40th Anniversary
WEST MICHIGAN ART COMPETITION
Important Dates: Now accepting submissions through January 5. The 40th Annual West Michigan Art Competition will run from January 31 to March 28, 2026 at the Lowell Arts gallery.
About the Juror: This year's juror is Cathy VanVoorhis, an accomplished landscape painter and faculty member at the University of Michigan's Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design.
Awards: A total of $3750 in cash awards will be presented. Six awards of $500 each, five honorable mention awards of $100 each, and a ceramics award of $250 sponsored by the West Michigan Potters Guild.
Eligibility: Open to artists 18 and older who reside in any of the 42 eligible West Michigan counties: 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.
Artwork Requirements: Artists may submit one original piece created within the last three years in any 2-D or 3-D medium. Work must not exceed 62 inches in any direction (including frame) and must fit through a standard door frame. Previously exhibited works at Lowell Arts are not eligible.
How to Enter: Entry fee is $40. Submissions must be made through callforentry.org. Link to Entry Form
Competition Info & Eligibility
About the Exhibition
The 40th Annual Lowell Arts West Michigan Art Competition highlights outstanding artwork by Michigan artists. In honor of the 40th anniversary of this exhibition, artwork will be accepted from an expanded 42-county region of Michigan. Artwork in any visual art media can be submitted by artists 18 yrs. and older. Cash awards totaling $3750 are presented. Artists may submit one piece for consideration by the juror. The exhibition is January 31 - March 28, 2026 in the Lowell Arts gallery.
Entry Deadline
January 5, 2026 at 11:59pm MT. 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.
About the Juror
This year's juror is Cathy VanVoorhis. VanVoorhis holds an MFA in Painting from the University of Michigan and an MA in Art History from Michigan State University and has received an Individual Creative Artist Grant from the Michigan Council for the Arts. Her oil landscape paintings explore the healing power of nature through Michigan's waterways and coastlines, inspired by naturalist writers like Rachel Carson. Her work has been exhibited at prominent institutions including the Muskegon Museum of Art, Saginaw Art Museum, and Dennos Art Museum, with solo shows at venues such as the Rogel Cancer Center and Hillsdale College. Currently, she teaches drawing, painting, and color at the Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design at the University of Michigan.
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 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.
Application Information
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 2026 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.
Image Files
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 gallery@lowellarts.org.
Artists may submit ONE PIECE in any medium for consideration by the juror. Artists are asked to submit at least 2 views of the same piece, up to 5 images of the same piece can be submitted.
Artwork Information
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.
Entry Conditions
Upon Delivery:
Hanging Works:
Unsuitably prepared, hazardous, unstable, or extremely fragile works will be declined.
Accepted Entries
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 22 and 23, 10am-6pm and January 24, 12-5pm. Shipped works must be prepaid and arrive by Friday, January 23. For shipped work, please include a prepaid return shipping label with the entry. All packing and shipping costs are the responsibility of the artist.
Pick Up
Accepted entries must remain in the exhibition through March 28, 2026. Artists may pick up accepted work in person March 31 and April 1-3, 10am-6pm. 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 7. Shipment costs are the responsibility of the artist.
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.
Rules and Terms to Apply
I understand that Lowell Arts will take every precaution to ensure protection of artwork. Owners of artwork will release and hold harmless Lowell Arts, its staff, and volunteers of any liability that may arise by damage, loss, or theft while artwork is on the Lowell Arts premises. Lowell Arts is not responsible for any damage to art objects incurred during regular handling of the work during installation and exhibition. Artists wishing to otherwise insure their work should contact their insurance agents directly. I understand that all artwork must arrive be ready to install and meet the entry conditions as described by Lowell Arts. If these conditions are not met, the artwork will not be included in the exhibition. Entry to the exhibition also constitutes the artists' consent to Lowell Arts to use images of their artwork for publicity purposes. I understand that all artwork not picked up at the designated times will be considered abandoned and become the property of Lowell Arts.
lowellarts.org/wmac-call-for-entry Link to Entry Form
