2026 Art in the Beartooths Silent Auction

Celebrate the arts with the Carbon County Arts Guild & Depot Gallery at our 53rd Art in the Beartooths fundraiser. We will showcase artists' work from the region while raising money to support the year-round programs, scholarships, operations, and exhibitions that the Carbon County Arts Guild offers. 

Work selected from this Call for Art will be exhibited at the Depot Gallery in Red Lodge as part of the Art in the Beartooths Silent Auction. All work will be on view July 3-27, 2026. An opening reception with food, drink, raffles, and Demos on the Deck will take place 2-6 p.m. Saturday, July 11, 2026.

SUBMISSIONS ACCEPTED – April 29-June 10, 2026

NOTIFY ARTISTS BY – June 15, 2026

DELIVER ART BY – June 29, 2026

The Carbon County Arts Guild & Depot Gallery invites you to participate in the 53rd Art in the Beartooths fundraiser. Through our Silent Auction, Art in the Beartooths is designed to raise money for the Carbon County Arts Guild & Depot Gallery programs, scholarships, exhibitions, and operations. 

All art is submitted online through CaFE' www.callforentry.org

A committee will review submissions June 11-14 with artists selected for the exhibition notified by June 15, 2026. Art will need to be delivered to the gallery on or before June 29, 2026. The work selected for the Art in the Beartooths Silent Auction will be on view July 3 - 27, 2026 at the Carbon County Arts Guild & Depot Gallery in Red Lodge, Montana.

All bidding for the art in the Silent Auction exhibition will be done online. Bidding will open at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, July 11 and close at 7:00 p.m. Monday, July 27. Bidding online is open to all through Handbid using a mobile phone app, tablet, or computer.

Saturday, July 11 from 2-6 p.m. the Carbon County Arts Guild & Depot Gallery will officially open the Art in the Beartooths Silent Auction with “Demos on the Deck,” raffle prizes, food, and drink. 

“Demos on the Deck” will feature ten selected artists who have art in the Silent Auction. It will be an enjoyable time for guests to chat with the artists and see their creativity in action.This event is free and open to the public. 

ENTRIES

• Artists may submit up to 3 entries for the jury process. It is highly recommended that you submit new artwork that has not been seen by our patrons with the goal to provide the best representation of your work.
• Work must be original, made by the artist, and executed within the last five years.
• Acceptable Mediums include paintings, mixed media, pastels, drawings, ceramics, fine woodwork, textiles, photographs, jewelry, and sculpture.
• No computer-generated artwork, prints (including giclee's) or crafts are allowed. If there are questions about what is acceptable work, please contact the executive director.
• Work submitted to past auctions is not permitted.

Submission Guidelines for the Selection Process

Submissions for the Art in the Beartooths Silent Auction are handled exclusively through the CaFE’ Call for Entry. 

First-time applicants or those needing a guided walk-through can find assistance through the HELP tab shown on the CaFE' website and complete the application.

NEED MORE HELP? Sunday, June 7, from 1:00-2:00 p.m. Jenny Zimmermann will walk artists through CaFE’ Call for Entry application process from start to finish. Bring your device (laptop, tablet or phone) to the Arts Guild and let's work together so you can leave with your submission completed! For details or to sign up, please call (406) 446-1370 or email: programs@carboncountydepotgallery.org

Submissions:

• File Type: JPEG or JPG only
• File Dimensions: 1,200 pixels or greater on the longest side
• File Size: Under 5 MB
• Color Profile: sRGB
• The quality of your image affects the selection process; therefore, a high-quality image without frames or mats visible in the photo is essential.
• Size Limits: Two-dimensional pieces exceeding 48” on any one side (no more than 2,804 square inches) including the frame and three-dimensional works exceeding 2’ by 2’ by 3’ or weigh over 50 pounds are considered oversized artwork for this event. Oversized work will not be accepted.

Accepted Artwork

• Upon notification of acceptance, work may be shipped or hand-delivered. Arts Guild staff will make every effort to save shipping boxes for use in return of artwork if needed.
• The artist is responsible for all delivery and return packing, insurance, return shipping labels, and shipping costs.
• All 2D art must have a secure wire in the back and be ready to hang; no saw-tooth hooks.
• All 3D art must have proper supports, hanging devices and if needed, instructions for installation.
• CCAG is not responsible for art that is framed or mounted in an unstable manner.
• Only selected work will be accepted; no substitutions.
• Any art that does not meet the requirements upon receipt, will be ineligible for the exhibition.

The Carbon County Arts Guild & Depot Gallery will take all reasonable precautions to safeguard artwork. Artists may carry their own insurance. The Arts Guild is not responsible for loss or damage incurred during the transport of artwork to and from the Guild.

Important Dates

• April 29-June 10 – Submissions accepted through CaFE using: www.callforentry.org
• Monday, June 15 – Artists notified by email regarding acceptance
• Monday, June 29 - Accepted art must be received at the Depot Gallery
• Saturday, July 11 – 2:00-6:00 p.m. OPENING Reception and Demos on the Deck for Art in the Beartooths Silent Auction art exhibition
• Saturday, July 11 - 2:00 p.m. Online Silent Auction bidding for art goes live 
• Monday, July 27 – 7:00 p.m. Online Silent Auction bidding closes
• July 28-August 1– Unsold art is ready for pickup. If shipping is needed arrangements will be made between CCAG and artist.

Sales

Because this is a fundraiser, artists have a choice of contributing either 50% or 100% of the final auction sale amount to the Carbon County Arts Guild.

Retail Value / Reserve Price

Retail Value: The price a customer would pay to purchase the piece in the sales gallery.

Reserve Price: The lowest amount you will sell the piece for and it cannot be higher than 60% of the retail value. If the reserve price is not met, the piece of art will not be sold.

If a reserve price is not set (which is okay) CCAG will sell the piece for any amount that meets or exceeds the starting bid. 

All starting bids will be set by CCAG. All proceeds from a piece sold will be split with the artist and CCAG as specified in the entry submission.

Shipping

Art shipped to the Carbon County Arts Guild for Art in the Beartooths Silent Auction needs to include a physical address and PO Box #. 

• Carbon County Arts Guild & Dept Gallery, 11 W 8th Street, PO Box 585, Red Lodge, MT 59068

In the event a work does not sell, artists are asked to contact the Carbon County Arts Guild to make the arrangements for the return of the piece. Some artists include a return shipping label in the original package which works well. 

Art to be returned by shipping will be managed by Junction 7, the local UPS/FedEx outlet, or through the USPS as directed by the artist. Any questions about shipping, please contact the CCAG staff at (406) 446-1370.

Art in the Beartooths Silent Auction is a juried exhibition open to invited artists and members of the Carbon County Arts Guild & Depot Gallery.