The Bristol Art Museum Announces
A Call for Art
Gardens and Gathering Places
at Rogers Free Library
on view August 10th - September 23rd, 2026
Juror: Paul Olson
Submission Deadline:
July 17th, 2026
A Call for Art
Gardens and Gathering Places
at Rogers Free Library
on view August 10th - September 23rd, 2026
Juror: Paul Olson
Submission Deadline:
July 17th, 2026
|
About the Juror
Paul Olson is a Rhode Island-based landscape painter inspired by the natural splendor of our beautiful Narragansett Bay. Olson’s artwork reflects his deep connection with nature and his love for the flora and fauna of the coastal landscape around him. In the summer months he can often be found at his easel on his small boat, documenting the effects of wind and weather, sky and water. Paul is also a lover of trees with one-person exhibitions “Drawn to Woods” and “Drawn to Paint” at Arnold Arboretum and “A Brush With Trees at Blithewold” here in Bristol. His work has been exhibited in galleries throughout the Northeast, and in some less traditional spaces like the Providence Place Mall and the Local 57 Ironworkers Union Hall. Paul is also a potter making containers for bonsai and cultivating his own collection of miniature trees. Olson has been a passionate teacher at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt) with a career spanning over 25 years. Still teaching Oil Painting as a Senior Critic in the Illustration Department at RISD, being semi-retired, Paul now spends more time in his bonsai garden and out painting in the open air. |
Overview
Gardens, parks, woodlands, and community gathering places bring people together to enjoy and reflect on the beauty or natural and human-made places.
Artists are invited to respond to the colors and textures of flowers, trees, plants, vegetable patches, seaside lawns, baseball fields or other imaginative spaces of gathering.
The theme welcomes interpretations ranging from realistic depictions to abstract impressions of growth, abundance, and belonging.
This exhibition will be on view at Bristol Art Museum's community gallery at Rogers Free Library from August 10th - September 23rd, 2026.
Submission Requirements
Key Dates
Gardens, parks, woodlands, and community gathering places bring people together to enjoy and reflect on the beauty or natural and human-made places.
Artists are invited to respond to the colors and textures of flowers, trees, plants, vegetable patches, seaside lawns, baseball fields or other imaginative spaces of gathering.
The theme welcomes interpretations ranging from realistic depictions to abstract impressions of growth, abundance, and belonging.
This exhibition will be on view at Bristol Art Museum's community gallery at Rogers Free Library from August 10th - September 23rd, 2026.
Submission Requirements
- All artists must be 18 years of age or older.
- Artwork must be original and ready to install
- Eligible media: Accepted artwork will include drawings, paintings, printmaking, collage, fiber arts, or photography. No 3-D works.
- Size limits: maximum 18" x 24"
- Work can be made for sale. All sales of artwork are negotiated between the artist and the collector. No commissions are taken by the Museum.
- Submission fee for BAM members: $20 for one submission, $30 for two submissions.
- Submission fee for Non-BAM members: $25 for one submission, $40 for two submissions.
- Questions can be addressed to [email protected].
Key Dates
- Deadline for Entry: Friday, July 17th, 2026
- Notification: by Tuesday, July 28th, 2026
- On View: August 10th - September 23rd, 2026
- Hand Delivery: Wednesday, August 5th, 4-6pm, or Thursday, August 6th, 1-3pm
- Pick Up: Wednesday, September 23rd, 4-6pm, or Thursday, September 24th, 1-3pm
