This is Us

This is an open call for all artists in New Mexico to submit up to three (3) of their best artworks to us for our inaugural exhibition, This is Us. This extraordinary exhibition is a celebration of art and artists of New Mexico. Our beautiful exhibition space is 14,000 square feet and is located on Central Avenue (the historic Route 66) in Albuquerque's art district. Our building is on the National Register of Historic Places, too. 

​This is not a juried exhibition. We have no interest in judging, but we are more than happy to celebrate you. So, if you made it, we are "pleased to present" your work. 

​What Types of Work?

• Paintings (oil, acrylic, watercolor, mixed media)
• Drawings (pencil, charcoal, pastel, ink)
• Collage
• Sculpture 
• Ceramics (functional or nonfunctional)
• Photography (black/white and color)​
• Textiles

What Can the Work be About?

• Figurative, including portraits
• Animals
• Plants
• Landscapes, seascapes, cityscapes
• Still-lifes
• ​Abstraction
• Just about anything/everything else
• No depictions of gratuitous violence
• No depictions glorifying racism, sexism, nationalism

Application Fee:

• A $25 application fee applies to each artwork (limit of 3 pieces)

Size Limit:

• Flatwork: each piece should be no larger than 24" x 36" or 30" x 30".
• 3-Dimensional work:  no single measurement larger than 24 inches. For functional ceramic work, such as a set of dishes, please use the measurement of how the set would be displayed.
• No piece over 50lbs. will be accepted.

What's In It for You?

• Tons of exposure for you and your work. We advertise and promote heavily and encourage all artists to help promote the exhibition through word of mouth and social media. 
• The chance to network with other artists, which is invaluable
• A prestigious exhibition that will look great on your CV
• The opportunity to be in an exhibition in a beautiful, busy location in downtown Albuquerque. We are located on Route 66, which is currently celebrating its 100th anniversary.
• Money! All submitted work should be priced for sale. If your work sells, you keep 60% of the price. We only keep 40%. 

Important Dates:

• March 17, 2026- deadline for all submissions
• April 1-5, 2026- window for work to arrive at Pleased to Present
• April 5, 2026- deadline for work to arrive at our gallery (whether shipped or hand-delivered)
• April 18, 2026- exhibition opening. Yay!
• May 23, 2026- exhibition closing
• May 30, 2026 - deadline to pick up work (if the work is to be shipped back, shipping materials and a return shipping label must be supplied to us). We DO NOT have the space to store any work.  

Artist Eligibility:

• Artists over 18 years of age residing in New Mexico are eligible.

Work Eligibility: 

• All artwork must be original, which means the work is the artist’s own composition or design
• No artwork created by AI (Artificial Intelligence) is allowed.
• Copies of work, including published photographs and paintings by persons other than the submitting artist will not be accepted.
• If submitting works on paper, including photographs, or work on unstretched canvas, the works should be framed or prepared in such a way that the work will not be damaged when hanging. We reserve the right not to exhibit a work that was not prepared for hanging or that may be damaged during hanging. 
• If an artwork does not meet the criteria as defined in this prospectus, Pleased to Present will not include the work in the exhibition.
• Pleased to Present reserves the right to refuse, upon arrival, any artwork damaged in shipment.
• Artwork that does not match its submitted digital image will be returned at the artist's expense. 
• No artwork may be removed during the exhibition.

​How to Apply:

• All applications and images must be submitted online.  Apply here.

• Images must be JPEG format, between 1mb and 3mb in size

• Up to 3 images may be submitted​​

• No digital manipulation or enhancement of the image submitted for reviewis allowed (except for cropping).

• Title the digital image in this format: “Last Name_First Name_Title of Painting.jpeg” (e.g. Smith_Ann_The_Sky_at_Night.jpeg).

• Image(s) should be correctly oriented (vertical or horizontal) and should be cropped to include only the painting (no mats or frames). Please skew the corners so that they are square.

How to Prepare Artwork:

• Please label all paintings on the back with: Title, Medium, Artist’s Name, Date of Completion, and Price

• Shipments must be sent prepaid and include a Prepaid Return Shipping Label. No COD will be accepted.

• “AirFloat” boxes are recommended for shipping. Please do not use screws with wood boxes, crates, or packing peanuts.

• Ship only within specified dates (see calendar).

• Please attach a photo of the artwork on the inside of the box so it is visible when repacking to help ensure the correct painting is returned to you in the correct box.

• Additional art preparation instructions, such as recommendations for hanging hardware, will be provided during the application process. 

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Delivery of Artwork:

• Artwork may be hand-delivered or shipped by carrier to: Pleased to Present, 510 Central Avenue SW, Albuquerque, NM 87102.

• If hand-delivering, please email info@pleasedtopresent.org to ensure the gallery is open when you arrive. 

• If shipping, please include info@pleasedtopresent.org in the carrier's tracking updates.

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​Liability Agreement:

• Every care will be exercised in the handling of paintings, but Pleased to Present will not be responsible for loss or damage in transit or in packing, unpacking, whatever the cause.

• Concerned artists should carry their own insurance.

• Permission to use accepted digital images will be retained by Pleased to Present for our archives.

• Permission to reproduce accepted images for publicity purposes and presentations is assumed with the submission of the entry.

• Submitting the entry form during registration constitutes an agreement to these conditions. 

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Conditions Once Accepted:

• Your artwork is expected to be delivered display-ready. Failure to do so will prevent us from displaying the work.

• No artwork may be substituted, and none may be removed before the end of the show.

• The price must remain the same as indicated on the entry form.

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