Out of the Darkness: Positivity in 2026

 

Submission period: March 15 - May 1, 2026

Exhibition Dates: June 13 - August 15, 2026
Opening Reception: Saturday, June 13, from 4-7 pm.

 

​We have heard you. Artists have long asked how to get their work into AFTS Gallery — and this is our answer. Our first annual juried exhibition is open to all artists, all media, all voices.

 

Out of the Darkness begins where most of us have been — in uncertainty, in struggle, in the long quiet before something shifts. This exhibition is about what comes next.

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Inspired by the timeless human capacity for renewal, and by the belief that light can be found not just in the natural world but in everything that surrounds us — in community, in creativity, in the everyday moments we choose to notice — Out of the Darkness invites artists to explore themes of rebirth, renaissance, and the journey toward hope. We are looking for work that does not flinch from difficulty, but that ultimately points toward something — a horizon, a doorway, a breath of open air. Work that reminds us that darkness is not the end of the story.

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This lesson lives everywhere. In the world around us, in the people beside us, in the quiet persistence of beauty in unexpected places. We are seeking artists who find in that persistence a mirror for the human experience — and who use their practice to illuminate the path from shadow into something more.

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All interpretations of the theme are welcome. The work may be literal or abstract, tender or fierce, rooted in landscape or entirely interior. What matters is the movement — toward hope, toward beauty, toward the light.

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The Theme
Out of the Darkness explores positivity, rebirth, and renaissance through everything that surrounds us — not just the natural world, but community, creativity, and the quiet persistence of beauty in unexpected places. We are looking for work that moves from shadow to light, from struggle to renewal, from darkness toward something more hopeful and alive. Interpretations can be literal or abstract, intimate or expansive. What matters is the journey.

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What We're Looking For
Work that engages honestly with difficulty and reaches toward something more. Paintings, photographs, sculptures, prints, fiber, mixed media, and digital works are all welcome. If it speaks to the theme, we want to see it.
 

Entry Fee $35 per submission, for a maximum of three entries.
 

Size & Weight Requirements

Two-dimensional work must be no wider than 26 inches and no taller than 72 inches.

Three-dimensional and sculptural work must not exceed 26 inches in any single dimension and must weigh no more than 18 lbs.
 

Please review these requirements carefully before submitting. Work that does not meet size and weight guidelines will not be eligible for consideration.
 

The Details

• Open to artists 18 and older

• All media accepted; No AI-generated artwork will be accepted

• Submission deadline: May 1

• Entry fee: $35 | Maximum 3 entries per artist

• Juried by Billy Myers, Artistic Director at AFTS Gallery
   

Jury Notification
All submitting artists will be notified of jury results by email on May 7–8.
 

Delivery of Accepted
Work Accepted works must be delivered to the gallery in person or shipped (at the artists expense) during the following window:

Tuesday – Friday, May 18–[21], 11am – 4pm Saturday, May [22], 12pm – 4pm

Please note: we are unable to accept delivered work outside of these hours or receive accepted work by mail. We appreciate your understanding and look forward to welcoming you and your work to the gallery.