Open Calls
Beyond The Surface: Exploring Above and Below
Application Requirements
Application Deadline: August 15, 2026 at Midnight
Exhibition Dates: October 17 - November 14, 2026
***Important note about application: System requires 3 images to be submitted even if you are only entering one piece. To prevent the error message, you may submit the same image three times, or add detail images of your piece. Once there are three images attached to the application, you should be able to submit. Thank you for your patience!
Notification of Acceptance: Hera Gallery will contact artists by regarding inclusion in Beyond The Surface: Exploring Above and Below on or before September 13, 2026.
Delivery Due Date: Artwork must arrive at the Gallery between Saturday October 10th, and Tuesday October 13th, 2026. Any work delivered after this date risks being excluded from the exhibition.
Artwork Delivery: Local delivery instructions will be sent to all accepted artists.
Return Shipping: The artist is responsible for all shipping costs and shipping containers. The artist must include a prepaid return shipping label.
Sales Commission: As an artist-run nonprofit, Hera takes no commission in our national juried exhibitions, 100% of sales go directly to the artist.
Insurance: Although the utmost care will be taken in handling your work, Hera Gallery assumes no responsibility for damage, loss, or theft. Artists are responsible for their own insurance.
Photography/Publicity: Hera Gallery reserves the right to photograph work for publicity. By entering this exhibition, you agree to the use of your name, likeness, certain personal information, and artwork in any publicity material or documentation developed for the exhibition.
Eligibility: Hera Gallery seeks work in all media, 2D, 3D, and video for this timely, critical exhibition. 3D is limited to 100 lbs and must fit through a 5’10” x 6’8” door. 2D must also fit through said door.
Important Dates
Open Date: June 24, 2026
Application Deadline: 11:59 p.m. MDT Aug. 15, 2026
About The Juror Lydia Jasper: Assistant Curator at MASS MoCA
Lydia Jasper is an Assistant Curator at MASS MoCA (Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art) in North Adams, Massachusetts. Operating alongside a broader curatorial team, her work centers on contemporary art programming, exhibition planning, and public engagement.
Jasper recently curated the museum’s Like Magic: Screening Series, which explores diverse, boundary-pushing contemporary moving-image works. She played a key role as an image rights and research specialist for the first career monograph of American artist Steve Locke, titled "I said what I said," which was published in partnership with MASS MoCA and DelMonico Books. She is also engaged in managing community-focused events, helping to make contemporary art accessible to wider audiences.
Application RequirementsAbout Hera Gallery
Hera Educational Foundation and Gallery celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2024. As one of the first women art cooperatives in the United States, we continue to promote contemporary professional artists through a comprehensive exhibition schedule of member work, curated, and juried intersectional social justice shows. Together with thought-provoking programming our organization encourages dialogue that enriches the cultural life of our non-urban Southern RI community. We provide a venue for young talent to find a public voice, and creative support to local health services. Since its inception in 1974, Hera has been resolutely dedicated to gender equity and feminist discourse to challenge perceptions and inspire social change.
Because of its flexibility and commitment to presenting exhibitions with artistic merit and integrity Hera has been awarded numerous grants for its exhibitions and programs including grants from Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, The Champlin Foundation, Rhode Island Council on the Humanities, Rhode Island Foundation, and the Puffin Foundation.
Why We Charge Submission Fees for Open Calls
Hera Gallery is a nonprofit, artist-run space with a modest operating budget. Our mission is to provide a platform for uncensored, experimental, and community-centered art, and to keep participation accessible for both members and the public. In order to do this, we rely on a very modest budget, an extremely small staff, and volunteers to keep our exhibitions up and running. With this support, we are able to make space for challenging exhibitions led by artists, for artists, without commercial gallery restraints.
The Bottom Line Is: Open call submission fees are not profit-generating.
They directly support:
keeping our physical gallery open and maintained
paying essential staffing hours for our single paid employee
keeping membership dues low to be accessible to all artists
offering free community outreach exhibitions, artist talks, and other public programming
Providing 100% commission TO THE ARTISTS for sold work in juried exhibitions.
And sustaining a space where critical, socially engaged, and non-commercial work can thrive
We recognize the broader conversation about unpaid artistic labor, and we share concerns about exploitative practices in the arts. At the same time, for many small artist-run nonprofits, submission fees are a crucial part of keeping spaces like ours alive. Additionally, we do offer sliding scale submission fees on the honor system for those needing it (please see below). The last thing we want is a barrier to entry to share art. We are always willing to work with an artist on this issue. Without community support through open calls, we simply could not offer the opportunities, visibility, and resources that artists rely on.
Our commitment is to remain transparent about how fees are used and to continue supporting artists with integrity, respect, and accountability.
Hera Coupon Codes
Please use these codes as needed to support your submission fees.
HERA10: 10$ off submission fee
HERA20: 20$ off submission fee
HERA30: 30$ off submission fee