American Women Artists
American Women Artists

Of Mark & Meaning: American Women Artists

2026 AWA Annual Juried Museum Exhibition February 13 – April 26, 2026 Customs House Museum & Cultural Center
Deadline is October 17th. 8 weeks left to enter. Members Only.
Eucalyptus in Black and White by Kathrine Lemke Waste
Eucalyptus in Black and White by Kathrine Lemke Waste
Open Calls

or to submit.

Deadline for entry: October 17, 2025

Location

Customs House Museum & Cultural Center

Exhibition Detail

American Women Artists is pleased to announce its tenth museum exhibition as part of the 25 in 25 campaign, an initiative to have 25 museum shows for its members over 25 years, thereby better recognizing the work of women artists and increasing the historically extremely low representation of women artists in museums and permanent collections. Of Mark & Meaning: American Women Artists will be exhibited at the Customs House Museum & Cultural Center in Clarksville, TN from February 13, 2026 - April 26, 2026. Partially housed in a stunning 1898 post office and customs house designed by William Aiken, the museum hosts exhibitions, education programs, and special events in its beautiful space. Of Mark & Meaning: American Women Artists will include 2-D and 3-D works by members of American Women Artists, representing the top women artists in the field throughout the United States and Canada. Call for Entries: August 22 through October 17, 2025. Selected artists will be notified October 31, 2025.

American Women Artists is dedicated to the inspiration, celebration, and encouragement of women in the visual Fine Arts. As part of our mission, AWA not only increases the visibility of women’s art in museums across the U.S., but also offers financial support, recognizing mastery in the field. AWA will award a $10,000 Grand Prize Cash Award in addition to approximately $20,000 in other cash and merchandise awards. Final works selected will appear in the 3-month museum exhibition, on AWA’s website, be featured in our monthly e-newsletters, and promoted through AWA’s advertising and social media channels.

American Women Artists and the Customs House Museum & Cultural Center will host a closing reception and awards ceremony on April 24, 2026. The Annual Symposium of the Arts will be held on April 25, 2026, and the AWA annual retreat entitled In the Company of Women will be held April 23 through April 26, 2026, and will include the reception, symposium, tours, demos, members breakfast, and the Master Signature Member Lunch.

This exhibition title celebrates the very human drive to make a mark in this world, whether literally through the creative act of making artwork, or figuratively through the legacy we leave behind. Mark-making is the cornerstone of artistic expression. Mark-making can be loose and gestural or precise and neat. It can be applied to any surface: canvas, paper, stone, or even sound can be a form of mark-making. Every mark is a visual language through which artists communicate their thoughts, emotions, and experiences. Through mark-making, artists make meaning of their world and share it with others. From early petroglyphs to soundscape installations, mark-making is at the core of how we perceive our world.

Jurors of Selection

American Women Artists jurors and judges are highly qualified curators, directors, artists, and arts writers with years of education and experience recognizing artistic excellence, supporting the creative process, and researching art and art history. The selection jurors for the 2026 AWA National Juried Museum Exhibition are:

Vivian Chiu
Vivian Chiu was born in Los Angeles and emigrated to Hong Kong at the age of three. Her interests in creating objects and the visual arts led her to attend the Rhode Island School of Design to attain her BFA and Columbia University for her MFA. Vivian uses labor-intensive, repetitive processes to create optical sculptures from wood. She has attended residencies at Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, Penland School of Crafts, Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, Sculpture Space, Haystack Mountain School, Anderson Ranch Arts Center, Center for Furniture Craftsmanship, and the Museum for Art in Wood. She was awarded a 2020 NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship in Craft/Sculpture, a 2023-24 VMFA Fellowship, and was a third-place recipient of the Virginia A. Groot Award for Sculpture. Her work is part of the permanent collections of Museum for Art in Wood, Museum of Fine Arts Houston, and the New York State Museum. She has upcoming solo exhibitions at the John & Robyn Horn Gallery (NC), Gravers Lane Gallery (PA) and the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art (VA). Vivian currently lives and works in Richmond, VA.

