About the Show

2026 is the Year of the Fire Horse. Horses have inspired great works of art for millenia, and have shaped human culture worldwide with their friendship and hard work. They symbolize freedom and liberation, sovereignty and power, beauty and strength, journey and action, bravery and untamed spirit. Horses call us to listen to our intuition, and most of all to live in attunment.

This art call invites artists to share works exploring the spirit and essence of the horse.

Curation

Curate will act as juror and curator for all submissions and selected works. Curate is an independent curatorial service known for uplifting and supporting artists in the Santa Fe community. Curate has partnered with numerous galleries and alternative spaces in Santa Fe for the past 10 years to develop shows and provide programming, educational opportunities, and professional development to artists.

For more information on Curate, please visit their website at:
https://www.curatesantafe.com/ 
 

Eligibility

There is no cost to submit work for this show. All artists 18+ are eligible for participation. All 2-D traditional and digital artistic mediums are welcome, including painting, photography, printmaking, drawing and illustration, encaustic, textile, mixed media, collage, and more.

Group Exhibition

This is an open call for a group exhibition of selected artists whose work will be shown from March-June 2026 (final dates TBD) at the Iconik Coffee Roasters Guadalupe location, adjacent to the world-famous Santa Fe Plaza and Railyard Arts District. Selected artists and pieces will also be featured and promoted on Curate's website and social media.
 

Timeline and Important Dates

Submissions will be accepted through Monday, February 16th. Selected applicants will be notified by Monday, February 23rd. Upon acceptance, artists will receive a contract from Curate and additional information about the show.
 
Opening

An opening reception will be hosted at Iconik Coffee Roasters Guadalupe on Saturday, March 28th from 4-6 pm. This event will be free and open to the public.

Pricing and Payment

Each piece will be priced individually. Final prices will be determined collaboratively by the artist and Curate. All work will be sold through Iconik Coffee Roasters. Artists will receive 50% of profits from sales, with the remaining 50% being distributed between the venue and curator. 

After the opening, all pieces are eligible to be sold off the wall and taken home by a collector.

For artists who make sales, payment will be facilitated directly from Iconik Coffee Roasters on the 10th of the month following the sale. Participating artists must have an active Venmo account in order to receive payment from Iconik Coffee Roasters.

Drop-Off and Install Information

All selected pieces must be dropped off to Iconik Coffee Roasters on the day of install. You will receive additional information regarding drop-off time and address upon acceptance to the show.

Please note we are unable to accept shipped works for this call. All accepted pieces must be delievered in-person.

Pieces must arrive ready-to-hang on the Iconik Coffee Roasters' STAS hanging wire system (framed as desired, wire, d-rings, etc.). Further information regarding how to appropriately d-ring and wire your piece will be provided to accepted artists as needed.

Pieces must arrive ready-to-hang and all frames must be in good condition. Pieces that do not arrive ready-to-hang or that are deemed unsafe to hang will not be accepted. No exceptions.

Submission Requirements

Please carefully review the following requirements for submission. All artists submitting work must complete this form no later than Monday, February 16th.

• Applicants can submit any work of art related to the theme of horses or Year of the Horse.
• Applicants can submit up to 3 different works of art for consideration. A maximum of 3 entries per artist will be selected.
• All 2-D traditional and digital artistic mediums are eligible for consideration, such as painting, photography, printmaking, letterpress, drawing and illustration, encaustic, textile, mixed media, collage, and beyond.
• Pieces must arrive ready-to-hang.
• Participants must complete this form by February 16th for consideration.

Artist Statement and Bio

Please upload a short bio (200 words or less) and a statement on how the work relates to the theme.

• Accepted file types: .doc, .docx, .pdf
• Max file size 5 MB

Image Upload

Up to 3 works per artist will be considered for participation in the show. Please upload up to 3 images of your work for consideration. For physical pieces, please consider photographing your work in clear, bright lighting and with all edges of the piece visible.

Please submit your files according to the following specs: 

• FirstInitialLastName_TitleOfPiece.jpg
        — Example: JDominguez_HorseAtSunset.jpg
• Accepted file types: JPEG, PNG, GIF, or PDF
• Max file size 5 MB

Thank you for submitting your work for consideration! Selected applicants will be notified by February 23, 2026.