2026 CALLS FOR ARTISTS
Photo 1 by Sally Bebawy. Artwork by Isabel Cohen. Photo 2 by Abby Weeden.
The following opportunities are exclusively for current members of Art Round Tennessee. Learn more about Membership and join by clicking here. For each opportunity listed below, AI-generated artwork is not permitted.
FIRST FRIDAYS: POSTER DESIGN
DEADLINE: SATURDAY, FEB. 28, 2026
WHO CAN APPLY: CURRENT ART ROUND TENNESSEE MEMBERS
GUIDELINES:
Art Round Tennessee seeks an artist to design unique posters for our First Friday events, held on May 1, June 5, July 3, Aug. 7, Sept. 4, and Oct. 2.
DESIGN NOTES: Each month will need its own unique poster (6 total designs), but the posters should all be cohesive with each other and have a unifying theme and design elements. Each poster will need to include "FIRST FRIDAY," Art Round Tennessee's logo, the location, date, and time of each event, and "suggested donation $5." Participating First Friday artists do not need to be listed, as we will list them on our website and in social media posts/emails. Each poster size will be 11"x14." Each poster design will need to be completed 4 weeks prior to each monthly First Friday event. AI-generated artwork is not permitted.
ARTIST PAYMENT: The selected artist will be paid a total fee of $650 for their work (6 poster designs).
REVIEW PROCESS: Applications will be reviewed and voted on by the Art Round Tennessee Board of Directors, staff, and committee members. Art Round Tennessee will use First Friday poster designs to promote these events, as well as on merchandise to sell to raise money for ART. The artist will retain ownership of the original design and may use it in any way they would like, but by submitting to this contest, the artist grants ART permission to print it on branded Art Round Tennessee merchandise to be sold by ART to raise money for ART.
HOW TO APPLY: Email the following to director@artroundtennessee.org with a subject line: First Friday Poster Design
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Your name
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Your website and preferred social media handles for promotion, if applicable
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Phone number
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Brief description and/or visual mood board of your intended theme/design concept for 2026 First Friday posters
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3-5 images of your previous work
ART PROWL 25th ANNIVERSARY T-SHIRT DESIGN
DEADLINE: SATURDAY, FEB. 28, 2026
WHO CAN APPLY: CURRENT ART ROUND TENNESSEE MEMBERS
GUIDELINES:
Once a year, Art Round Tennessee accepts submissions for the ART Prowl T-Shirt! The winning design will be printed on limited edition shirts sold to promote the annual ART Prowl event and raise money for Art Round Tennessee programs.
ARTWORK ELIGIBILITY: The design must incorporate a cat in some way, as well as the words "25th ART Prowl" and either "Cookeville," "Cookeville, Tennessee," or "Cookeville, TN." No year on the text or any other text should be included in the design. The design will be screen-printed within a 9" x 9" square using just one color. Keep this in mind when creating your design. Design must be original to the artist and cannot include any copyrighted imagery. No AI-generated art is permitted. Artists may submit up to two designs.
PRIZE: The winner of the design contest will receive $150 and a free t-shirt!
ACCEPTED FILE FORMATS: Vector files (.svg, .ai, .pdf) or high quality Raster Files (.jpeg, .tiff, .png) at 300 dpi.
REVIEW PROCESS: Applications will be reviewed and voted on by the Art Round Tennessee Board of Directors, staff, and committee members. Art Round Tennessee will use the winning design(s) on merchandise to sell to raise money for ART. The artist will retain ownership of the original design and may use it in any way they would like, but by submitting to this contest, the artist grants ART permission to print it on branded Art Round Tennessee merchandise to be sold by ART to raise money for ART.
HOW TO APPLY: Email your submission to director@artroundtennessee.org
ART ROUND TENNESSEE T-SHIRT DESIGN
DEADLINE: SATURDAY, FEB. 28, 2026
WHO CAN APPLY: CURRENT ART ROUND TENNESSEE MEMBERS
GUIDELINES:
This will be our first Art Round Tennessee t-shirt that is not associated with the ART Prowl event. We are looking for an art design that incorporates one or more of the following concepts:
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Art across Tennessee/the Upper Cumberland
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Importance of supporting arts and artists in our community
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Positive impacts of art in communities
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How art brings life and enhances life
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Art in nature
ARTWORK ELIGIBILITY: The design must incorporate the wording of either "Cookeville, Tennessee" or "Cookeville, TN" AND “ART Round Tennessee.” No other text should be included in the design. Do not include the year or date. The design will be screen-printed within a 9" x 9" square using just one color. Keep this in mind when creating your design. Design must be original to the artist and cannot include any copyrighted imagery. No AI-generated art is permitted. Artists may submit up to two designs.
PRIZE: The winner of the design contest will receive $150 and a free t-shirt!
ACCEPTED FILE FORMATS: Vector files (.svg, .ai, .pdf) or high quality Raster Files (.jpeg, .tiff, .png) at 300 dpi.
REVIEW PROCESS: Submissions will be reviewed and voted on by the Art Round Tennessee Board of Directors, staff, and committee members. Art Round Tennessee will use the winning design(s) on merchandise to sell to raise money for ART. The artist will retain ownership of the original design and may use it in any way they would like, but by submitting to this contest, the artist grants ART permission to print it on branded Art Round Tennessee merchandise to be sold by ART to raise money for ART.
