Celebrating the Birth of Christ

Reimagine the birth of Christ – whether in three dimension or not – within an unexpected landscape while remaining deeply faithful to the Gospel story. Place the universal Christ into a specific world. Incarnate the Nativity Story in your own context (The Incarnation happens here, not just “back then”).

All qualifying submissions MUST include AT LEAST Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.

Use any material - mixed media, collage, assemblage, acrylics, oils, watercolor, ceramics, woodworking, metal, enamel, paper, drawing, textile, glass, needlepoint, embroidery, etc.

This juried exhibition named Great Joy for All People is inspired by the Biblical scripture, Saint Luke 2:10, when an angel tells terrified shepherds, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people" (NIV). This verse introduces the birth of Jesus, in an unexpected landscape to an unlikely audience, as a momentous event bringing universal joy, hope, and salvation, marking the fulfillment of God’s promise to humanity and fulfilling Old Testament prophecies about the coming of the Messiah.

Reimagine the birth of Christ – whether in three dimension or not – within an unexpected landscape while remaining deeply faithful to the Gospel story. Place the universal Christ into a specific world. Incarnate the Nativity Story in your own context (The Incarnation happens here, not just “back then”).

All qualifying submissions MUST include AT LEAST Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.

Use any material - mixed media, collage, assemblage, acrylics, oils, watercolor, ceramics, woodworking, metal, enamel, paper, drawing, textile, glass, needlepoint, embroidery, etc.

Submitted original 2D and 3D work must be complete and presentation ready; has not been previously published, exhibited, nor produced for sale; nor will it be published or reproduced for sale prior to December 31, 2026.

Artists who have participated in previous Crèche Festival Houston exhibitions are eligible to participate in this year’s call for entries.

Cash prizes will be awarded. Selected artists may also choose to participate in an online auction after the exhibition of their selected work. 

Handling and shipping costs of selected artwork to AND from Crèche Festival Houston will be the sole responsibility of the artist. Artwork may be delivered and retrieved in person from a Houston, Texas location coordinated with the festival organizer.

Prizes

A Grand Prize in the cash amount of $1,000.00 will be awarded.

Two additional cash prizes in the amount of $500.00 each.

Additional ribbons will be given for Honorable Mention recognition.

Prizes will be announced prior to the opening day of the exhibition.

Site of Exhibition

The festival’s exhibition will be in the Parish Hall on the Rice Village campus of Christ the King Lutheran Church on December 12 & 13, 2026, located at 2353 Rice Boulevard in Houston, Texas. Christ the King Lutheran Church is a welcoming and inclusive community nourished by Christ in vibrant worship and committed to God’s mission of love and service especially to the oppressed and to the poor.

Online Auction

Artists selected for the exhibition may choose to participate in the festival’s online auction selling their work. The artist will receive 80% of the sale proceeds and Crèche Festival Houston will retain 20% of the sale proceeds to benefit Bright Stars of Bethlehem (www.brightstarsofbethlehem.org), a program supported by Christ the King Lutheran Church (Houston) in Bethlehem, Palestine. 40% of the eligible art sold at auction in 2025. Sale prices ranged from $75.00 to $400.00; the average sale price was $169.00.

Important Dates:

Submit application and photographic images by October 16, 2026

Jury dates October 17 - November 2, 2026

Artists will be notified of selection/non-selection of work by November 2, 2026

Selected artwork should be shipped to Crèche Festival Houston by November 14, 2026, or hand delivered in person to the festival coordinator at a Houston location prior to November 21, 2026

Great Joy for All People: A Crèche Festival is Saturday, December 12 & Sunday, December 13, 2026

Return of artwork not sold in auction and requested returned to the artist to occur by years end.

Questions and requests for additional information:

Email – crechefestivalhouston@gmail.com

Crèche Festival Houston is an all-volunteer organized and executed project which began in November 2021. The project produces an annual exhibition of nativities displaying the diversity of crèche art from around the world. A different-themed exhibition is presented each year: Finding Bethlehem (2021); Crafting Tradition (2022); Hands of the People (2023); Unique and Unexpected (2024); From the Manger to the HEARTh (2025). Crèche Festival Houston has a presence in social media on Facebook (Creche Festival Houston) and Instagram (creche_festival_houston).

There is a $10.00 (ten) dollar fee for each application of artwork. Each application MUST only concern ONE piece of art. Applicants who wish to submit more than one piece of art for consideration may do so via a separate application for each artwork. There is no limit to the number of applications an artist may submit. 

An artist statement is required.

Answers to additional questions are also required for each application related to the respective submitted artwork. 

Artwork will be chosen from photographic images through a blind jury process.

This year’s international call for entries is open to all (individuals and collectives). All media is accepted – mixed media, collage, assemblage, acrylics, oils, watercolor, ceramics, woodworking, metal, enamel, paper, drawing, textile, glass, needlepoint, embroidery, etc.

Work MUST include at least the Holy Family – Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.

Submitted original 2D and 3D work must be complete and presentation ready; has not been previously published, exhibited, nor produced for sale; nor will it be published or reproduced for sale prior to December 31, 2026.

Subject matter must be family-friendly, specifically no nudes or partial nudity, gore, violence, or obscenity in words, gestures, or depictions in the artwork or its title.

The maximum size for 2D artwork is 36” W X 36” H and these dimensions include the frame. 2D artwork is not to exceed 10lbs.

3D artwork is not to exceed 20lbs., must be self-supported. Installation must be simple to assemble with instructions to assemble supplied.

No elements of artwork should require its hanging from the ceiling. 

Crèche Festival Houston will remove from consideration artwork outside any part of these guidelines and specifications prior to the jury’s online review.

Handling and shipping costs of selected artwork TO the exhibition is the sole responsibility of the artist. Selected artwork may be delivered in person to the festival coordinator at a Houston location (to be provided later) prior to November 21, 2026.

Handling and shipping costs of artwork returned to the artist AFTER the exhibition will be the sole responsibility of the artist. Artwork may be retrieved in person from a Houston location (to be provided later) arranged with the festival coordinator.