Marcia Goldenstein
Marcia Goldenstein received her BFA and MFA degrees in Painting and Drawing from the University of Nebraska. She taught at the University of Tennessee School of Art for 36 years. She has been a visiting artist at the Eugeniusz Geppert Academy of Fine Arts, Wroclaw, Poland; National Academy of Fine Arts, Bratislava, Slovakia; Sichuan University, Chengdu; Beihang University, Beijing; University of Texas, San Antonio; Arizona State University; University of Indianapolis; Tudor Hall, UK; College of the Ozarks; Knoxville Museum of Art; and many other schools and museums. She has an international exhibition record and is represented in numerous public and private collections in the US, Europe and China.

In 2016 she was named Outstanding Alumna at the University of Nebraska Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts. She received a Tennessee Arts Commission Fellowship in 2021 for her “Women in Stitches” project. That project has been exhibited throughout the United States and in Poland. She has also received numerous awards for her paintings and drawings. She is currently Professor Emerita of Painting and Drawing at the University of Tennessee School of Art and continues her art practice.

Kirsten Kokkin
Kirsten Kokkin is an acclaimed sculptor and one of the leading artists in the international community of figurative sculptors. Kokkin made her debut at the National Annual Autumn Exhibition in 1972 while still a student at the Art Academy. In 1987 she moved to the U.S. Her breakthrough here came with the sculpture Flight, which initiated a series of themes with ballet dancers in which the artist expresses feelings through movement.

Originality and strength of expression mark her works which are executed with painstaking accuracy to anatomy and details, and convey a sensual, yet energetic quality. The search for truth led her to the naturalistic language, and her fantasy led her to themes from the antique and mythological world. Through the dance themes she also expresses her feelings and longings.

Kirsten Kokkin has created a number of monuments, both public and private commissions. Her works span from the tradition of romantic expressionism to naturalism. She has sculpted themes from the marine world and has a long career as a portrait artist. Kokkin's artwork is placed all over the world, with the majority of pieces in the U.S and Norway.

About the 25 in 25 Initiative

In 2017, AWA launched 25 in 25, a bold initiative to secure 25 museum exhibitions for our women artist members over the next 25 years. We did this because work by women artists made up only 3 – 5% of the permanent holdings of art museums in America in 2017 and has only risen to 13% eight years later. We are determined to roll up our sleeves and take action on this! Please join us in our mission to celebrate, unite, and promote women in the visual fine arts.

Eligibility

Open to women at least 18 years of age, who are working in the fine arts and residents of either the United States or Canada. To submit and show works, applicants and finalists must be a current member of American Women Artists.

If you would like to join as a new member please visit our website.
To check the status of your membership, please login to your portal or email [email protected]. If you do not have a current membership by the submission deadline your entry will be disqualified. Your membership must be valid throughout the exhibition period.
American Women Artists seeks to present an exhibition of fine art demonstrating excellence in terms of composition, technique, mastery of medium and quality of design. The final selection will be an exemplary showcase of a diverse group of representational and abstract artworks by artists who draw, paint, and sculpt.

