Call for $500 Commission (Theme: What Brings You Back)

ORGANIZATION: The Piccolo Gallery
DEADLINE: Jul. 21, 2026
WEBSITE: http://www.thepiccologallery.com/open-calls

CALL FOR ARTISTS:
— Mediums: All traditional visual mediums, including photography, ceramics, and sculpture
— Applicants: Must be 18+ and an art student, passionate hobbyist, or emerging artist earning less than $80k/year of artist income (does not include other full-time or part-time job)
— Commission Spots: 3–5 artists
— Commission Amount: $500
— Artwork Size: Any size
— Theme: What Brings you Back

The call theme, ‘What Brings You Back’, invites artists to explore what helps them feel present or connected — the things that bring them back to themselves if the world feels distant.

Your work might focus on a person, sound, memory, object, or environment. It could also be something created with others in mind: an image that feels familiar, a scene that offers a sense of steadiness, or a cue that reminds someone of connection.

Artists are encouraged to interpret ‘What Brings You Back’ in their own way.
Commissioned work will be auctioned by the Piccolo Gallery at the end of the year, and the funds raised will be reinvested into the program to support future commissions.

HOW TO APPLY:
— View details/complete the form here: https://www.thepiccologallery.com/open-calls
— Have 3 images of past work ready to upload to your application
— Applications take ~10-20 min
— Short bullet point answers suffice (no essays required)

FEES/COMPENSATION:
— Application fee: $10 (100% of fees collected support future commission opportunities. A max of 65 applications accepted.)
— Compensation: $500 commissions (3-5 artists selected)