8th Catholic Arts Biennial

The 8th Catholic Arts Biennial is a juried exhibition highlighting the work of artists exploring Christian themes. This exhibition is open to any artist, of any religious affiliation, age 18 or older. All entries must be original works created by the submitting artist and executed within the past five years. Works submitted to previous biennials hosted at Saint Vincent are ineligible.

Artwork should encourage prayer and contemplation and be appropriate for use in public liturgy, churches, chapels, shrines, and/or private domestic settings. The Biennial encourages submissions that expand representations of Christ, the Virgin Mary, biblical narratives, and the lives of the saints beyond Euro-centric presentations. Artwork made by women and persons of color is strongly encouraged. In addition to depictions of traditional Christian subjects, artists are urged to submit works that address social concerns from perspectives of faith pertinent to the contemporary moment. Works investigating the diversity of the human experience enlivened by Gospel values are also desired. Artwork may engage in contemporary methods of making, quote from historical styles/time periods, and/or employ multi-disciplinary approaches.

Entries may be in any media and style. Total weight of a single work should not exceed 500 pounds and each work must fit through a 54" wide x 83" high doorway. All works must be submitted digitally through CaFÉ in JPEG or JPG file formats no larger than 5MB each. Video work must be in MOV, MP4, WMV, 3GP, AVI, ASF, MPG, M2T, MKV, or M2TS formats, under 100 MB. The entry fee is $25 per submitting artist, which entitles the artist to submit up to three works. Scholarships are available for artists currently experiencing financial hardship. Notification of acceptance will be sent by July 9, 2021. Accepted works must be shipped or delivered during August 16–20, 2021. The exhibition runs September 6–October 29, 2021. Works will be returned or available for pickup during November 1–5, 2021. All two-dimensional entries must be suitably framed. Artists are responsible for shipping and insurance. The Verostko Center for the Arts will retain 30% of the purchase price if a work is sold while on exhibit. In the event of closure due to COVID-19, a virtual exhibition will be mounted on the Center's website.