Octagonal: The All Media Show 2026

Application closes 11:45PM December 7, 2025!

Exhibit Dates: January 19 - March 14, 2026

Reception: January 22, 2026

 

Octagonal: The All-Media Show is the annual, juried all-media exhibition at the Octagon Center for the Arts in Ames, Iowa. Originally titled the Clay and Paper Show, the exhibit opened in 1968 to provide an opportunity to the central Iowa arts community. Over the past 57 years, the exhibit morphed over the decades to become the Clay, Fiber, Paper, Glass, Metal, Wood Exhibit that has featured hundreds of artists from dozens of states. The newest version of the exhibit, Octagonal: The All-Media Show, launched in 2018 taking a note from the past while moving forward to continue to provide an exciting opportunity for artists across the United States. This exhibit features a regionally-recognized juror each year and provides cash awards for Best in Show and four media-specific awards.

The Details:

• Artists must be over 18 years of age.
• Artist must reside in the contiguous United States (excludes Alaska and Hawaii)
• Entry fee: $25 for non-members, $20 for members
• Entry limit of 2 pieces (submissions) per artist
• Artists are responsible for all shipping costs associated with their artwork(s).

Submission Instructions

Submissions must be original works of art created by the applicant. Artwork must be created within the last five years (2020-2025) and not previously exhibited at the Octagon. Each applicant may submit up to two entries. If an entry is 3-dimensional, you may submit up to 3 images total (this includes detail shots or other angles) for the entry.

Please label your images in this format: LastName_FirstName_ArtworkTitle.

By submitting an application, you are agreeing to the terms laid out in our Entry and Exhibit Requirements. Please read the entry and exhibit requirements.

We encourage artists to list for sale prices on the works if they are available for purchase. As noted in the Entry and Exhibit Requirements, the Octagon retains a 40% commission, so please price accordingly.

Please self-identify your media category using these guidelines:

• Jewelry artists should choose the media category that best represents the focal point of the work.
• The Painting category includes artwork with oil, acrylic, and watercolor.
• The Paper category includes photography, printmaking, and drawing.
• The Mixed Media category includes digital, assemblage, and mixed media collage.
• If the artwork doesn't seem to fit within these categories, please choose the media category that best represents the focal point of the work.

The Octagon must receive accepted artwork(s), either delivered in person or shipped via any shipping service, by 5:00PM, Monday, January 5th, 2026. If you need any further accomodations with this requirement, please email exhibits@octagonarts.org.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This is a juried exhibition! Please do not ship or drop off artwork until you have received confirmation that your artwork was accepted into the exhibition.