Art Gallery 21's Open Call For Artists to Celebrate 50 Years of Public Art

Art Gallery 21 is Celebrating 50 Years of Public Art in Broward County With New Exhibit & Call For Artists

To celebrate the Broward County Cultural Division's Public Art Program and over 200 Public Art Projects that have been made possible in Broward County over the last five decades thanks to the program, Art Gallery 21 is curating and hosting a brand new art exhibit this month called The Public Art Continuum: A Reflection of Our Place & Time in Wilton Manors at the Island City Cultural Center

OPEN CALL FOR ARTISTS 

MARK YOUR CALENDAR: CALL FOR ART IN-PERSON SUBMISSION

 JAN. 10, 2026    |   10:30AM - 12PM

600 NE 21st Court, Wilton Manors, FL 33305

$20 ART SUBMISSION

ARTISTS ENCOURAGED TO RSVP ONLINE: eventbrite.com/e/open-call-for-artists-at-art-gallery-21-tickets-1979748312496?aff=oddtdtcreator

ARTIST ENTRY FORM & ART SUBMISSION RULES HERE

WILTON MANORS, FL– Art Gallery 21 is excited to celebrate 50 years of Broward County’s public art program with a new art exhibit called “The Public Art Continuum… A Reflection of Our Place & Time,” scheduled to debut at Art Gallery 21 in 2026. Art Gallery 21 is hosting an OPEN CALL FOR ARTISTS this Saturday, January 10th, 2026 from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Island City Cultural Center (600 NE 21st Court, Wilton Manors, FL 33305) for local South Florida artists to submit unique and creative artwork that follows the exhibit’s guidelines.

The Public Art Continuum: A Reflection of Our Place & Time art exhibit will officially debut on Saturday, January 17, 2026 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Art Gallery 21 (Island City Cultural Center, 600 NE 21st Court, Wilton Manors, FL 33305). The exhibit will be open free to the public Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. and by appointment through February 14th. 

As a recipient of the Broward Cultural Division's Program Support Grant, Art Gallery 21 is hosting a CALL FOR ARTISTS on Jan. 10th, 2026 led by local curator Tin Ly, a Vietnamese-American artist who has called Wilton Manors home for nearly three decades. “We’re excited to celebrate the Broward County Cultural Division for their 50 years of dedication to public art projects and the impact that it has had on local artists and the overall community over these past five decades. There are currently more than 260 public art installations throughout Broward County, and the City of Wilton Manors has embraced public art in a big way,” said Constance Ruppender, founder/president of Art Gallery 21.

ARTWORK REQUIREMENTS MUST FALL INTO ONE OF THREE CATEGORIES: 

• THE PAST: Interpretive photographs of past public art installations taken in Broward County, with artist(s)’ name, location, completion date and other pertinent information stated. Submitted photographs must be framed and wired for hanging. (NOTE: All art must be framed and wired for hanging.)
• THE PRESENT:  Visual interpretation of one currently completed Broward County public art project, through photography, painting or drawing. A complete listing of 260+ public art installations from the Broward County Public Art and Design Collection can be found at Broward.org Public Art Directory. All submitted art must be framed and wired for hanging.
• THE FUTURE:  New and original conceptual design for a future public art project. It could be presented through an artistic drawing/rendering, or a reduced scale (1/6 to 1/12) model that cannot exceed 36 inches in length, height or width. The artwork must include and/or suggest a suitable location (in Wilton Manors or Broward County) for the artwork installation, an estimate for the cost of artwork fabrication and installation; in addition, maintenance requirements are recommended to be submitted.

Local artists should submit a photo of their artwork with the entry fee via email to artgallery21wcwm@gmail.com no later than Saturday, Jan 10th, 2026 12pm. “Artists will be notified if their entry is accepted no later than end-of-business Jan. 12th, 2026. Upon acceptance, artists will bring their accepted artwork to Art Gallery 21 on Saturday, January 10, 2026 for the exhibit installation,” Ruppender stated. 

ARTIST’S TO-DO CALENDAR

• DIGITAL ARTWORK SUBMISSION DEADLINE: Midnight, Friday, January 2, 2026
• ARTIST NOTIFICATION of ACCEPTANCE: No later than 6 PM on January 5, 2026
• ART INTAKE: Saturday, January 10, 2026  | 10 a.m. - 12 Noon — Artists are required to deliver their art in person to Art Gallery 21.
• EXHIBIT OPENING: Saturday, January 17, 2026, 6 to 8 p.m. featuring exhibit unveiling, meet the artists and presentation of awards
• EXHIBIT CLOSES: Saturday, February 14, 2026  

Support for this project provided by Broward Cultural Division & The City of Wilton Manors