This exhibition is open to all artists associated with Nebraska. This includes current and former residents, and people who currently or previously worked or studied in the state. Artists with varying levels of experience are welcome to apply, including professionals, amateurs, and students. All artwork submitted is expected to be of a high standard regardless of your experience level.

A “student” is anyone currently enrolled in an academic institution or technical program. We don’t recommend that high school or younger students apply.

Submissions will be reviewed blindly by a panel of judges. They will only see your artwork, not your name - this helps prevent name-recognition and other bias. The judges conduct two rounds of voting. The first round is online. Their initial selections will then be brought into the gallery for a second round of in-person judging, during which they will make their final selections. Artwork may still be eliminated during this second round. Artists will be notified of the status of their submissions during each stage of the selection process.

Artwork is accepted from the following categories:

- Painting

- Drawing

- Printmaking

- Photography

- Ceramics/Pottery

- Sculpture

- Multimedia/Other (collage, textiles, jewelry, digital art, etc.)

- Student

Categories are subjective. When applying, select the category that you feel best describes your work. Gallery 1516 reserves the right to recategorize your submissions if it seems like a different category would be more applicable.

Artwork subject matter does NOT need to depict or relate to Nebraska. Artwork is accepted from most mediums, including but not limited to: painting, drawing, ceramics, glass, textiles, photography, printmaking, multimedia, jewelry, etc. Artwork is accepted from any time period, including recent or previously made work.

Note about photography: We prefer photographs be printed on archival paper and framed. Photographs printed on canvas, metal, acrylic, or other non-standard substrates are accepted, but should be submitted in the “multimedia” category.

Artwork made partially or fully using AI tools must be disclosed. Failure to disclose the use of AI will result in your work being disqualified.

Artworks requiring the use of projectors, audio/visual, or other digital display equipment are not eligible at this time.

Work must be original in concept and execution. Work must not violate any copyrights. No diptychs, triptychs, or multiple panel works will be accepted. Work with multiple images framed as ONE unit is acceptable. Artwork that does not comply with these requirements will not be accepted. The entry fee is nonrefundable.

For wall-mounted artwork:

Maximum size (including frame) is 60” high by 60” wide.

Frames are REQUIRED for works on paper (photos, drawings, prints, etc). Canvases do not require framing. All artwork must by ready to hang upon delivery with a wire and/or D-hooks ONLY. No sawtooth hangers, “floating” post mounts, tacks, magnets, or other non-standard hanging hardware.

For free standing/sculptural artwork:

Maximum size: 84” high, 36” wide, 36” deep

Maximum weight: 200 lbs.

When submitting large-scale sculpture, make sure your work is suitable for display indoors. The gallery has terrazzo floors which can be cracked or scratched. Only submit work which can be transported efficiently and has an appropriate, non-abrasive base for indoor display.

Frames are REQUIRED for artwork on paper such as drawings, photos, prints, etc. Art that would not normally be framed such as work on canvas, textiles, etc. does not need to be framed.

Accepted artwork must be delivered to the gallery framed (if applicable) and ready to hang. Frames should be of reasonable quality (sturdy, no chips, split corners, or other damage). Frames must include mounting hardware on the back - a wire and/or D-hooks ONLY. No sawtooth hangers, tacks, magnets, or “floating” post mounts. We reserve the right to not include work that arrives unframed or not ready to hang. Plexiglass, acrylic, plain glass, and glazed/museum glass are all acceptable.

If you have any questions about framing, please contact us!

All artwork submitted to the Biennial should be available for sale. Gallery 1516 has a strong following of collectors and a reputation for selling artwork. We are also a non-profit organization and do not take commission fees from sales. That means you will receive 100% of the sale price!

Pricing is at the discretion of the artist. When pricing your work, consider factoring in potential expenses such as framing, shipping, etc. If you are represented by another gallery, reporting sales to your representative is your responsibility.

If your artwork is sold during the exhibition, the gallery will put you in touch with the buyer to handle sales directly. Be prepared to contact potential buyers with information on your preferred method of payment (ex. check, PayPal, Venmo, etc.)

If accepted for the exhibition, artwork must be hand-delivered or shipped to Gallery 1516 by September 21.

