Artist Opportunities

THIS CALL FOR WORK IS OPEN TO CITY OF CHANDLER EMPLOYEES ONLY

DESCRIPTION

Do you doodle on your lunch break? Dabble in ceramics? Build birdhouses on the weekend? Or maybe even call yourself an artist? Now is the time to share your talents with the city! We invite all members of Team Chandler to submit to Off the Clock, an employee art show at the Gallery at Chandler Center for the Arts.

At the City of Chandler, we know that creativity is a key quality in getting our jobs done well. For many of us, creativity also spills into what we do when we clock out, whether that be nurturing a relaxing hobby, developing skills in a craft, or finding solace through artistic expression. Off the Clock celebrates the creative talents of our fellow City employees that enrich our work every day.

Each employee is allowed to submit up to five entries for selection by Vision Gallery staff. We invite you to think broadly about what you define as art…can you go broader?…no, even broader than that! We are happy to include media like drawing, painting, and ceramics, but also dance, music, poetry, crafts like woodworking and sewing, traditional cultural practices, and much more.

If you have questions about submitting, please contact Vision Gallery staff at 480-782-2695. You can also email Jillian Nakornthap at [email protected] or Hanley Ange at [email protected].

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Artists must be current employees of the City of Chandler. Each submission may include up to 5 works. Please apply via the online submission form linked below, and have the following information handy:

• Your contact information
• JPG images of the artworks you are entering, up to 5. Please ensure the files are named like this: ArtistLastName_ArtworkTitle1.jpg, ArtistLastName_ArtworkTitle2.jpg
• A 3-5 sentence description of your artwork and why you make it (what inspires you, special processes you use, what you like to convey in your work, etc.)
• Detailed information about each piece you are submitting: title, medium, year created, sales price/insurance value, dimensions

Submission form: https://forms.gle/uAkgzFDWvKX8J2UXA

EXHIBITION TIMELINE

Entries due: Monday, April 6 at midnight MST

Notification to artists: Monday, April 13

Work drop off: May 12-16 at Vision Gallery and May 18 at the Gallery at CCA (work will be accepted no earlier than May 12)

Opening reception: May 22, 4:30-6:30pm

Exhibition: May 23- July 25, 2026

Work pick up: Monday, July 27

ELIGIBILITY
All artists who are employed by the City of Chandler in any position are invited to apply. Collaborative work by two or more artists is also permitted. The works must not have been previously displayed at the Chandler Center for the Arts or Vision Gallery.

QUESTIONS?
Contact staff at [email protected], or call us at 480-782-2695. Jillian or Hanley will be happy to help you!

Installation view of the exhibition Concerned, but Powerless, by artist Safwat Saleem

Are you interested in showing your work at Vision Gallery or the Chandler Center for the Arts? We always accept exhibition proposals for both spaces and jury them on a rolling basis during the months of January and June. Please click the button below to access our submission form.

Interested artists are encouraged to contact gallery staff prior to submission with any questions they may have. Gallery staff can be reached at [email protected] and 480-782-2695.

• Incomplete and improperly formatted applications may not receive a response
• Small group exhibitions including 2-4 artists in different media organized around a common theme are more likely to be accepted than solo exhibitions. This benefits both the gallery and the artists as it attracts a wider variety of viewers, but still allows the artists to display a cohesive body of work, as opposed to individual objects.
• Solo artists may still apply, but will be considered for both group and solo exhibitions.
• The quality of your images matters. Make sure your photographs are in focus, well lit, and with a plain background. It is possible to take good photographs with your phone, but if you have a better option – use it! Here is a good tutorial for taking quality pictures of your artwork with a smartphone.
• We do not have a budget for shipping artwork. If you live outside of Arizona, it may be quite costly to get your artwork to and from the gallery.
• Take a look at our past exhibitions to get a feel for the kinds of shows we host.
• If your primary goal is selling artwork, we might not be the right gallery for you. Although we are thrilled when artwork sells, our focus is on hosting engaging, thought-provoking exhibitions for our community to enjoy and not commercial sales.