Entry Guidelines

  1. The 2026 AWA Annual Juried Museum Exhibition is open to all AWA Members in good standing.
  2. Applications may be submitted from Friday, August 22, 2025 – Friday, October 17, 2025, and finalists will be announced on Friday, October 31, 2025.
  3. Entries may be representational or abstract work(s): drawing, painting, printmaking, mixed media, and sculpture. All subjects and styles are eligible, from traditional to contemporary.
  4. Work(s) must be original. 2D works must have been completed within the last two years and 3D works must have been completed in the last five years.
  5. Works do not have to be for sale. Sold works may be submitted. Enter NFS in the entry form. Please note any prices listed cannot be changed after entry, and shipping fees are the responsibility of the artist. Artists will receive 55% of the sales price for 2D works and 60% for 3D works. AWA will receive 45% for 2D and 40% for 3D to support its mission and fund future artist awards.
  6. Maximum size for 2D works: Up to 40” on the longest side unframed. Maximum size for sculpture: Height 8 ft including base or pedestal. Weight 200 lbs.
  7. All work(s) entered must not have been accepted for a previous AWA national juried museum competition or online juried show.
  8. Acceptable mediums for sculpture include cast metal, fabricated metal, stone, glass, wood, and any fired permanent medium such as terra cotta, stoneware, porcelain, and earthenware.
  9. Acceptable mediums for painting include oil, acrylic, water media, pastel, egg tempera, encaustic, mixed media, and batik.
  10. Acceptable mediums for drawing include conte crayon, colored pencil, graphite, pen & ink, scratchboard, charcoal, and original hand-pulled prints.
  11. Mixed Media is acceptable only if created using acceptable mediums as listed above. Mixed Media cannot include any mediums deemed not acceptable, as listed below.
  12. Nonacceptable mediums include craft, jewelry, fiber, fabric, photography, video, digital prints including giclee, or any work containing computer-generated elements.
  13. Work(s) must have been created by the artist without supervision or as part of a class or workshop.
  14. Work(s) may not be a copy or imitation of another work. Any reference provided by an instructor is not eligible, including an instructor-provided photo, still-life setup, or model setup.
  15. Work(s) must be original and from your own reference, not copied from other artists or published materials.
  16. All artwork must be originally drawn and not created on top of any photographic image.
  17. Maximum entries: six (6). Maximum of one (1) entry per accepted artist will be juried into the exhibition.
  18. A maximum of one (1) piece of artwork per accepted artist will be juried into the exhibition.
  19. By submitting images to this juried opportunity, you understand and agree that accepted images will be displayed on the AWA website, Facebook or Instagram page, and other social and/or print media.
  20. By entering this show, artists acknowledge they own full copyright to the submitted work. If you are unsure about copyright and copyright infringement, learn more at Copyright.gov - What Visual and Graphic Artists Should Know about Copyright | U.S. Copyright Office. AWA is not liable for any copyright claim made against an entered work. Artists retain copyright to their image(s).
  21. By entering this exhibition, you agree that you have read and will abide by all rules outlined in this prospectus. AWA and the Museum reserve the right to reject any work it deems to not comply with these rules, is damaged, or any work that AWA deems offensive including accepted pieces upon inspection at the Museum.
  22. Failure to meet any eligibility requirements will result in the submitted artwork being disqualified. It may result in the artist's disqualification from participation in AWA's next exhibition at AWA's sole discretion.
  23. All membership and entry fees are non-refundable.
  24. All artists accepted into the exhibition must contribute $100 towards production of the show catalogue and will receive 3 print copies. Artwork must be exhibited for the duration of the exhibition February 13, 2026 - April 26, 2026 to be included in the catalogue.

Application

The 2026 AWA Annual Juried Museum Exhibition application process will begin on Friday, August 22, 2025 and close on Friday, October 17, 2025. Finalists will be announced on Friday, October 31, 2025. The entry form must be filled out in its entirety. List sizes up to the nearest inch. Submitted images must not include matting or frame. Crop the photos to include only the artwork. Be sure your images are right-side-up. Artists may submit up to 2 images of 3-D work(s) to show different views of artwork.

Before uploading your images, make sure they are 1920 pixels or larger on the longest side. Images should be in JPEG format, with RGB color space. ShowSubmit will handle renaming and resizing the images for you.

Please review ShowSubmit Entry Guide for help in entering works. If you require additional assistance please email [email protected].

Entry Fees

All AWA Member Levels: $60.00 for up to TWO (2) ENTRIES. Each additional entry $10.00 up to maximum of six (6) entries. Payment for jury fees must be made through ShowSubmit via credit card at time of application. Entry fees are non-refundable.

You must be a current Member of AWA to enter and show in the Juried Exhibition. Dues must be current by close of entry period Friday, October 17, 2025 or submission is disqualified.

New Member dues can be paid by new members on the AWA Join page.

Existing or overdue members can check status or renew bylogging into your member portal.

No Changes

Please note that no changes can be made to your application after Friday, October 17, 2025. Please check your price, title, image, etc. because these details will be used in the exhibition catalogue and labels should your work be selected by the jurors.

Deadline

Entries will be accepted Friday, August 22, 2025 – Friday, October 17, 2025.

