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Rawls Museum Arts - 2026 Juried Exhibition

Rawls Museum Arts
Courtland, Virginia, USA
Deadline: Friday, July 31, 2026

Exhibition Prospectus

Rawls Museum Arts is excited to present the 2026 Juried Exhibition, accepting all media and offering $1,000 in total prize money. 

Founded in 1958, Rawls Museum Arts is a non-profit organization dedicated to making the arts accessible to all through exhibitions, education programs, and community outreach. Located in Courtland, Virginia, the museum serves as a hub for creativity, connection, and lifelong learning across the region

Works cannot exceed a weight of 50 pounds. Work can not be longer/larger than 45 inches in its longest dimension. All work must be hand-delivered.

If you have a question about if your work qualifies, please email info@rawlsarts.org. No phone calls please.

If your work is selected for the show, please be sure to read the full Limitations and Artwork Specifications section before hand-delivering work.

Juror

This is a juried exhibition, and it will be co-curated by RMA staff. and by Juror and Artist, Allen TenBusschen. Allen is a contemporary realist painter whose work explores perception, memory, and the search for meaning within ordinary experience. 

In addition to his studio practice, TenBusschen serves as Assistant Professor of Art and Chair of the Art Department at the University of Lynchburg, where he teaches drawing, painting, and courses focused on observation, perception, and creative inquiry.

Submission Fee

$35.00 nonrefundable flat fee for up to for 3 works (one image per submission). 

*Note: You do not have to submit 3 different works, but artists have the option to do so for the $35 fee

Exhibition Dates & Important Information: 

Exhibition DatesSaturday, September 19th - Friday, October 23rd, 2026
Reception:Saturday, September 19th, 2-4pm. Free & open to the public. 
Call Open:Monday, June 15th - Friday, July 31st, 2026
Jury Period:Saturday, August 1 - Friday, August, 14th, 2026
Notifications (by email):   

By 5pm, Saturday, August 15th, 2026

All work selected for exhibition in the show is at the sole discretion of the Juror. There is no guarantee that any artwork will be selected.

Accepted works arrive by:     

DEADLINE -  Saturday, September 12th, 2026 by 2pm

All accepted works must arrive by the deadline. All work must be hand-delivered.

Artwork drop off is on Friday, September 11th from 10am-4pm and Saturday, September 12th from 10am-2pm. Deliveries must fall within that time range, unless prior arrangements have been made. Please contact info@rawlsarts.org to make prior arrangements. No phone calls please. 

When to pick up work (if it does not sell):

The final day of the exhibition is Friday, October 23rd, 2026.

Work may be picked up on Saturday, October 24 between 10am-2pm or Tuesday, October 27th between 10am-4pm. 

ALL work must be picked up by October 27th by 4pm unless prior arrangements have been made. Someone else may pick up work as long as written (email is fine) permission has been communicated to RMA. 

Unless prior arrangements are made, work not picked up within 60 days of the deadline will become property of RMA. 

Payments

RMA will accept all payments for works sold. Payment will be mailed from RMA to the artist by the 15th of the following month. 

If awarded, you can expect your check in the mail in mid-October. 

PLEASE MAKE SURE YOUR ADDRESS IS CORRECT IN THE CaFÉ SYSTEM. 

Awards

1st Place:   $500.00

2nd Place:   $300.00

3rd Place:   $200.00

Gallery Commission RMA commission on sales is 70/30 (70% artist, 30% RMA). Works can also be NFS.
Eligibility

All work must be original and created without the aid of an instructor or kit. Artificial Intelligence (AI) art or works derived in whole or part from AI technology are not eligible for entry. All styles and aesthetics are considered. 

Rawls Museum Arts is a public non-profit art center open to everyone; as such, the content of submissions should be appropriate for all viewers (no nudity or violence). Work must be ready to hang or pedestal ready. All work must be hand-delivered.

Submissions

All entries and payments must be submitted via Call for Entries (CaFÉ). Please follow the directions on CaFÉ. If you have exhibition or art related questions, please contact info@rawlsarts.org (No phone calls please); questions related to submitting through the CaFÉ platform should be directed to CaFÉ. 

