Hands of the People: A Crèche Festival

Crèche Festival Houston invites artists to submit work exploring, depicting, or interpreting Christ's nativity for the juried exhibition "Hands of the People." This third exhibition observes the 800th anniversary of Saint Francis of Assisi introducing the nativity scene to Christmas customs. Artists of all media using various and alternative materials are welcome to apply. The exhibition will be displayed in-person at Christ the King Lutheran Church (2353 Rice Boulevard, Houston, Texas) on December 16 & 17, 2023, and will also be available online for an extended viewing period.

Prizes include a Grand Prize of $1,000, two additional cash prizes of $500 each (one for creativity and one for best use of Christian liturgical symbolism/imagery), and ribbons for Honorable Mention recognition. Prizes will be announced at an artist reception on December 15. Selected artists may choose to participate in an online auction of their work, with artists receiving 80% of sale proceeds and Crèche Festival Houston retaining 20% to benefit Bright Stars of Bethlehem, a program in Bethlehem, Palestine.

The juror is Rev. Johann Roten, S.M., an internationally recognized scholar on Mary and crèche art from the International Marian Research Institute at the University of Dayton. There is no entry fee. Applicants may submit up to 3 applications, with each application containing 3-5 images of a single artwork (or up to 1 video). Work must have been created since January 2020, be complete and presentation-ready, and not previously exhibited. Artwork must include at least Mary and the Christ child, be family-friendly with no nudes, gore, violence, or obscenity. 2D artwork maximum size is 48"W x 48"H (including frame) and 20lbs. 3D artwork must not exceed 20lbs and be self-supportive. Selected artwork must be shipped by November 9, 2023, or hand-delivered on November 18, 2023. Artists will be notified of selection by November 3, 2023. For questions, contact [email protected].