“Lunar Fire” by Morgan Parr

DEL RAY ARTISANS - CALL FOR ENTRY
OPEN TO ALL AREA ARTISTS

Lunar New Year:
Year of the Horse
at Del Ray Artisans Gallery

February 6 – 28, 2026

Entry Deadline: Thursday, January 15, 2026 by Midnight

Curators: Morgan Parr (RMorganParr@gmail.com) &
Annemarie Kuhns (Annemarie.Kuhns@gmail.com)

Del Ray Artisans invites artists to submit work for the Lunar New Year: Year of the Horse, an exhibition celebrating the dynamic energy, symbolism, and beauty of the horse–an enduring emblem of strength, vitality, and freedom. This exhibition honors the cultural significance of the Lunar New Year and its traditions across Asian and Asian diaspora communities. Artists are encouraged to approach the theme with respect, authenticity, and cultural awareness. Works inspired by these traditions should reflect thoughtful engagement and appreciation rather than appropriation. We welcome diverse perspectives and interpretations of the Lunar New Year and the subject of the horse.

Questions? Contact curator Morgan Parr (RMorganParr@gmail.com) or Annemarie Kuhns (Annemarie.Kuhns@gmail.com)

Lunar New Year: Year of the Horse is open to all area artists; however, Del Ray Artisans members pay a lower entry fee. If you are not a member, you may join Del Ray Artisans now.

Entry to this exhibit is by online submission. Art may be two- or three-dimensional, and in any medium. No strict size limits, but please be considerate of other artists and the physical limits of the gallery before entering oversized pieces. Oversized pieces of merit will be accepted if space permits. If submitting a multi-piece 2D artwork (such as a diptych or triptych), all parts must be framed together into one piece unless cleared in advance with the curator. Art should be ready to hang or display with wire and screw eyes, mounting and/or display stand, framed, matted, or with edges finished.  We cannot show work that is not ready for exhibition. Example of a professionally framed artwork with flat screw eyes and wire:

If your artwork hanging system varies greatly from this example, contact the curators. See DelRayArtisans.org/exhibits/art-guidelines for additional details.

Entry Details

• Open to all area artists.
• Artists may submit up to three (3) pieces of artwork.
• The entry fee is $5 per entry for Del Ray Artisans members and $10 per entry for non-members. (Patron-Platinum members are exempt from exhibit entry fees as a membership benefit.)
• Deadline for online submission of your art is Thursday, January 15, 2026 by midnight.
• Entry fees are due upon submission and are non-refundable - pay with cash, check, or credit card at the gallery or by credit card online. 
• You must provide one photo for each entry. Acceptable file types are: jpg, jpeg, pdf, and png; up to 5MB in file size. Smart phone photos are acceptable. You must name your files as follows: "YourLastName-FirstName-ArtworkTitle". You may also choose to provide one additional photograph per entry (not required). If you provide a second photo for an entry, add a "-2" to the end - e.g. "YourLastName-FirstName-ArtworkTitle-2".
• All artwork must be original work and not a digital reproduction print. Giclée prints are not allowed. Art that relies on generated AI (artificial intelligence) content is discouraged, and may not be accepted. Photography, digital art, and hand-printed fine art prints (block prints, woodcuts, relief prints, monoprints, lithographs, intaglios, etchings, engravings, etc.) are welcome for entry. Contact the curator for more information.
• All artwork must be for sale.
• Work previously shown at Del Ray Artisans gallery is eligible if exhibited in 2024 or earlier. Artwork exhibited at Del Ray Artisans in 2025 is not eligible.
• Artwork acceptance is at the curator’s discretion. Final acceptance into the exhibit will happen when the curator views the artwork in person. Artwork, once accepted into the exhibit at the drop-off time, must not be removed from the gallery or be altered in appearance or in price.

Accepted Artist Requirements

• All taxes, including sales tax, are the responsibility of the artist. Factor your tax burden into the price of your artwork. Del Ray Artisans does not collect taxes separately.
• When art sells, Del Ray Artisans retains a 20% commission.
• Even if the artist's work has sold, artists are not allowed to bring in new entries after Artwork Receiving.
• Del Ray Artisans and the City of Alexandria cannot be held liable for any loss or damage to artwork at any time. Insurance for artwork is the sole responsibility of the artist.
• Permission to photograph any artwork for Del Ray Artisans publicity and archival purposes is automatically granted by the artist as a requisite for entering the exhibit. The photos you provide in the entry form below may also be used to post this exhibit online. Anyone not agreeing must contact the Curating Director at Curating@DelRayArtisans.org.
• All artists participating in this exhibit are required to volunteer a minimum of 3 hours towards managing the show. Those hours can be filled by gallery hosting during the month of exhibit, assisting with show hanging or take down, and volunteering to help with other show-specific activities as needed by the curators. Any hours in excess of 3 hours will count towards the membership requirement. DRA members are reminded to report their volunteer hours monthly.
• Unsold artwork pickup is on Sunday, March. 1, 2026 from 12-3 pm by appointment. No early pickup. All art must remain for the entire length of the exhibit unless sold or arrangements have been made in advance with the curator.
• Del Ray Artisans cannot be held responsible for any artwork left after the pickup deadline. The gallery has limited space and artwork could get lost, misplaced, or damaged. Any art left over 30 days after the close of the show will become the property of Del Ray Artisans.

Important Dates

• Deadline for Digital Submissions to the exhibit and Entry Fees is by midnight on Thursday, January 15, 2025.
  
• Artists will be notified of artwork acceptance by Sunday, January 18, 2026.
• Artwork Receiving for accepted exhibit entries will be on Sunday, February 1, 2026 from 3-6 pm by appointment at Del Ray Artisans gallery, 2704 Mount Vernon Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22301. (The curator will contact you to schedule your appointment.)
• The Opening Reception is Friday, Feburary 6, 2026 from 7-9 pm.
• The exhibit runs February 6-28, 2026. Gallery hours are Thursday 12-6pm, Friday 12-9pm, Saturday & Sunday 12-6pm. (Closed the last Sunday of the month.)
• Unsold artwork pickup is on Sunday, March 1, 2026 from 12-3 pm by appointment. 

 

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Entry Form

The above information is for Del Ray Artisans use only.

Artwork Entries

You may provide up to three (3) entries. 

Please provide one photo for each entry.  Acceptable file types are: pdf, jpg, jpeg, png,and gif; up to 5MB in file size.  Smart phone photos are acceptable.  You may also provide an additional photograph per entry if you wish (not required). 

Name your files as follows: YourLastName-FirstName-ArtworkTitle. If you provide a second photo for the entry, add a “-2” to the end, e.g. YourLastName-FirstName-ArtworkTitle-2.

Any questions or concerns about this application, contact the curators: Morgan Parr (RMorganParr@gmail.com) & Annemarie Kuhns (Annemarie.Kuhns@gmail.com)

Entry 1

Entry 2

Entry 3

Terms and Conditions

Carefully review all the terms and conditions in this Call for Entry; especially note the Accepted Artist Requirements section and Important Dates section. You must also check the following acknowledgements:

After clicking "Submit Entry Form" below you will be taken directly to the payment page for your entry(s). Your submission is NOT complete until payment is remitted.

Special thanks to the City of Alexandria, Alexandria Commission for the Arts, and Virginia Commission for the Arts for their continued support of Del Ray Artisans, a 501(c)(3) organization.