Palette & Chisel Academy of Fine Arts
Chicago, IL
Emerging Artists Show
August 28 – September 26, 2026 |Chicago, IL
Deadline is May 28th.
Artists under the age of 40 living in the United States.
Deadline is May 28th. Artists under the age of 40 living in the United States. To enter, visit:
showsubmit.com/show/pnc-emerging-artists-show-2026
showsubmit.com/show/pnc-emerging-artists-show-2026
Open Calls
Opens February 16, 2026.
Open for entry on February 16, 2026.
Deadline for entry: May 28, 2026
Deadline for entry: May 28, 2026
Venue
Palette & Chisel Academy of Fine Arts
1012 N. Dearborn Street
Chicago, IL, 60610
1012 N. Dearborn Street
Chicago, IL, 60610
About
Chicago’s Palette & Chisel Academy of Fine Arts is pleased to announce an annual art exhibition and competition dedicated to showcasing and awarding upcoming talent in the world of representational art. Our goal is to select work by emerging artists under 40 years old that demonstrates an excellent command of foundational skills while following a distinct and personal creative instinct. As our background is in classical and contemporary realism, we will be looking for pieces that arise from these traditions. Nevertheless, we welcome representational work that exists outside of these categories, so long as it demonstrates sufficient technical aptitude.
The show’s objective is to support the vision of younger, emerging artists. As such, emerging artists under 40 will be represented in all areas of the exhibition, including the pool of jurors, judges and organizers. The idea is to create a showcase of younger artists, by younger artists.
The show will be on view for one month. We will be organizing a number of events, including an opening reception, artist talks, demos, and more during this period. Our goal is for these events to transform the exhibition into more than just an art show by sparking thought, conversation and creativity inspired by the selected works. Exhibiting artists are encouraged to participate in these events.
The show’s objective is to support the vision of younger, emerging artists. As such, emerging artists under 40 will be represented in all areas of the exhibition, including the pool of jurors, judges and organizers. The idea is to create a showcase of younger artists, by younger artists.
The show will be on view for one month. We will be organizing a number of events, including an opening reception, artist talks, demos, and more during this period. Our goal is for these events to transform the exhibition into more than just an art show by sparking thought, conversation and creativity inspired by the selected works. Exhibiting artists are encouraged to participate in these events.
Entry Fees
- $35 for 3 works.
- Every image you submit after that will cost an additional $10.
- We will be choosing a maximum of 2 pieces per artist.
Entry fees are non refundable.
Eligibility
- Artists under the age of 40 living in the United States.
- 2-D work in any non-digital medium.
- AI generated work and giclée prints are NOT allowed.
- Work must be for sale.
- Work must be framed, wired and ready to hang upon delivery.
- No smaller than 8” x 10” and no larger than 30” x 40”. Work that exceeds 30” x 24” is subject to a $20 uncrating fee.
- Submitted work may have been completed under the guidance of a teacher or mentor so long as the critiques in question were verbal only. The entirety of the work must have been created by the artist’s hand. The teacher/mentor may NOT have drawn, painted, or in any way altered the piece during any stage of the creative process.
Jury Process
This show has a double blind jury. Jurors do not have access to submitters’ information before and during judging, and vice versa.
We will be choosing a maximum of 2 pieces per artist.
We will be choosing a maximum of 2 pieces per artist.
Judge of Awards
Tina Figarelli is a realistic figurative artist working full-time in her home studio near Chicago, IL. At 26 years old, Tina has already made a name for herself in the art world, having placed in multiple Portrait Society of America competitions. Her painting, “To Bury A Friend,” was most recently awarded 1st place in PSA’s Members’ Only competition. Tina has participated in numerous group and solo shows in both local and national galleries, and is supported by collectors nation-wide and internationally. Tina also studied in the invitation-only mentorship program at East Oaks Studio under portrait artist, Louis Carr.
Awards
First Place – $600.00
Second Place – $300.00
Third Place – $100.00
Second Place – $300.00
Third Place – $100.00
Sales
Accepted work must be listed for sale. If sold, the Palette & Chisel is entitled to a 30% commission.
Application Procedure
- Please submit high quality images in JPG or PNG format that are as representative as possible of the work when viewed in person.
- Submitted work must be original to the artist whose name appears on the application. Any references used in the creation of the work must be the intellectual property of the artist, or the artist must have obtained formal permission to use said references.
- You may submit up to three images (one image per piece) for the initial $35 application fee. Every image you submit after that will cost an additional $10.
- We will be choosing a maximum of 2 pieces per artist.
Delivery Procedure
Accepted work must be hand-delivered or professionally shipped to 1012 N. Dearborn St. Chicago, IL, 60610 between August 17th, 2026 - August 21st, 2026.
All shipping is at the artist’s expense. If shipped, work must be packaged in reusable art shipping boxes and must include a postage paid return shipping label. Work that is not shipped with a return label and/or reusable packaging will be considered abandoned. Please do NOT use foam peanuts when packing your work.
Work must be framed, wired and ready to hang upon delivery. Please attach a note with title of the piece, artist name, price and artist contact info to the back of the piece (note: this is for identification purposes only).
If dropped off locally, all unsold work must be reclaimed by September 27th. Please ensure that all travel arrangements necessary to a timely pick-up are made ahead of time. All shipped artwork will be returned to the artist, or shipped to the buyer if sold, within two weeks of the show’s closing.
All shipping is at the artist’s expense. If shipped, work must be packaged in reusable art shipping boxes and must include a postage paid return shipping label. Work that is not shipped with a return label and/or reusable packaging will be considered abandoned. Please do NOT use foam peanuts when packing your work.
Work must be framed, wired and ready to hang upon delivery. Please attach a note with title of the piece, artist name, price and artist contact info to the back of the piece (note: this is for identification purposes only).
If dropped off locally, all unsold work must be reclaimed by September 27th. Please ensure that all travel arrangements necessary to a timely pick-up are made ahead of time. All shipped artwork will be returned to the artist, or shipped to the buyer if sold, within two weeks of the show’s closing.
Insurance & Liability
While we will take utmost precaution when handling work, the Palette & Chisel is not responsible for loss, burglary, or damage incurred to accepted artwork.
Images of accepted artwork may be used by the Palette & Chisel for publicity, advertising and online archiving.
By submitting an application, you are accepting the entirety of the terms set forth in this prospectus.
Images of accepted artwork may be used by the Palette & Chisel for publicity, advertising and online archiving.
By submitting an application, you are accepting the entirety of the terms set forth in this prospectus.
Organization Bio
Founded in 1895 by students of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, the Palette & Chisel Academy of Fine Arts is one of the most influential communities of artists in the Chicago area. The Palette & Chisel is equal parts art school, gallery, and meeting place for professional artists, amateurs and students, alike. Over the years, many prominent painters, illustrators and draftsmen have studied and taught at the Palette & Chisel. Members of note include Walter Ufer, Edgar Payne, Richard Schmid, Nancy Guzick, Susan Lyon, Scott Burdick and Clayton Beck, among others. Please see our website for more information.
Additional Notification Information
Notifications will be emailed and posted in your ShowSubmit account by the end of the day on June 29, 2026.
You may view the notification in your ShowSubmit account by logging in and clicking 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 (May 28, 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.
Support
For questions about PNC or this Prospectus, please contact Iona Ellsworth ([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.