Please note that artists with questions or technical difficulties who are submitting within 24 hours of the deadline and/or outside of business hours may not receive help in time. Please leave ample time for your submissions to avoid any issues. 

Limitations and Artwork Specifications

Works cannot exceed a weight of 50 pounds. Work can not be longer/larger than 45 inches in its longest dimension. All work must be hand-delivered. If you have a question about if your work qualifies, please email info@rawlsarts.org

ALL WORK MUST BE READY TO HANG/PRESENT. 

  • Wrapped canvases that are not framed must have finished edges. All other pieces must be properly framed; unframed panels will not be allowed.
  • All 2D artwork must have a hanging wire attached - sawtooth hangers, loops embedded in cardboard backing, or other types of hangers are not permitted. The RMA’s hanging system cannot accommodate sawtooth or similar hangers.
  • All 3D works that require presentation other than standard pedestals must include those items with the works. Works that require special installation must come with clear instructions. Any works that require complicated specialized installation must be installed by the artist.

We reserve the right to reject work for the exhibition that differs significantly from the submitted images and/or for craft issues. 

Liability
  1. The gallery staff will take great care handling artworks for exhibition. However, Rawls Museum Arts (RMA), its staff, and gallery are not responsible for any damage that may occur. We strongly recommend artists insure the works themselves.
  2. RMA mails exhibition award checks separately from the artwork and up to 45 days after the exhibition reception date. It is the artist’s responsibility to ensure that their mailing address is correct in their CaFÉ account. If the artist fails to list their address correctly, RMA is not responsible for any fees associated with canceling and re-issuing a new award check to the artist.
  3. RMA lists exhibiting work for sale using the price of the work listed on the artist’s CaFÉ account. It is the artist’s responsibility to ensure that their sale price is correct in their CaFÉ account, or to otherwise notify the RMA staff. If the artist fails to list the price correctly or fails to otherwise notify the staff, RMA is not financially responsible if the work was sold at the CaFÉ account listed price. Please note that RMA’s commission on sales is 70/30 (70% artist, 30% RMA).
  4. Works that are not picked up within 60 days of the deadline to pick up work become property of the RMA.
  5. By submitting this application, I acknowledge that RMA has permission to photograph my work for publicity purposes. RMA may promote the exhibition with mentions on the website, a press release, and mentions through social media outlets.
Artist Statements

Rawls Museum Arts gives artists the option to display artist statements with the artwork in its exhibitions. 

If you would like a statement displayed, please make sure that your artist statement on CaFÉ is 555 characters (including spaces and punctuation) or less. Please also make sure that your statement is free of grammatical errors. 

Other Information About Rawls Museum Arts:

Rawls Museum Arts Brief Description 

Our building is located in Courtland, Virginia, and is comprised of a main gallery, two outer galleries, a gift shop, and a separate art studio building. RMA’s Main Gallery is rotated every 6-8 weeks with new exhibitions, while our gift shop displays our frequently updated 30+ community artists' work. There is always something new to enjoy during your visit to RMA!

Rawls Museum Arts is located just down the street from downtown Courtland at 23376 Linden Street, Courtland, VA 23837. 

Rawls Museum Arts History

Rawls Museum Arts (RMA) began with a vision in 1952, when Southampton County native Walter Cecil Rawls imagined a space that would bring together a library, museum, and community. With help from his friend Junius W. Pulley, that vision became reality in 1958 when the library-museum opened in Courtland, featuring early exhibits of local art and historical artifacts.

Over time, the museum grew into a cultural hub for the region. In 1980, it became an independent nonprofit – Rawls Museum Arts, Inc. – with a focus on expanding access to the arts through exhibitions, classes, and community programs.

In 1999, RMA opened its current facility, which includes multiple galleries, a gift shop, and space for its permanent collection. Today, RMA continues to serve the City of Franklin, and the counties of Southampton, Sussex, Surry and Isle of Wight with a wide range of exhibitions, classes, and events – carrying forward Rawls’ original goal of making art accessible to all.

Eligibility

Regional

Application Details

SourceCallForEntry.org (CaFÉ)
Call Opened6/15/2026
Event Starts9/19/2026
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