Call for Art – Line Work

Call for Art Opens: Friday, December 12th, 2025

Theme: Line Work

 Submission Deadline: Saturday, January 10th (by 11:59pm)

 Artwork Notifications: Wednesday, January 14th (by 11:59pm)

Artwork Drop off: Sunday, February 1st (11:00am-5:00pm)

Exhibition Dates: Thursday, February 5th – Saturday, February 28th

Reception: Saturday, February 7th, 4:00-6:00pm

Unsold artwork pick up:
Saturday, February 28th (5:00pm-7:00pm)
Sunday, March 1st (11:00am-5:00pm)

SHOW THEME:

Lines connect, divide, guide, redact, map, express and reveal. They form the contours of a drawing and the rhythm of a sentence. For this collaborative exhibition, “Line Work,” we invite visual artists and creative writers to explore the many possibilities of a line. Where do we see them, when are they invisible? How do we construct, deconstruct, play, force, dance, speak a line?

Paul Klee famously said a line is a dot that went for a walk. The artist Nikita Gale says, “desire is data,” and lines help us follow that data, express it, name it, map it, witness it or feel it.

This show celebrates the collaborative potential between visual artists and writers, encouraging pairs or teams to investigate how their practices inform one another. How does a poem reshape a painting? How does a sketch inspire a story? How do we construct images from words or evoke stories through color and texture?

Artworks could: 

Be inspired by writings (ex; This painting was inspired by The Hobbit / a writing by a friend)

Include pieces of writing (ex; This piece uses collaged pages from the Hobbit / a writing by a friend)

Reference writing & words in some other way

Writing could:

Be inspired by a famous piece of art

Be inspired by the art of someone you know

Reference visual art in some other way

During the month of February the NAA will draw a line through the work in the exhibition, an author event, an open writing and drawing evening as well as some community collaborative activities. Start thinking and making.

Who May Submit: (Open to Members & Non-members!)

• Visual Artists working in any medium (drawing, painting, printmaking, illustration, photography, digital art, mixed media, installation, etc.)
• Creative Writers including poets, fiction writers, essayists, experimental or hybrid writers.
• Collaborative pairs or teams are strongly encouraged. If you do not have a partner, you may submit individually or choose to be paired by us. Indivudual submissions can be writing or visual art.

ELIGIBILITY, SUBMISSIONS, AND FEES: 

• This call is open NAA artist members and non-members
• Works should respond to the theme of "Line Work"
• Maximum of three entries per artist / author
• $20 per submission for NAA Artist / Early Career Members
• $30 per submission for non-members
• Artist Plus 2 free submissions and third entry $20
• Submissions fees are non-refundable

CATEGORY/MEDIA:

• Open to all media and disciplines
• Original work only
• No AI art
• Unframed work is allowed!
• Performance & Installation allowed

REQUIREMENTS:

• All work must be original, completed within the last five years
• All work must be for sale (execpt for poems/writing do not need to be for sale)
• Poems/writings do not need to be framed
• We do not accept works on loan from any private collection.
• No wet paintings.
• (2D) Works must be ready to hang with screw eyes/D-rings and wire
• (2D) Saw-tooth hangers cannot be accepted.
• (2D) Gallery wrapped canvas must be stapled on the back. Gessoed or painted sides are acceptable.
• (2D) Total 2D dimensions must be no larger than 60 inches on any one side
• (3D) Sculpture and 3-dimensional work must be less than 7 feet in height, 90 pounds or less, and fit within a 3x3 foot area.

Please note: 

• Saw-tooth hangers cannot be accepted

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

• Artists must upload at least one image per work. This image should be of the artwork only (excluding frame, unless integral to the work).
• Images files should be labeled with (FirstNameLastName_Title) if possible
• Digital images of submissions should be high resolution (iPhone photo is fine)
• All accepted work is subject to review and must comply with Newburyport Art hanging/framing standards.
• No artwork substitution is allowed.
• Submission of your entry constitutes your agreement with all the Code of Conduct
• Submission of your entry acknowledges the right of Newburyport Art to reproduce artwork for marketing purposes.
• Newburyport Art reserves the right to decline a submission for any reason or to remove a selected work for any reason.
• Having trouble submitting? Call Newburyport Art at 978-465-8769 or send us an email at artcall@newburyportart.org.

