January 20 – February 26, 2027
Presented at the CAA @ Canal Gallery (650 E Kendall St, Cambridge)
Application Deadline | Friday, December 4, 2026, at 5pm EST
Juror | Caitlin Julia Rubin
Opening Reception | Thursday, January 21, 2027, from 6–8pm
ABOUT
The Cambridge Art Association (CAA) invites artists ages 18 and older based in New England to submit work for Beyond Form, an exhibition celebrating abstract and non-figurative art.
Moving beyond recognizable subjects and traditional representation, this exhibition invites artists to explore the expressive possibilities of color, shape, line, texture, material, and composition. From bold, gestural abstractions to subtle, meditative explorations of form, artists are encouraged to push boundaries, challenge perceptions, and explore new ways of expression.
Artwork in all media is welcome, including both 2D and 3D work.
ABOUT THE JUROR
Caitlin Julia Rubin is a curator and writer, and has held curatorial positions at the Harvard Radcliffe Institute and Rose Art Museum at Brandeis University, where she was the Associate Curator & Director of Programs. Within this position and in prior years at the Rose, she organized and co-organized projects by Mark Dion, Rosalyn Drexler, Jennie C. Jones, Tuesday Smillie, and Caroline Woolard, among others; curated numerous collection-focused presentations; and contributed to and produced both museum and artist publications. With Lauren Haynes, she co-curated the exhibition Lyle Ashton Harris: Our first and last love, which debuted at the Rose Art Museum in February 2023 and traveled to the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University and the Queens Museum, New York, where it was highlighted as a New York Times Critic’s Pick and listed among the “Best Art of 2024.” Her exhibition with the artist Hồng-Ân Trương, With love from your Vietnamese Sisters, was on view at Radcliffe from September–December 2025.
IMPORTANT DATES
Exhibition Dates | January 20 – February 26, 2027
Application Deadline | Friday, December 4, 2026, at 5pm EST
Artist Notification | Wednesday, December 16, 2026 (All selected artists will be posted to this page at 5pm EST)
Artwork Dropoff | Tuesday, January 12 & Wednesday, January 13, 2027, from 12–4pm (Artwork cannot be shipped. Late deliveries will not be accepted.)
Opening Reception | Thursday, January 21, 2027, at the CAA @ Canal Gallery from 6–8pm
Artwork Pickup | Tuesday, March 2 & Wednesday, March 3, 2027, from 12–4pm (If you do not pick up work from a show on the scheduled date, you will be charged a $15 per week storage fee + a $15 transportation fee if your artwork is exhibited at our CAA @ Canal or CAA @ University Place Gallery. If your artwork requires a truck rental, you must pay the rental fee as well. All fees must be paid before or at pick-up.)
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Artists must be 18+ and based in New England (MA, ME, NH, VT, CT, RI)
- All mediums accepted: 2D, 3D and video work
- All artwork must be listed as for sale.
- Artwork must have been created within the past five (5) years.
- Work must be original, no reproductions.
- All work submitted must be available for the exhibition dates.
- All wall-mounted work must be wired or have D-rings for hanging (or note method of presentation upon entry). We do not accept sawtooth hangers.
- Diptychs/triptychs are considered as a single work and must be entered as a single JPEG.
- Artwork must not exceed 60 inches on the longest side.
- Total weight of wall-mounted work must not exceed 50lbs.
- Artwork must be gallery ready. Read all of our Art Entry Information.
- All artworks must be dropped off on the scheduled dates.
- Total weight of 3D work must not exceed 100lbs.
- CAA does not accept any ceiling-hanging artworks, due to structural concerns of the space
- Wall-mounted 3D work should be wired for hanging, artists must supply appropriate installation materials.
- The CAA has a limited number of pedestals. Pedestals can be reserved with CAA Staff upon acceptance. If artwork requires a pedestal of a specific size, the pedestal must be provided by the artist.
- For accepted video work, the artist is responsible for providing all necessary display and viewing equipment, including, but not limited to: display monitor, DVD player, USB drive, mounting hardware, remote controls, batteries.
APPLICATION FEES
Each artist can submit up to three artworks. Collaborators or collectives, please apply together.
- General Submission | $45
- CAA Artist + Associate Artist + Lifetime Members | $35
- Student Members + Fee Waivers | Free
Have questions? If you have questions after reviewing the above information, please email Associate Director, Anna Fubini at afubini@cambridgeart.org, or call us at 617.876.0246
Cambridge Art Association does not issue refunds for exhibition applications. Once submitted, changes cannot be made to any application. All applications must be entered via Submittable.
Image in header Courtesy of Justine Lin