Naturalist Gallery Genre Art Exhibition

Naturalist Gallery of Contemporary Art is conducting a curatorial review for the Genre Art Exhibition. Selected works will be presented online as part of a structured exhibition program examining narrative imagery, everyday life, and social observation within contemporary artistic practice. Accepted works will be listed for sale within the exhibition for a minimum duration of sixty (60) days.

OPEN CALL FOR EXHIBITION: Naturalist Gallery Genre Art Exhibition.

“If you could say it in words, there would be no reason to paint.” – Edward Hopper

Genre art has historically functioned as a mode of representation centered on scenes of everyday life, social interaction, labor, leisure, and ordinary environments. While traditionally associated with specific historical movements and conventions, genre-based approaches persist within contemporary practice as a means of observing, constructing, and interpreting lived experience.

The Genre Art Exhibition at Naturalist Gallery of Contemporary Art examines how contemporary artists engage narrative imagery and depictions of daily life today. Works may address domestic interiors, public environments, social rituals, leisure, labor conditions, interpersonal relationships, or constructed scenes that reflect contemporary culture and behavior. The exhibition does not seek historical reenactment, but rather contemporary works that operate within or expand the logic of genre-based representation.

Submissions are reviewed with attention to conceptual coherence, formal decision-making, and contextual relevance. Works are evaluated in relation to the exhibition’s curatorial framework and to broader contemporary discourse, rather than narrative clarity or realism alone.

This call is open internationally to artists working in all visual media, excluding video.

Exhibition Inclusion

Artists whose works are selected through curatorial review will be included in the Genre Art Exhibition. Exhibition inclusion constitutes the primary curatorial outcome of this call.

Selected works will:

• be documented and archived as part of the Genre Art Exhibition

• be presented within the exhibition’s public presentation for a minimum of sixty (60) days

• be made available for sale under Naturalist Gallery’s net pricing model

Optional Institutional Placements
In addition to exhibition inclusion, selected artists may be considered for optional institutional placements within Naturalist Gallery’s broader curatorial framework. These placements are discretionary and not guaranteed.

Available placements may include:
Featured Collection Placement – Selected works may be presented within the NGCA Featured Collection on the gallery’s homepage for a limited duration. Additional fee applies.
New Arrivals Curated Placement – Selected works may be included in the New Arrivals collection documenting recently reviewed artists. Additional fee applies.
Institutional Publication Inclusion – Selected artists may be considered for inclusion in a formally authored editorial publication. Additional fee applies.

Review Process
All submissions are reviewed by a panel consisting of members of Naturalist Gallery’s curatorial team. All submissions are reviewed; not all are advanced to public presentation.

Application Fee
Artists submitting work for review are required to pay a one-time application fee of $30.

TIMELINE:
Application Opens: 8/31/26

Application Deadline: 9/7/26

Jury Dates: 8/31/26 – 9/8/26

Exhibition Dates: 9/8/26 – 11/7/26

[Minimum of 1 Artwork]

[Maximum of 20 Artworks]

Submissions are open internationally to established and emerging artists aged 18 years or older.

All visual art media are eligible, excluding video.