SALES AND INSURANCE:

• All work must be for sale (execpt for writing / poems)
• Newburyport Art retains a commission of 40% for works sold.
• Works will be handled with all possible care. Newburyport Art provides insurance up to 60% of the value declared by the artist from the day of receipt of the artwork to the final published pickup date
• Newburyport Art is not responsible for any work not picked up by the end of the designated pickup window of time.
• If a work sells, the artist will be notified by a Gallery Associate. At that time, the artist should confirm their mailing address
• Newburyport Art will make every effort to issue commission checks to artists for any show sales within 30 days following the close of the exhibition.

IMPORTANT DATES:

• Call for Art Opens: Friday, December 12th, 2025

• Theme: Line Work

• Submission Deadline: Saturday, January 10th (by 11:59pm)

• Artwork Notifications: Wednesday, January 14th (by 11:59pm)

• Artwork Drop off: Sunday, February 1st (11:00am-5:00pm)

• Exhibition Dates: Thursday, February 5th – Saturday, February 28th

• Reception: Saturday, February 7th, 4:00-6:00pm

• Unsold artwork pick up:
  Saturday, February 28th (5:00pm-7:00pm)
  Sunday, March 1st (11:00am-5:00pm)

FAQ:

Q: Can I use my own writing in my piece?

A: Yes

Q: Can I collaborate with an author I don't know personally?

A: You can take inspiration from an author in your piece, but the collaboration must be with someone you know / knew personally

Q: Can I submit writing / art without a pairing?

A: Yes, you can also choose to opt in or out of your piece being paired with someone else's writing /art.

 

Line Work Examples 
(Left) Ghostwritten 2016 Belle Carver Struck, Copper Etching ink on cotton.

Inspired by the collection of short stories: Ghostwritten by David Mitchell

(Right) Collaboration between a poet and an artist at the FINE ARTS WORKS CENTER 2014. The poets gave the artists a poem and the artists created a monoprint inspired by their words.

Directions and a few notes before you begin:

• There is a "Save" button that will save your progress if you wish to pause and finish your submission later. You may then be prompted by JotForm to follow a number of steps for proper saving
• If you have a Comcast email, your automatic copy of your submission may be blocked by Comcast. Email us at artcall@newburyportart.org for a copy of your submission

NEWBURYPORT ART MEMBERSHIP

This call for art is open to members & non-members of Newburyport Art. If you would like to become a member you can join HERE

If you want to verify your membership status, you can log in HERE

The fields below will appear once you have selected your work's dimensions.

Please provide the dimensions of the work, in inches, using numbers and decimals only (no fractions). For example, type 8.75 instead of 8-3/4.

Work is listed as H x W (x D)

The fields below will appear once you have selected your work's dimensions.

Please provide the dimensions of the work, in inches, using numbers and decimals only (no fractions). For example, type 8.75 instead of 8-3/4.

Work is listed as H x W (x D)

The fields below will appear once you have selected your work's dimensions.

Please provide the dimensions of the work, in inches, using numbers and decimals only (no fractions). For example, type 8.75 instead of 8-3/4.

Work is listed as H x W (x D)

Below is a listing of your entries and details, excluding any information you may have entered about a work's series/edition.

If something does not look accurate, please use the button below ("Back") to make the necessary edits within your previous responses.

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{nameOther}
{email}

Number of works submitted: {numWorks}

Work 1: {1summary}

Work 2: {2summary}

Work 3: {3summary}

Code of Conduct can be read HERE

Following your submission, a copy of your responses will be automatically emailed to you. Please check your spam/junk folder.

If you have a comcast email the automatic email from Jotform will most likely be blocked and you will not recieve it. Please email artcall@newburyportart.org to request a copy of your receipt.