Notification Date

Friday, October 31, 2025

Awards

There will be cash and merchandise awards totaling at least $30,000. Award packages are designed to support, encourage, and inspire women in the visual fine arts.

Jurors

Selection Jurors and Awards Judges for AWA’s National Juried Competition work independently to assess the entries.

Jurying Notification

All jury status notifications will be sent by and posted on ShowSubmit and accepted works will be posted at www.americanwomenartists.org no later than Friday, October 31, 2025. This will be a highly selective show. One piece per finalist will be selected to exhibit at the Customs House Museum.

Accepted Works

The decision of the Selection Jurors is final with the AWA and the Museum reserving the right to final acceptance for exhibition. All accepted artists will be emailed a required artist agreement to be completed and returned to AWA by November 22, 2025.

Once accepted, works may be pre-sold but must be exhibited for the duration of show and proceeds must be shared with AWA, under Commission terms outlined below.

All accepted Paintings & Drawings must be framed and wired for hanging. Accepted Sculpture must be ready to place with any stands and title plates securely fastened. Stone sculpture may be shipped without a base attached only if clear, simple, well-labeled assembly instructions are included and any required installation materials are included with the sculpture.

Accepted works cannot be in an online exhibition concurrently with this exhibition from February 13 through April 26, 2026.

Accepted artists will be offered Advertising Opportunities at AWA negotiated rates in two to three different national publications.

Accepted works must be exhibited throughout the duration of the exhibition to be included in the exhibition and the catalogue.

Sales Commission

AWA will process sales. If a sale occurs, the artist will receive 55% of the price for 2D works and 60% for 3D. AWA will receive 45% for 2D works and 40% for 3D works to support its mission and future exhibition awards. Artwork must be priced in accordance with the artist’s current pricing structure and must account for shipping to and from the venue. Buyers will not be billed for shipping. Pricing will be available in the exhibition and will appear on the AWA website. Prices cannot be changed after entry.

Shipping

Each accepted Artist is responsible for the delivery of their shipped work for arrival before February 2, 2026. AWA recommends artwork be shipped in airfloat / “strong” boxes or in wooden crates. Hand-delivered works must be delivered between January 27 - February 6, 2026. Each container should have an image of the work on the outside of the box or on the inside lid. Artwork will be shipped back to artists or buyers between May 9 – 15, 2026. Artwork picked up in person must be picked up between April 28 – May 5, 2026. Pick-ups and deliveries must be coordinated in advance with the Museum’s Curator. Shipping expenses are the responsibility of AWA members. Each artist will provide a return pre-paid Fed Ex or UPS label for shipped artwork. The exhibit pieces will be condition reported and installed by Museum personnel. It will be the responsibility of the artist to supply the museum with an updated shipping label, if the work has sold and needs to be shipped to the buyer.

Liabilities, Responsibilities, Sales

By entering this exhibition, the artist agrees that they have read and will abide by all rules outlined in this prospectus. All membership and jury fees are non-refundable. Submission of work for this exhibit will be construed as acceptance of all conditions set forth in prospectus. AWA and the Customs House Museum reserve the right to return work that does not meet exhibition standards at the artist’s expense. Every reasonable care will be taken with original artwork. The Customs House Museum will be responsible for insurance of artwork while on exhibit for the amount specified on Record of Consignment. The Artist is responsible for insurance of artwork to cover the full value of the artwork while in transit. AWA members have free membership with ShipandInsure.com for reduced shipping and additional insurance. Finalists are encouraged to use this benefit.

Additional Notification Information

Notifications will be emailed and posted in your ShowSubmit account by the end of the day on October 31, 2025.

You may view the notification in your ShowSubmit account by logging in and tapping the Notifications at the top right of the screen, or in your Entry History.

If you do not receive your email, login and view the notification in your account. We cannot respond to inquiries regarding the status of notifications.

Note: Entries made prior to 2023 may not display the View Notification link.

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 (October 17, 2025.)
  • 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.

Support

For questions about AWA or this Prospectus, please contact ([email protected]).

For technical support or entry questions, first check our Help Center or Entry Guide. If you still need help, email ShowSubmit Support ([email protected]). We’ll respond between 9am and 6pm Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.