibition, FUTURE TENSE 2026. The exhibition will be held at Indiana University’s Grunwald Gallery of Art in Bloomington from August 24-November 7, 2026. Exhibiting artists are eligible for four awards recognizing excellence in artistic practice. Entries may be submitted online through May 25, 2026 at CaFÉ.

FUTURE TENSE 2026 will celebrate the creative work of student artists, designers, and makers working with or inspired by fiber or textile materials or techniques. This annual exhibition offers a glimpse into the future of contemporary fibers by presenting the very best work being made by students in the field today. All SDA member and non-member students working in any media are encouraged to apply.

JUROR: José Santiago Pérez

FUTURE TENSE 2026
SDA Juried Student Exhibition

Held in partnership with Indiana University's Grunwald Gallery of Art from August 24 - November 7, 2026.

EXHIBITION: Surface Design Association (SDA) invites students to submit work for the annual SDA Juried Student Exhibition, FUTURE TENSE 2026. The exhibition will be held at Indiana University’s Grunwald Gallery of Art in Bloomington from August 24-November 7, 2026. Exhibiting artists are eligible for four awards recognizing excellence in artistic practice. Entries may be submitted online through May 25, 2026 at CaFÉ.

FUTURE TENSE 2026 will celebrate the creative work of student artists, designers, and makers working with or inspired by fiber or textile materials or techniques. This annual exhibition offers a glimpse into the future of contemporary fibers by presenting the very best work being made by students in the field today. 

 SDA member and non-member students working in any media are encouraged to apply.

JUROR: José Santiago Pérez is an artist and educator who crafts sculptural series in varying scales that consider the formal and conceptual spaciousness of containers as a category of object and field of experimentation. José has presented solo and group exhibitions across the country. Features and reviews have appeared in Artforum, Basketry+ Magazine, Sixty Inches from Center, Newcity Art, and the Archives + Futures Podcast. He received an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and is an Teaching Assistant Professor in Studio Art at the University of Pittsburgh. Residencies and awards include Regional Artist Residency at Contemporary Craft, Surf Point Foundation Artist Residency, Fiber Fellowship at Colorado College, Illinois Arts Council Agency Artist Fellowship Finalist in Craft, Lunder Institute for American Art Residential Residency, and HATCH Residency at Chicago Artists Coalition.

ENTRY FEES: 

$20 SDA student members/ $25 non-member students. Join today to apply at the SDA member price and and get 10% off your membership with the code SDAEXHIBITS. Student memberships start at $60.

ENTRY PROCEDURE: 

Entries are accepted online through CaFÉ Call for Entry website. The entry deadline has been extended to May 25, 2026.

AWARDS:

First Place                  $300
Second Place             $200
Third Place                 $100
Honorable Mention     SDA Award of Excellence

IMPORTANT DATES:

• May 25, 2026: Entry deadline
• June 22, 2026: Artist notification
• July 22 to August 3, 2026: Work due at gallery
• August 24, 2026: Exhibition opens
• TBA: Opening Reception
• November7, 2026: Exhibition Closes, artwork returned the following week

Surface Design Association, a 501c3 non-profit textile arts organization founded in 1977, is dedicated to promoting awareness and appreciation of textile-inspired art and design through publications, exhibitions and events. Visit us at www.surfacedesign.org.  For questions, contact info@surfacedesign.org.

The Grunwald Gallery of Art is home to contemporary works by both professional and student artists. Exhibitions incorporate art from a variety of contemporary genres and approaches, and can be experimental or traditional.The Grunwald Gallery frequently collaborates with artists, scientists, and scholars to produce exhibitions that interpret visual art in the broader context of science or the humanities.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS:

1. Name, address (and shipping address if different), telephone, email.
2. Up to 3 works total may be submitted. Juror requests one overall and at least one detail of each full original artwork. Six images total may be submitted per entrant.
3. 2D & 3D: Full and detail images - Upload options for image files:
   • File format: JPEG only
   • File dimensions: must be 1200 pixels or greater on the longest side
   • File resolution: 72 ppi/dpi (standard web resolution)
   • File size: 5 MB maximum
4. Video: Not to exceed 700 MB per sample, mp4 format only, 3 minute max, either 1280x800 or 2560x800
5. Audio: Not to exceed 10MB
6. A brief description accompanying each image of work submitted.
7. A brief artist statement (100-150 words maximum, cannot exceed 1000 characters). Since this is a blind jury process, please do not include identifying information in the statement.

Note: CaFÉ does not allow you to make changes to your application after you have checked out. You will receive Email notifications from CaFÉ listing each submitted artwork as“invited” or “not invited.” (You may receive more than one email). Notifications will also appear in your CaFÉ account.

INSURANCE: 

Artists are responsible for insurance during transit to the gallery. Invited artists must complete Indiana University's Grunwald Gallery of Art artist agreement (deadline TBA) which includes insurance details. Work will be insured while at Indiana University's Grunwald Gallery. 

SHIPPING:  

Complete shipping instructions will be sent with the acceptance notification letter. Artists are responsible for shipping costs to and from FUTURE TENSE 2026 (including insurance during transit). Return shipping via UPS may be subsidized by the Grunwald Gallery, details will be sent to accepted artists. All artwork must arrive at the Grunwald Gallery no later than August 3, 2026. Works will be ready for return shipping to artists no later than November 20, 2026.

The Grunwald Gallery is unable to conduct any sales transactions, but we are happy to provide a pricelist for any interested patrons. If work is for sale, artists should provide a preferred contact such as email address, and should be prepared to accept a secure digital payment such as Venmo.

PHOTOGRAPHIC GUIDELINES:  

Artists are strongly encouraged to submit images for this call for entry that present the work to its best advantage. Photographs should give a sense of how the artwork “sits” or “hangs.” Detail photographs are important to show the technical excellence of the work; they can highlight special areas that might not be obvious in the full shot of the work. Resources and tips for photographing work are available online here and here. 

Works accepted in the exhibition must be available to be photographed individually or in exhibition installation shots for advertising and publicity during the entire run of the exhibition.

Audio and video works will be included in the exhibition in their entirety. 

ELIGIBILITY:       

This exhibition is open to all student* artists. Up to three pieces may be submitted per artist. 2D, 3D, video and audio works are eligible. Entries must be original work completed after 1/1/2024.

*SDA defines ‘student’ as someone who is engaged in a mentor/mentee relationship with a knowledgeable instructor in their field, for the purpose of gaining instruction. This includes, but is not limited to: institutional settings including K-12; community organizations; craft institutions; visual art organizations; intergenerational learning environments, and other experiences in which an individual may learn/absorb/practice/create new skills and knowledge over a period of time.

Entries that do not meet the stated requirements will not be considered. Artists who have been included in prior SDA exhibitions are encouraged to apply, but work should show a progression or be from a different body of work. Works previously exhibited with SDA will not be considered. No substitutions for accepted work may be made. Accepted artwork that differs significantly from image in online submission may be disqualified. Accepted works must be available for the duration of the exhibition.