2026 Le Salon des Artistes: Represent Your Culture

The Denison Arts Council is proud to announce our second annual Salon des Artistes, a juried art show returning this fall in downtown Denison, TX. The juried exhibition and competition are inspired by the historic Salon de Paris, a series of prestigious exhibitions that began in Paris, France in 1667. 

This year’s theme is “represent your culture.” Inspired by our annual Dia de los Muertos Festival, we want to give artists an opportunity to show off what their culture means to them.

The Denison Arts Council is proud to announce our second annual Salon des Artistes, a juried art show returning this fall in downtown Denison, TX. The juried exhibition and competition are inspired by the historic Salon de Paris, a series of prestigious exhibitions that began in Paris, France in 1667. Known simply as “The Salon,” the original show helped shape the French and European art scene over several centuries. It represented the intersection of creative expression, government support, and institutional recognition, providing an important platform for both emerging and established artists. The Denison Arts Council aims to celebrate that same energy with our annual juried competition.

This year’s theme is “represent your culture.” Inspired by our annual Dia de los Muertos Festival, we want to give artists an opportunity to show off what their culture means to them. The theme is open to interpretation, so all artwork is considered with nuance—we want to know how this theme speaks to each and every participating artist.

This year’s competition includes awards totaling $1,500, with the Best in Show grand prize making up $600 of the winnings. Juror for the show will be Jose Vargas, known for his amazing work with the arts in the DFW metroplex. The show will also include a People’s Choice Award with open voting by all guests. The 2026 Salon opens to the public on September 12 and runs through November 7 at the Denison Arts Council’s gallery, located in downtown Denison, TX.

Show Schedule 

• August 13: Application Deadline
• August 21: Electronic Acceptance Notifications
• September 6: Drop Off of Accepted Work in Denison, TX
• September 12: Artists’ Night Reception and Award Presentation
• November 7: Show Closes
• November 8: Pick-up of Work from 500 W
• Woodard St, Denison, TX

Awards 

All artworks are judged equally for prizes without regard for category.

• Best in Show: $600
• Second Place: $400
• Third Place: $250
• Honorable Mention: $100
• People’s Choice: $100 (announced at end of show & awarded during artwork pickup)

Juror/Judge 

Jose Vargas

• Independent exhibition curator and visual artist
• Founder of El Corazon and La Virgen de Guadalupe exhibitions in Dallas
• has Organized shows for the City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture since 1993

Jury Process:

The selected judge is a fine art professional with a breadth of experience and expertise across artistic mediums. The submitted images will remain anonymous and will be selected by the judge for inclusion in the show. Submitted images will be reviewed electronically and acceptance into the show will be based on the digital images submitted- high quality images are recommended. Awards will be granted upon in-person inspection of the artworks by the judge.


The jurying and award designation processes are closed proceedings. All judge’s decisions are final and confidential. The Denison Arts Council reserves the right to refuse exhibition of any work not consistent with the submitted image(s), application rules or guidelines. Failure to comply may result in an exhibitor’s removal from the show (with no refund of fees) and the exhibitor’s right to participate in future shows.

Additional Information:

2nd year for juried show
Host Arts Council has 40+ year history with local art and culture events
Free and open to the public
Show Hours 10:00-5:00 Wednesday-Saturday and 12:00-5:00 on Sunday
Special events during show dates
Entry fee includes 5 artworks
Location: 500 W Woodard – located in the heart of historic downtown Denison
Artists’ Night with Award Presentation and Refreshments
20% commission retained by the Denison Arts Council for works sold during the show

Artist Application

$40 Application fee for up to 5 individual image shots-- no detail shots required.

Types of Work Accepted:

2/D or Wall-mounted work
- wired and ready to hang, maximum 35 Pounds
- includes painting, drawing, printmaking, digital output, collage

3-D work
-  Max weight 50 pounds - includes sculpture, ceramics, or other works executed in-the-round or in relief
- 3-D works (excluding those made for wall display) will be displayed on pedestals- please be sure entries are appropriate for this display convention. 
 

Photography
- wired and ready to hang, maximum 35 pounds
- traditional, digital, or mixed techniques
 

Jewelry
- Please provide secure mounts for any jewelry items accepted such as neck forms, ring
mounts, etc.
 

Mixed Media 2-D or 3-D
- wired and ready to hang, maximum 35 Pounds for 2-D entries
- max weight 50 pounds for 3-D entries
- includes assemblage, collage, artworks executed in multiple mediums

Exceptionally large or heavy pieces, including pieces exceeding the maximum weight limits listed above, will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.