March 2025 CAC All Media Show "All That Jazz" Call For Entries > Register & Apply

March 2025 CAC All Media Show Call For Entries

Crossroads Art Center is excited to announce an online call for entries to the March 2025 Exhibition "All That Jazz". This is a juried show, with awards for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places. The theme is "All That Jazz". Entry fee is $15 per submission for the general public (with a limit of three submissions). For New, Renewing, or Current Gallery Members the cost will be $12 per submission. In addition, Gallery Members may receive a fourth entry for free: use Code: 4thFREE 

Gallery membership information and payment: Click Here   

If an artist is not a member and wishes to participate, they may join at the time of entry.

This exhibit will be LIVE at Crossroads Art Center, as well as on ONLINE on the website

Commission on sales is 30%.

  • The gallery will accept only original work created by the artist. No reproductions or giclee prints will be accepted unless approved by Jenni Kirby, owner. Works where  the art process IS the printed process, i.e., etching, monoprint, silkscreen, lithograph, etc., or where the printed digital images is created by the artist with a computer program such as Procreate, Photoshop, etc. ARE permitted.

The gallery reserves the right to refuse work. Work that has previously been accepted into a juried show at the art center may not be entered into a juried show again. Work that is to hang on the wall (and all 2-D work), MUST BE WIRED. NO sawtooth hangers. If work is not wired, it will not be accepted into the show.

All work must be for sale. All work must remain on display until the END OF THE EXHIBITION. Artists may not remove work early.

Music Theme - The art theme "All That Jazz" could be interpreted as a celebration of jazz music, culture, and the vibrancy it represents. Artists might explore themes related to:

  1. Music and Rhythm: Capturing the energy, spontaneity, and improvisation of jazz through dynamic compositions, abstract forms, and rhythmic patterns.
  2. Instruments and Musicians: Depicting iconic jazz instruments like the saxophone, trumpet, piano, or drums, or paying tribute to famous jazz musicians.
  3. Cultural and Historical Significance: Reflecting on the origins of jazz, its influence on culture, or the Harlem Renaissance, which was a key period in jazz history.
  4. Mood and Atmosphere: Jazz is often associated with smoky clubs, vibrant cityscapes, and lively social settings. Artists could focus on mood, using color and light to evoke emotion.
  5. Improvisation and Freedom: Jazz is often about freedom and breaking rules. Artists might experiment with unconventional techniques or styles to mirror this.

Overall, the theme invites creativity, freedom, and exploration, much like jazz itself.

As an Artist how would you like to apply this theme in your art?

Excluding the music theme, "All That Jazz" can be interpreted more broadly as an expression of energy, diversity, and vibrancy in various aspects of life and art. Here are some alternative interpretations:

  1. Celebration of Life and Vibrancy: Focus on dynamic, lively, and colorful scenes that reflect the joy and excitement of life—such as bustling city streets, carnivals, or nature in full bloom.
  2. Eclectic Mix of Styles: The phrase "all that jazz" can refer to a variety of things, suggesting a theme about diversity and eclecticism. Artists might create pieces that combine multiple styles, cultures, or mediums into a cohesive work.
  3. Urban Lifestyle: Think about the hustle and bustle of a big city—nightlife, skyscrapers, crowds, street art, and the interplay between architecture and human movement. The "jazzy" feel of a city can be represented through modern, energetic compositions.
  4. Human Expression and Emotion: The theme can highlight human emotions or expressions—such as joy, sadness, passion, or spontaneity—through figurative or abstract work.
  5. Fashion and Style: Jazz is often associated with a stylish, sophisticated look. Art could explore fashion, elegance, or the style of past eras, such as the Roaring Twenties, with its flapper dresses, sharp suits, and vintage glamour.
  6. Improvisation in Art: Emphasize artistic spontaneity and improvisation, encouraging artists to step out of their comfort zones and experiment with new techniques, materials, or ideas.
  7. Nature’s Rhythms: Artists might explore the rhythms and patterns found in nature—such as the movement of water, the growth of plants, or the patterns of animal behavior—that evoke a sense of harmony and flow.

These interpretations offer a broader range of possibilities for artists to engage with the "All That Jazz" theme creatively.

Call for Entry Dates: February 1 - 16, 2025

Juried Notification: Friday, February 21, 2025

Drop off of juried-in art for Live Show – Wednesday, March 12 – Saturday, March 15, 2025, BEFORE NOON!

Exhibition Opening: Friday, March 21, 2025, 5pm – 8pm
Exhibition End Date: Sunday, May 4, 2025, 4pm

Unsold pieces should be picked up Tuesday, May 6, 2025 during normal business hours, 10am - 5pm.

