Birds!

The Museum of Northern California Art (monca) is seeking original artworks for our annual bird-themed exhibition which will take place during Chico’s 2027 Snow Goose Festival.  We look forward to filling our galleries with wonderful birds of all sorts. All media.

Please note that no giclée prints of original art/non-photographic art will be accepted. No AI please.

The exhibit will be held at the Museum of Northern California Art in Chico, CA.

Description of Call:

The Museum of Northern California Art is seeking original artworks for our annual bird-themed exhibition which will take place during Chico’s 2027 Snow Goose Festival.  We look forward to filling our galleries with wonderful birds of all sorts. All media.

Please note that no giclée prints of original art/non-photographic art will be accepted. No AI please.

Eligibility: 

Original works created by artists residing in Northern California, defined as the following counties:  Alameda, Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Contra Costa, Del Norte, El Dorado, Glenn, Humboldt, Lake, Lassen, Marin, Mariposa, Mendocino, Merced, Modoc, Mono, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Tuolumne, Yolo, Yuba. 

If you have eligibility questions please email submissions@monca.org. 

All exhibited artworks must remain in the museum until the close of the exhibition, at 5pm on March 7, 2027.

Jurying: 

The museum’s exhibition committee, comprised of professional artists and art collectors, will make the final selections for the exhibition. Artists whose work is not accepted will not receive refunds of their entry fee. 

Presentation: 

Accepted work must be delivered ready to hang or display. Work to hang on the wall must be fitted with framing wire because we use a cable and hook system that hangs from a picture railing. Work with sawtooth hangers will be disqualified and returned to the artist. If you have questions regarding presentation, please reach out to submissions@monca.org.  Pedestals are available for three-dimensional work or the artist may provide other means of display. The artist's name, phone, and title of work MUST be on the back of each artwork. All work must be dry and clean. 

$15 for one entry, $10 for each additional entry. Maximum of 8 entries. All fees are non-refundable. 

Accepted work must be delivered ready to hang or display. Work to hang on the wall must be fitted with framing wire. All work must be dry and clean. No sawtooth hangers. 3D work must fit on a pedestal (which monca can provide) or artist may provide other means of display. Artist’s name, phone, and title of work MUST be on the back of each artwork.

Calendar/Timeline: 

• Deadline for entries: Sunday, November 1, 2026
• Jury results notification: On or before November 19, 2026, by email (add submissions@monca.org to your contacts to prevent email from ending up in your spam folder).
• Artwork Delivery (in person or by mail): December 17-20, 2026 & January 7-10, 2027 during museum hours, 11am-5 pm.
• Opening date: Thursday, January 14, 2027
• Reception: Friday, January 29, 5-8pm
• Closing date: Sunday, March 7, 2027
• Artwork pickup: Sunday, March 7, 2027 at 5pm, or during museum hours on March 11-14 2027 and 18-21 2027. Works left beyond March 21, 2027 will be assessed a storage fee of $5 per piece, per day (Thurs-Sun). Works left beyond April 23, 2027 will become property of monca.

Please note: 

Postage/packaging/shipping insurance are the responsibility of the artist and will be required upfront. If the work is to be shipped back, the artist must provide a pre-paid mailing label. We only return-ship work that was shipped to us. Insurance is the responsibility of the artist. monca will be diligent in the care of artwork but is not responsible for loss or damage that might occur.  

The museum will not be held responsible for anything damaged in shipment.

ELIGIBILITY: Original works created by artists residing in Northern California, defined as the following counties:  Alameda, Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Contra Costa, Del Norte, El Dorado, Glenn, Humboldt, Lake, Lassen, Marin, Mariposa, Mendocino, Merced, Modoc, Mono, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Tuolumne, Yolo, Yuba. 

If you have eligibility questions please email submissions@monca.org.