OPEN CALL FOR "Under Pressure: Contemporary Political Prints"

Deadline for all entries: Thursday, May 7, 2026, 11:59pm PDT

From June 4 - June 28, Center on Contemporary Art (CoCA), in partnership with Seattle Print Arts (SPA), will present Under Pressure: Contemporary Political Prints, a juried exhibition highlighting the continued relevance of printmaking as a tool for political expression and collective reflection.

This exhibition invites artists to reflect on the political realities of our time through the enduring medium of printmaking. In periods of turbulence, art becomes a vital space for expression, connection, and resilience. Under Pressure highlights artists engaging with themes of power, resistance, oppression, identity, and social change.Printmaking has long served as a tool to disseminate ideas and amplify marginalized voices.While digital media dominates political communication, physical prints retain a unique immediacy, offering a direct and tangible way to confront urgent issues.We invite submissions of work that speak boldly, critically, and thoughtfully to the pressures of our contemporary moment.

MEDIUM REQUIREMENTS

Submissions must involve non-digital printmaking processes, including but not limited to:- Etching- Lithography- Relief- Screenprinting

Purely digital prints or photography will not be accepted.

Read the complete call at https://www.cocaseattle.org/calls-for-art

ELIGIBILITY:

This call is open to all current members of Seattle Print Arts (SPA) and Center on Contemporary Art (CoCA). Membership is open and accessible to all artists.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:

A complete application consists of a bio, statement, and up to 5 images, with descriptions.
Images can be of one piece, 5 pieces, or any combination

Please prepare the following before beginning your submission. Here are the specific requirements:

  • An Artist’s statement specific to the theme of the exhibition (250 words): This will appear in the catalog (if any) if accepted.

  • An Artist’s biography (200 words), including year of birth, city of origin, awards, honors, shows, degrees. This will also appear in the catalog (if any) if accepted.

  • Up to 5 images of the artwork for consideration. Format is jpg file, minimum. dimension of 2400 pixels in at least one direction. If you are submitting video of your work, please include a link and make sure that access is open for review period (or include password in Work Description).

  • A Work Description (max. 500 words): In addition to title, dimensions, edition, medium, year, and price (or NFS) for each artwork, consider the body of work as a unit, indicating whether new work or old, part of a series or not, previously exhibited, result of a collaboration, etc. Artwork is for sale at 60% Artist, 40% CoCA (70% Artist, 30% CoCA for members) and can also be “NFS.”

  • $25 (USD) entry fee (PayPal) ($15 CoCA Members). Make sure to note the applicant’s name in the payment.
YOUR SUBMISSION


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 Please proceed to PayPal to submit the $15 member application fee.
If you have any further comments about your submission, or something additional we need to know,
please email us at submissions@cocaseattle.org
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Please proceed to PayPal to submit the $25 non-member application fee.
If you think this fee should be lower due to your CoCA membership status,
please email us at submissions@cocaseattle.org
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We have sent a confirmation to and will notify you about our selections at the same address.
If you do not hear from us in the next 24 hours, please contact us at submissions@cocaseattle.org

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