Call for Entry

Pet Project

Overview

The Bedford’s annual juried exhibition returns with Pet Project, a whimsical ode to the animal companions who capture our hearts with their larger-than-life personalities. In an array of media, Pet Project invites us into a playful menagerie where these grounding forces become muses and mischief-makers, reminding us how blissfully they slither, flutter, scamper, and pounce their way into our lives.

Jurors: 
TBD

Eligibility: Open to US-based artists, 18 years of age or older.
Entry Fee: Free for new or current Bedford Gallery donors who donate $50 or more; $40 non-refundable entry fee for all other applicants. 

Bedford Donors who donate $50 or more receive complimentary tickets to our exhibition Donor Previews and Opening Parties plus a guest for a year! Other perks include waived submission fee to our annual juried exhibition, discounted tickets on select workshops and events, and more. 

Timeline

Entries open: August 13, 2026
Deadline to submit work for consideration: March 24, 2027 at 12 pm PT
Notice of participation: April 23, 2027
Artwork Delivery: June 14 – 18, 2027
Exhibition dates: July 10 – September 12, 2027
Opening Party: Saturday, July 10, 2027 from 5 – 7 pm, Donor Preview from 4 – 5 pm

Submissions

Submit your images and other materials online via CaFÉ here. Only digital images uploaded to CaFÉ will be accepted and reviewed. Physical submissions delivered to the Bedford will not be reviewed.

NOTE: IF YOUR ARTIST NAME IS DIFFERENT FROM YOUR LEGAL NAME, PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION UNDER YOUR ARTIST NAME ONLY.

To Become a Donor

  1. Donate $50 or more via this link (https://purchase.lesherartscenter.org/Memberships) BEFORE you submit your application. Click “Add to Cart” and follow the prompts to make your donation. Thank you for your support! 
  2. Upon making your donation, you will receive an automatic reply email from orders@ticketoffice.lesherartscenter.org that includes a DONOR CODE for you to enter on CaFÉ when you submit your application. This will waive your entry fee on CaFÉ. If you do not receive the email, check your spam. If you still have not received the email, please email us at galleryinfo@bedfordgallery.org. Bedford staff is available Monday through Friday. 
  3. Login to CaFÉ and complete your application. When prompted, enter the DONOR CODE upon check out. Then submit your application. For tech support, please contact CaFÉ at (303) 629-1166 or cafehelp@westaf.org. CaFÉ tech support is available Monday through Friday, 8:30 am – 5:00 pm Mountain Time. 

Donors Who Have Donated $50+ in the Last Year: You will receive the DONOR CODE in a series of emails from the Bedford at galleryinfo@bedfordgallery.org. If you still need the code, please email galleryinfo@bedfordgallery.org BEFORE you submit your application. Bedford staff is available Monday through Friday. Once Bedford staff replies with the DONOR CODE, you may submit your application on CaFÉ.  

NOTE TO ALL DONORS: IF YOU SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION WITHOUT THE DISCOUNT CODE, THE $40 NON-REFUNDABLE ENTRY FEE WILL NOT BE REIMBURSED. 

Artwork Specifications

Artists may submit up to three artworks for consideration. Works must meet the theme of the exhibition and only artwork about pets will be juried. Open to all media. All work must be original or fully licensed and shall not infringe any patent rights, copyright, trade secret, or any other proprietary right or trademark and all other intellectual property rights of any person or persons.

Artwork Size

Please include overall dimensions for each entry (H x W x D inches). There are no size limitations for entries, however, the Bedford reserves the right not to accept exceptionally large, heavy, or cumbersome pieces. 

Presentation

All art must be labeled with artist’s name, title, year, and medium on the back/bottom.  

2D work must be ready to hang (wire, d-rings, or cleat) and framed (where applicable). Framed artwork must have either NO GLAZING OR ACRYLIC GLAZING ONLY; GLASS GLAZING WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. Glazing refers to the protective barrier that sits in the frame between the artwork and outside environment.   

Image Specifications

Submitted images must be the same as the works intended for the exhibition. Unfinished or “like” work will not be considered. Work that has been modified from the original image submitted will not be accepted. Do not include borders or backgrounds in images as this only reduces the size of your artwork for online viewing by jurors.

Installation Concepts

Include images, description, concept design or similar installations, and installation info (i.e. timeline, if installation requires artist to be present, etc.). 

 

Allowable Formats

  • JPEG or TIF image files (up to 10MB each)
  • Video (up to 500MB each)
  • Audio (up to 60MB each)
  • PDFs (up to 20MB each)
  • External media from YouTube, Vimeo and SoundCloud

Additional Requirements

Along with artwork images, please submit the following: 

  • Artist Biography: This is a brief history of your artistic practice and should be no longer than two paragraphs. If applicable, highlight any art degrees and select awards, exhibitions, and/or other major accomplishments. Please DO NOT include these as a list, this is not a CV. Include these within your two paragraphs only. 
  • Artist Statement about Submitted Artwork: This is a brief description about EACH artwork submitted and your practice. Each should be no longer than one paragraph. 
  • Social Media Handle(s): Please list your social media handle(s) and indicate which platform the handle is for (example: IG @bedfordgallery; FB @bedfordgallery).  

Delivery and Retrieval

Artists are responsible for paying roundtrip shipping/transport costs to/from the Bedford. All artwork must be received in the gallery between June 14-18, 2027. Retrieval of artwork by local artists will take place between September 14-17, 2027. Artwork returned via shipping will arrive by October 4, 2027. 

Loan Agreement

If accepted, the artist will receive a loan agreement stating the Bedford’s insurance and sales terms. All artworks will be insured while on the Bedford’s premises. Artists are encouraged to list their artwork for sale. 

Prizes

There will be over $2,000 in cash prizes for juror awards.

SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION

Tech Support

Should you need technical support while submitting your application on CaFÉ, please contact CaFÉ at (303) 629-1166 or cafehelp@westaf.org. They are available Monday through Friday, 8:30 am – 5:00 pm Mountain Time. 

NO PHONE CALLS, PLEASE. FOR QUESTIONS, PLEASE EMAIL galleryinfo@bedfordgallery.org. Gallery staff is available Monday through Friday.