Exhibition Overview
Fire and Form is a juried exhibition celebrating the depth, diversity, and innovation of encaustic and wax-based artists working across New York State. Hosted in Rochester—a city with a strong tradition of experimental modernism and material exploration—this exhibition highlights the luminous, layered, and enduring qualities of wax as a contemporary medium.
New York State is home to a thriving encaustic community shaped by established art schools and historic craft traditions. From the Great Lakes to the Finger Lakes region, the Adirondacks to the Hudson River Valley and New York City, artists create visual and sculptural art using wax-based mediums in ways that bridge abstraction, landscape, and conceptual practice. Rochester especially has played an outsized role in the recent re-invigoration of this medium. Organized by Rochester’s Working With Wax group, Fire and Form will bring together these artists not only to showcase their work, but to establish a gathering point for encaustic practice in the region.
Encaustic, as a medium, is both durable and radiant. It aligns powerfully with both contemporary abstraction and New York’s longstanding landscape traditions. This exhibition aims to demonstrate that vitality and mark the beginning of a defining platform for encaustic artists across New York State.
New York State is home to a thriving encaustic community shaped by established art schools and historic craft traditions. From the Great Lakes to the Finger Lakes region, the Adirondacks to the Hudson River Valley and New York City, artists create visual and sculptural art using wax-based mediums in ways that bridge abstraction, landscape, and conceptual practice. Rochester especially has played an outsized role in the recent re-invigoration of this medium. Organized by Rochester’s Working With Wax group, Fire and Form will bring together these artists not only to showcase their work, but to establish a gathering point for encaustic practice in the region.
Encaustic, as a medium, is both durable and radiant. It aligns powerfully with both contemporary abstraction and New York’s longstanding landscape traditions. This exhibition aims to demonstrate that vitality and mark the beginning of a defining platform for encaustic artists across New York State.
Venue
Rochester Contemporary Art Center
Rochester, NY
Rochester, NY
Eligibility
- Open to all artists in the state of New York working with encaustic or wax based mediums.
- All submissions must be entered through ShowSubmit (no mail or email submissions will be considered).
Juror
Regina B. Quinn
reginabquinn.net
Regina B Quinn is an encaustic artist residing in the Northern Catskill Mountains of New York. Regina serves as President of International Encaustic Artists and Director of Grant Initiatives. Her art career encompasses painting, photography, ceramics, printmaking, and theatrical set design; she now focuses on creating works in encaustic mixed-media. She teaches encaustics online and in-person at the Woodstock School of Art and Mulranny Arts in Ireland. Regina is represented by the Carrie Haddad Gallery in Hudson, ny.
reginabquinn.net
Regina B Quinn is an encaustic artist residing in the Northern Catskill Mountains of New York. Regina serves as President of International Encaustic Artists and Director of Grant Initiatives. Her art career encompasses painting, photography, ceramics, printmaking, and theatrical set design; she now focuses on creating works in encaustic mixed-media. She teaches encaustics online and in-person at the Woodstock School of Art and Mulranny Arts in Ireland. Regina is represented by the Carrie Haddad Gallery in Hudson, ny.
Juror’s Vision
This exhibition seeks a diverse collection of artists reflecting the breadth of contemporary wax practice in New York State. The juror will consider:
- Technical excellence in wax handling and surface development
- Innovative or experimental use of material
- Strong compositional and conceptual presence
- Dialogue between tradition and contemporary practice
- Engagement with landscape, abstraction, materiality, or process
Artwork Requirements
- Accepted Media: traditional encaustic painting, encaustic with mixed media, cold wax, wax-based sculpture and dimensional pieces
- Artwork should be recent, having been completed after January 1, 2024
- Works must be on a panel or appropriate substrate
- Wall mounted or pedestal based works only
- Artwork must be of original design and, to the artist’s knowledge, must not violate copyright laws.
- Artwork must match the digital images submitted
- Artwork MUST be available to display for the duration of the exhibition. Once the work is accepted, the artist cannot withdraw the piece for any reason.
- Artwork must be wired and ready to hang.
- Work must include a label on the back with the artist's name, title of work, and contact Information.
- There are no minimum or maximum size requirements
Information Requirements
- General Artist Statement (150-300 words): The artist’s statement is the opportunity to express the concepts and working process of your art
- 3rd Person Brief Bio (150 words)
Sales
Artwork can be for sale. The venue will charge a 25% commission. Artists will be paid after the exhibition closes. Please consider the commission structure when pricing your work. Artwork prices cannot be changed after the application is submitted. If an artwork is not for sale, it must be specified in the application.
Delivery
Artists will be responsible for in person delivery and pick up of their work to and from Rochester Contemporary Art Center, 137 East Ave., Rochester NY. We cannot receive shipped artwork. Delivery and pick up dates will be provided to accepted artists. Artists are responsible for insurance to and from the collection point.
Insurance
Artworks will be insured by the venue during the exhibition.
About the Working With Wax Group
Working with Wax Roc/Flx began as an informal group of Rochester area encaustic artists who met together to foster community, exchange ideas, and organize group exhibitions. Now a formal chapter of the International Encaustic Artists (IEA), Working With Wax is facilitating its first juried group exhibition. The group continues to facilitate community and share both educational and exhibition opportunities for artists throughout the region. Follow our new instagram account for updates @workingwithwaxrocflx
About the Venue
Rochester Contemporary Art Center (RoCo) is a venue for the exchange of ideas and a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) that was founded in 1977. As a center for thoughtful contemporary art, RoCo provides unique encounters for audiences and extraordinary opportunities for artists. Many members of the Working With Wax group have participated in exhibitions and projects at RoCo.
Terms and Conditions
By submitting, you are agreeing to the following conditions: “I agree to loan my artwork(s) to Working With Wax Rochester/FLX for the full duration of the exhibition at Rochester Contemporary Art Center. I understand the costs of insuring and transporting my artwork to/from the venue are my responsibility. I further agree to permit the images or detail images and/or all or part of my artist statement to be used in any catalogs, articles, ads, promotions, books, websites, blogs, CDs, news coverage, television productions, and/or multi-media productions for and about the exhibition.”
Additional Notification Information
Notifications will be emailed and posted in your ShowSubmit account by the end of the day on July 15, 2026.
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.
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 (June 22, 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
Questions about this exhibition?
Contact Emily Hill ([email protected]) for questions about the Prospectus, WWW, eligibility, artwork requirements, drop-off, pick-up, 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.