HOW TO APPLY: Email your submission to director@artroundtennessee.org
FIRST FRIDAYS: ARTIST APPLICATION
DEADLINE: TUESDAY, MARCH 31, 2026
WHO CAN APPLY: CURRENT ART ROUND TENNESSEE MEMBERS
GUIDELINES:
Artists may apply to exhibit and sell work during one of Art Round Tennessee's six First Friday events.
ARTWORK ELIGIBILITY: All artwork must be original to the artist. First Fridays are meant to highlight the fine art and craft produced in our region. Vendors selling items such as food products, soap, candles, non-art items, and/or non-handmade items may not be accepted. Buy/sell vendors and goods are strictly prohibited. We hope to have space for all eligible artists who apply, but in the event that we do not have enough space to accommodate everyone, applications will be reviewed based on overall quality, originality, and craftsmanship. No AI-generated artwork is permitted.
FEES: There is no application fee or booth fee for this event. ART's annual membership fee is $25. You can sign up to be a member at artroundtennessee.org/membership.
OTHER INFO: First Friday artist pop-ups are in different locations each month and highlight multiple artists at each event. First Fridays are planned as indoor events, though there may be opportunity at some locations to exhibit outside if weather allows.
TENNESSEE CENTRAL TRAIL BIKE RACKS
DEADLINE: TO BE ANNOUNCED
WHO CAN APPLY: CURRENT ART ROUND TENNESSEE MEMBERS
GUIDELINES:
Art Round Tennessee and the Tennessee Central Rail Trail are seeking artists to paint bike racks for use on Cookeville private property (businesses, etc.).
Details and Application Instructions to be Announced. Selected artists will be provided materials and participate in a "Group Painting Day" during the springtime in the Cookeville area.
THE TINY SHOW
DEADLINE: SATURDAY, APRIL 25, 2026
WHO CAN APPLY: CURRENT ART ROUND TENNESSEE MEMBERS
GUIDELINES:
Art Round Tennessee invites all members to participate in the fifth annual Tiny Show, a celebration of small-scale art. The Tiny Show will be on view in the Fiddlehead Gallery located at The Silver Fern, 46 W Broad St, Cookeville, from June 5th - July 25th with an opening reception Saturday, June 6th from 5-8pm.
SUBMISSION DETAILS:
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Eligibility: Open only to current artist members of Art Round Tennessee.
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Size Limit & Mediums: All artwork must be no larger than 5x5x5 inches, but it can be smaller. All mediums welcomed!
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Submission Limit: Each artist may submit up to 3 pieces.
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Entry Fee: Free for all members!
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Guaranteed Acceptance: At least one piece from each artist will be accepted into this member exhibition.
KEY DATES:
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Submission Deadline: April 25, 2026
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Artwork Delivery Deadline: May 29 & May 30 at The Silver Fern between 10am-5pm.
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Installation Date: Monday, June 1
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Exhibition Dates: June 5 - July 25
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Opening Reception: Saturday, June 6th from 5-8pm
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
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High-quality images of your artwork. JPEG, PNG, or TIFF files only labeled as such: LastName_Title_TinyShow.jpeg. (Image resolution: 300 dpi). White background is preferable.
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Completed application form (see below).
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All artwork must be ready to hang or display when delivered.
Two-dimensional work: Framed/Wired/ready for hanging, with sturdy frames with hangers NO standing frames.
3-dimensional work: The Fiddlehead Gallery has some pedestals to display 3D work; additional stands or display materials to be provided by the artist if required -
Artists who have multiple editions or artist prints of the same artwork may indicate this on their application. If a piece sells during the exhibition, the gallery will replace it with another approved edition of the same work provided by the artist. Replacement pieces must be close to identical in size, medium, and price to the original submission. All editions must be ready to hang & display
25th ANNUAL ART PROWL: ARTIST APPLICATION
DEADLINE: FRIDAY, JULY 31, 2026
WHO CAN APPLY: CURRENT ART ROUND TENNESSEE MEMBERS
GUIDELINES:
Art Round Tennessee is accepting applications for member artists to participate in the 25th annual ART Prowl.
ARTIST ELIGIBILITY: You will need to make sure your Art Round Tennessee membership is up-to-date before you apply. ART's annual membership fee is $25. You can sign up to be a member at artroundtennessee.org/membership.
FEES: There is no cost for applying to ART Prowl. If you are accepted, the cost of participating is $125, in addition to your ART Membership. Each applicant will be given a complimentary ART Prowl t-shirt (one per application).
LOGISTICS: Artists will be placed inside businesses around the West Side of Cookeville on November 13 & 14, 2026. The hours will be Friday, November 13th from 3-8 pm and Saturday, November 14th from 10 am-5 pm. If accepted, you will be expected to be available for the entire event. You will be sent a form to be signed by the artist and the host venue verifying you all have gone over the expectations of the event. You will need to return this form to Art Round Tennessee's Director by a designated date, which will differ by host venues. Artists will be provided with publicity on our website and our social media, along with event materials. We encourage you to share the information on your social media and any website.
APPLICATION DETAILS: You will be asked to submit 5 images of your original work that is representative of the work you will be exhibiting at the Prowl, along with a description of each. No AI-generated artwork is permitted.