West Michigan Art Competition 2027

The 41st Annual Lowell Arts West Michigan Art Competition highlights outstanding artwork by Michigan artists. Artwork will be accepted from a 42-county region of lower West Michigan. Artwork in any visual art media can be submitted by artists 18 yrs. and older. Cash awards totaling $4000 are presented. Artists may submit one piece for consideration by the juror.

West Michigan Art Competition

The 41st Annual Lowell Arts West Michigan Art Competition highlights outstanding artwork by Michigan artists. Artwork will be accepted from a 42-county region of lower West Michigan. Artwork in any visual art media can be submitted by artists 18 yrs. and older. Artists may submit one piece for consideration by the juror.

Prizes

$4000 in cash awards will be presented. Five awards of $500 each, ten honorable mention awards of $100 each, a ceramics award of $250 sponsored by the West Michigan Potters Guild, and a fiber arts award of $250 sponsored by the Woodland Weavers & Spinners.

Schedule

• Online Entries Accepted: October 22, 2026 to January 5, 2027
• Deadline for Entries: January 5, 11:59pm
• Notification of Acceptance: January 15, 2027
• Drop-Off of Accepted Work: January 28 to 30, 10am-5pm
• Exhibit Dates: February 6 to March 27, 2027
• Pick-up of Accepted Work: March 30 to April 2, 10am-5pm

Artwork Requirements

Only original works completed in the last three years and not previously exhibited at Lowell Arts are eligible. Commercial reproductions, including giclée prints, will not be accepted. Traditional print media, photography, and digital art should be from a limited edition. 2-Dimensional entries may be no larger than 62 inches in any one direction, including the width of the frame. 3-Dimensional entries must fit through a standard door frame and be no larger than 62 inches in any one direction. Only artwork easily handled by two people will be accepted.

Artist Eligibility

The West Michigan Art Competition is open to all visual art media by artists 18 yrs. and older who reside in one of the eligible West Michigan counties. Eligible lower West Michigan counties include: Allegan, Antrim, Barry, Benzie, Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, Cass, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Clare, Clinton, Crawford, Eaton, Emmet, Grand Traverse, Gratiot, Hillsdale, Ingham, Ionia, Isabella Jackson, Kalamazoo, Kalkaska, Kent, Lake, Leelanau, Manistee, Mason, Mecosta, Missaukee, Montcalm, Muskegon, Newaygo, Oceana, Osceola, Otsego, Ottawa, Roscommon, St. Joseph, Van Buren, and Wexford.

Entry Procedure

All entries must be submitted digitally through the www.callforentry.org (CaFÉ) website. There is no cost to register on CaFÉ, but it is required. Video entries may not be submitted. Deadline for entry is January 5, 2027 at 11:59pm EST.

Entry Fee

Artists may submit one piece only. The fee for entry is $40. Lowell Arts Members and Students over 18 with a college ID receive a discounted entry fee of $30. Members and students should call 616-897-8545 to receive their discount code before entering. Memberships need to be active through March of 2027 to receive the discount. Refunds cannot be provided after entry. Entry fees help fund prizes for the competition, as well as programs and services provided by Lowell Arts.

Digital Images for Entry

Digital image files must conform to the requirements as listed on the CaFÉ site. All entries require that the title, media, and dimensions be listed. Incomplete entries will not be juried. Accepted works that differ dramatically from the submitted images may be refused at the discretion of Lowell Arts staff. Lowell Arts will offer technical assistance on applying through CaFÉ to artists as needed, by appointment. Contact 616-897-8545 or info@lowellarts.org.

Notification of Acceptance

Artists will be notified on January 15 via email if their piece was accepted for the exhibition. Artists with accepted entries will be provided an identification label at the time of drop-off to affix to the back of their piece.

Delivery

All accepted entries must be hand-delivered or shipped to: Lowell Arts, 223 W Main St, Lowell, MI 49331. The Lowell Arts Gallery is located in historic downtown Lowell at the corner of Broadway and Main Street. For hand-delivery, accepted artwork must arrive at Lowell Arts on January 28-30, 10am-5pm. Shipped works must be prepaid and arrive by Friday, January 29. For shipped work, please include a prepaid return shipping label with the entry. All packing and shipping costs are the responsibility of the artist.

Entry Conditions

Artwork must be ready for presentation upon delivery. All hanging works should be framed and fitted with secure hanging wire. Fabric wrapped canvases are allowed and do not require additional framing. Frames with exposed glass edges are not acceptable. Saw tooth hangers are not permitted. Entries must be dry, completely assembled, framed, matted, or mounted. Multiple panel pieces (diptychs, triptychs, etc.) cannot exceed 62 inches in any one direction once installed. 3-dimensional entries that hang must have adequate hanging hardware or hanging system. Work requiring special handling or installation will be accepted only at the discretion of Lowell Arts. Unsuitably prepared, hazardous, unstable, or extremely fragile works will be declined. If you are unsure about your work conforming to these conditions, please contact Lowell Arts at info@lowellarts.org before entering.

Art Sales

Accepted artwork must remain on display for the duration of the exhibit. Lowell Arts requires a 30% commission on all artwork sold during the exhibition. If the work is not for sale, please indicate “0 (zero)” for value on entry form. The artwork will be labeled as “NFS” – not for sale. It is highly recommended that artwork be available for sale.

Pick-up

Accepted entries must remain in the exhibition through March 27, 2027. Artists may pick up accepted work in person March 30 to April 2, 10am-5pm. Artists must call ahead to authorize someone other than themselves to pick-up their work, otherwise artwork will not be released to anyone except the artist. Artwork not picked up at the designated times will be considered abandoned and become the property of Lowell Arts. Shipped artworks will be sent back in the packing materials they arrived in. Return of shipped artwork will begin April 6. Shipment costs are the responsibility of the artist.

Artists may submit ONE PIECE in any medium for consideration by the juror.

• Artists are asked to submit one high-quality image of their piece. Up to 5 images of the same piece can be submitted.
• Image #1 should show the piece in its entirety. If applicable, do not include the picture frame in this image. 
• Image #2 should be used to highlight details, texture or an alternate angle of the piece. If applicable, the picture frame may be shown in this image.
• Images #3, #4, #5 are optional – included to highlight additional details, textures, or angles of the piece.

The West Michigan Art Competition is open to all visual art media by artists 18 yrs. and older who reside in one of the eligible West Michigan counties. Eligible lower West Michigan counties include: Allegan, Antrim, Barry, Benzie, Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, Cass, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Clare, Clinton, Crawford, Eaton, Emmet, Grand Traverse, Gratiot, Hillsdale, Ingham, Ionia, Isabella Jackson, Kalamazoo, Kalkaska, Kent, Lake, Leelanau, Manistee, Mason, Mecosta, Missaukee, Montcalm, Muskegon, Newaygo, Oceana, Osceola, Otsego, Ottawa, Roscommon, St. Joseph, Van Buren, and Wexford.