Shipping/transportation costs to and from Gallery 1516 are the responsibility of the artist. Please be mindful of your ability to transport your work. Do not submit something too large/heavy if you do not have access to appropriate transportation.

If you are shipping your work, you MUST include a pre-paid return shipping label. Recommended shipping boxes are MasterPak, Airfloat, or Uline art boxes. These boxes will ensure the safety of your work and make the handling process easier for the gallery.

Your biography/artist statement must be submitted in .doc, .docx, or .pdf format. Your artwork images must be submitted in .jpg or .png format. Files sizes of 5MB or less per file are preferred. The absolute maximum file size is 64 MB per image.

File names should use standard letters and numbers only. File names can NOT contain special characters such as colons ( : ), number signs ( # ), dollar signs ( $ ), dashes ( - ), etc. If your file names contain special characters, your files may not be uploaded correctly, and your application will not be submitted.

Example: A file name listed as “Portrait #2.jpg” is NOT an acceptable file name. Change it to something without special characters like “Portrait 2.jpg” instead.

All entries will be made at the risk of the entrant. Care and caution will be exercised in the handling of all artwork, however Gallery 1516 may not be held responsible for loss or damage, no matter what the cause. Artists are responsible for insuring their work at all times - during transit and while they are on Gallery 1516 premises. Digital images are assumed to be accurate representations of the entrant’s original artworks. Artwork that differs markedly from the submitted image will be disqualified. The artist retains copyright to their artwork(s), however, by submitting to this show, artist agrees to Gallery 1516’s use of artwork images for publicity and archival purposes. Artists agree to abide by all rules in this prospectus. Submission of entries and entry fee, which is non-refundable, constitute agreement with all conditions set forth in this prospectus.

Yes, artists who applied or were accepted for one of Gallery 1516’s past exhibitions are still eligible to apply this year. If your artwork has been shown in a past exhibition at Gallery 1516, you are highly encouraged to submit different work for this exhibition.

No, artwork does not have to depict or represent Nebraska. Artwork can feature any subject matter. The only eligibility requirement is that artists themselves be associated with the state in some way. This includes current and former residents and anyone who currently or previously works or studies in Nebraska.

Upload a current biography/resume outlining your artistic experience or art education, OR a brief artist statement describing your artistic process/vision. Information could be in paragraph form or a bulleted list. This information will only be viewed by gallery staff, primarily to confirm your connection to Nebraska. Your level of experience or past acknowledgments will not affect your chances of being accepted for the exhibition.

The “gallery representative” section is for artists whose work is represented by a gallery. This is where you write down the name of the gallery that represents your work. If you do not have gallery representation, you can write “None” or your own name.

Write down the place you consider to be your “hometown” – it may differ from your current address and might be where you were born or spent your formative years. This section is primarily used to verify the connection to Nebraska for those artists who may have been born or raised here, but currently live elsewhere. This information will not be seen by the judges and will not impact your chances of being accepted for the exhibition.

Example: Your current residence is Kansas City, MO, but you grew up in Grand Island, NE. Therefore, your hometown is Grand Island.

The “caption” section is a space to include a brief (1-2 sentence) description of your artwork. You can include important info such as unique mediums you used, an explanation of the subject matter, disclose the use of AI tools, etc. The caption should include any info you think would help the judges better understand your artwork.

After you fill out the application and click the submit button, you will see a confirmation page. This page has a link to redirect you to the entry fee payment page. If you accidentally close the page or do not pay the entry fee, we will contact you with a reminder. If your entry fee is not paid by the application deadline on July 25th, your submission will be disqualified.

The most likely cause for an error message is that your image or biography files are in the incorrect format or have special characters in the file names. Double check and correct any errors with your files and try submitting again. Please refer to the information in the “File Formats & File Size” section above for the correct formatting. If you still receive an error, please take a screenshot of the error message and contact us for more help solving the issue.

Corrections to your application must be made BEFORE the application deadline on July 25th. Contact us as soon as possible with the correct changes so we can update your application. We will not be able to make changes after the application deadline has passed.

Email us at info@gallery1516.org or call/text 531-375-6643. We’re happy to help, so please contact us ASAP so we can answer your questions and help you submit your application on time!