Deadline for entry: November 16, 2026
CPSA Explore This! Online Exhibition
Explore This! is a juried show which requires artwork to be predominantly colored pencil and include other medium(s). Awards include the $2,000 Best of Show and EXPY award with cash and product awards of about $8,000 for other winners.
Juror: Nadiah Rivera Fellah, Ph.d
Nadiah Rivera Fellah holds a B.A. in art history from Oberlin College in Ohio and completed a Ph.D. at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York with a dissertation on using photography to capture stories of migration in the US-Mexico borderlands from the 1970s to the present. Fellah, who specializes in Latin American and global contemporary art, taught courses on curatorial practice and modern and contemporary art at the City University of New York. She has been instrumental in integrating several Latin American works into American galleries.
Her early positions were with the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the Allen Memorial Art Museum at Oberlin College. Later at the Newark Museum of Art, Fellah curated the traveling exhibition "Wendy Red Star: A Scratch on the Earth" and served as the primary author and editor for the accompanying catalogue. Since joining the Cleveland Museum of Art in 2019, she has curated "Rose B. Simpson: Strata" (2024), "Picturing the Border" (2024), "New Histories, New Futures" (2021) and the exhibition by Firelei Báez for FRONT International (2022).
Fellah's publications include "Picturing the Border" (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2024); "Rose B. Simpson: Strata" (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2024); "Picturing Motherhood Now" (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2021); "Graciela Iturbide's Cholo/a Series: Images of Cross-Border Identities," in the journal History of Photography (2019); and contributions to Aperture and Art in America magazines.
Artist Eligibility
Open to living artists 18 years or older, regardless of geographic location. Members and non-members receive equal consideration and treatment.
Entries
- Artists may submit up to two unique works created on or after January 1, 2024 and not previously displayed in any CPSA exhibition.
- The juror will select no more than one entry per artist.
Entry Fee
- CPSA member: $30 for up to two works
- Non-CPSA member: $35 for up to two works
Acceptance
- A list of accepted artists will be posted at the CPSA website (cpsa.org) by Friday, January 15, 2027.
- CPSA uses the email address on your submitted entry form for notifications about Explore This!
- For CPSA members, having work appear in the show counts toward CPX signature status and merit levels.
Artwork Specifications
Execution
- Work must have been completed on or after January 1, 2024.
- Artwork must be predominantly colored pencil and must include some other medium, technique, surface, or element such as:
- Ink, watercolor, pastel, acrylics, oil paint, markers, exposed graphite
- Collage or montage
- Artist-prepared surface
- Three-dimensional surface
Ideation
Artwork must be solely the original concept and design of the submitting artist.
Not Allowed
- Work copied from any copyrighted or published materials.
- Work in which the primary subject has been copied directly from someone else's photograph, even with permission. This includes images from online free-reference sites. Such photos may be used only for incidental compositional elements, not as the main focus of the artwork.
- Work created using AI-generated compositions or images for reference.
- Reproductions such as prints or giclees of artwork.
- Any printed or digitally produced image as part of the artwork
- Alteration of artwork after submission of entry.
- Collaborative works executed by more than one artist, including classroom projects and exercises. You may, however, submit artwork of your own design which was worked on in a class or critiqued by others, as long as you are the primary creative force.
Pastiche Requirements
Artwork created as a pastiche (parody or imitation of another artwork) is allowed, provided the artwork is sufficiently altered so as to make the parody obvious and the artwork parodied is not copyrighted.
Disqualification
CPSA reserves the right to disqualify a selected entry at any time if it is determined that it fails to meet ideation, specifications, or execution.
Penalties include:
- Immediate removal of disqualified work from show, not counted for signature and merit honors, and omitted from CPSA website and promotional items.
- Return by the artist of any money or goods awarded as prizes.
- Forfeiture of any CPSA signature status and merit awards.
Additional Requirements
Permission and Copyright
By submitting an entry, the Artist grants permission for CPSA to use the accepted image in its news magazine, To The Point, on its website at cpsa.org, for CPSA brochures and promotional materials, and publicity about CPSA. Every effort will be made to maintain quality true to the submitted image, recognizing that the print or electronic medium may affect how the viewer receives the image. The Artist hereby certifies that he or she holds the copyright for this material and the copyright remains with said Artist. CPSA will display a notice that material must not be “downloaded” or copied, but will not be held responsible if artwork is copied. The Artist also certifies that the work submitted is original and does not infringe on any existing copyright. If artwork includes a recognizable image of a person, the Artist certifies that a model release has been obtained.
Image and Filename Specifications
- File Format: Submit original, high-quality JPEG image files. Other formats (e.g., PNG, TIFF) are not accepted.
- Crop Your Image: Ensure only the artwork itself is visible in the image. Do not show any visible matting, frames, or background distractions.
- Orientation: Make sure your image is oriented correctly (right side up) so that the artwork appears in its intended viewing direction.
- Image Size: You do not need to resize your image files before uploading. The system will automatically resize them. Smaller images cannot be enlarged to meet the requirements, so ensure your images are high resolution before uploading.
- File Names: You do not need to rename your files before uploading them. The system will handle any file naming requirements.
- File Size: There is a 30MB maximum file size limit. Larger image files will take longer to upload and process.
Additional Entry Information
- You will pay for your entry by credit or debit card using our secure checkout system.
- After your entry is submitted and paid for, you may log back in to review your entry, edit artist and image information, and add or substitute images up until the entry deadline (November 16, 2026.)
- Entry fees are not refundable and must be submitted and paid by the entry deadline.
- Entries cannot be accepted or changed after the deadline. Incomplete entries will be disqualified.
Notifications Are Posted in Your Account
Results will be posted in your ShowSubmit account by the end of the day on January 15, 2027. You will also receive an email.
Log in and check your account. We are unable to answer individual inquiries about results.
Support
Questions about this exhibition?
Contact ([email protected]) for questions about the prospectus, CPSA, eligibility, artwork requirements, sales, etc.
Need help with ShowSubmit?
Visit our Help Center or Entry Guide for guidance on image uploads, payments, and managing your entry. If you still need help, email ShowSubmit Support ([email protected]). We respond Monday–Friday, 9am–6pm Eastern.