Before submitting artwork, please read and be sure you understand thoroughly procedures and expectations for participating in our 2025 juried all-media shows (AMS).

NOTE: If accepted, we place your art on our website as part of the Online show. What you write with your entry is what we copy/paste. Please be sure you get it right. We will NOT make changes after the Call For Entries has ended, unless we are at fault. This is ESPECIALLY true of prices. DOUBLE CHECK everything by closing out ArtCall and then going back in to check.

Juror: Merrily Johnstone

Submission Details:

You will need an artist statement - 200 word limit in first person when you first register in ArtCall. 

1. You do not have to create a portfolio site to enter the show.

2. The way you fill out the form is how it will be shown on the labels, awards, and publicity.

a. Name: Use Capital Letters for the first letters of your name.

b. Prices - DO NOT TYPE IN A COMMA. This produces the wrong price. ArtCall will add it automaticaally

c. Measurements - HEIGHT first, then Width then Depth (H x W x D)

d. Verbiage regarding the piece of art - The character limit is 300!! This is used for all publicity  and labels online and inhouse. Spellcheck it as well as word count it! We use it exactly the way your have written it in ArtCall, by copy/pasting what you type. We do NOT change prices after the Call For Entries ends.

e. FYI - You can go back in and add/edit images and edit text until the call ends.

f. Please double check all information. 

2D IMAGE REQUIREMENTS:

3 images of each piece are required, one of the art without frame, one with frame, and a close detail image (zoomed into a small section of interest). If the art is unframed, only 2 photos are required. 

If it is framed, this image must be included during the Call for Entries period.

NOTE: if the work is framed, we must have the outside measurements of the frame (H x W x D). Please do not guess. If we do not have the measurements for the art and/or the framed art, your piece will not be considered to jury. Walls and backgrounds SHOULD NOT SHOW in photos. When taking the digital image please make sure the photo is not at an angle or crooked.

3D IMAGE REQUIREMENTS:

For each 3D, installation, or wearable art entry, submit 3 images: one overall front, one overall rear or sideview, and one detail (zoomed into a small section of interest).

• Detail images must show an important aspect of the artwork. Make sure that both the full-view and detail images are oriented correctly. Please keep backgrounds as unobtrusive as possible.

----------

JUROR: Merrily Johnstone 

Specializing in portraiture, Merrily Johnstone is a representational painter who favors the indirect method of oil painting, a process that allows for the gradual buildup of rich, luminous paint surfaces.

Born in Japan to a military family, she was fortunate to live in Europe, where she was profoundly influenced by early childhood visits to palaces, cathedrals, and museums in France and Germany. These cultural experiences shaped an indelible and lifelong fascination with art in its many forms.

Her inspiration to draw and paint continued after her return to the United States, and in her teens Johnstone studied with the portrait painter and author Jack Clifton in Hampton, Virginia. She attended Virginia Commonwealth University, graduating with a BFA in Painting and Printmaking. 

Over time, her continuing obsession has been to deepen her knowledge of technical art history as it applies to painting. She has explored numerous approaches to painting, from traditional to post-modernist abstraction; as well as other disciplines such as jewelry fabrication, sewing and fabric design, architectural rendering, and logo design for the signage industry. From these experiences she feels she has synthesized “a broader understanding of the principles that elevate all forms of art to a higher level; such as composition, proportion, line, form, value, color, surface quality, and a respect for enduring craftsmanship and materials”.

She maintains membership in the Portrait Society of America, and lives and works in Richmond, Virginia.

Read more about Merrily Johnstone

----------

IMPORTANT: After submitting, please go back in and double check your information. Did you enter the required 2 or 3 photos? Is your price correct? Measurements? Is your statement complete? Too long? Please remember we do not change prices or text after the CFE ends, unless we are at fault.

NOTE: You can delete and change photos, and change text within each submission up until end-of-call. Do not delete an entire submission and then replace it with a new one--ArtCall will charge you for a new submission!

Crossroads Art Center’s AMS are open to mid-Atlantic artists through a bimonthly call for entries, and cash prizes are awarded for the winners. Each show is juried by a prominent art professional from the community (a gallery director, curator, museum official, arts professor, or accomplished artist). Cash awards are given for 1st $100, 2nd $75, and 3rd $50 place winners, as well as Honorable Mentions. The 2025 AMS shows are exhibited at Crossroads Art Center and as an online exhibition where customers can shop directly from the website.

User Entry Process Tutorial

You can leave this video on your call site's homepage (or embed it on any page) for a quick tutorial your users can watch to help them with the submission process.