Protest – the Art of Activism

Protest: The Art of Activism is a group exhibition centered on the urgent need to resist systems, policies, and power structures that cause harm. This show exists in direct response to what is happening in America and other places around the world, as people take to the streets to defend bodily autonomy, human rights, immigrant lives, queer and trans existence, racial justice, and collective freedom. The exhibition explicitly aligns itself with progressive values and resistance to the current U.S. administration and its policies. This is not a politically neutral show.

The exhibition seeks bold, confrontational, poetic, angry, hopeful, and uncompromising work that engages with protest as both art object and lived action. Submissions may include original protest signs and banners, protest signs intended for use in the No Kings March on March 28 (which will be exhibited before the march, carried during the demonstration, and reinstalled afterward), works created specifically for protest, documentation of protest and resistance, fine art with an activist lens, text-based work, works not for sale, and prints and multiples. All 2D, 3D, mixed media, photography, textiles, and digital works are accepted. Works must be original, available for display during the full run of the exhibit, and fit through a small garage door opening (10ft x 10ft size limit).

Submit up to 10 pieces for consideration. Each submission must include title, medium, dimensions, year completed, high-resolution images (JPEG, PNG, or PDF), and a short artist statement (100–200 words) explaining how the work fits the theme. Entry fee is $25 plus $10 for each additional image. The application deadline is March 1, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. PST. The exhibition runs March 21 – April 4, 2026. Open to all artists regardless of location, identity, or background. Not Shockboxx is an independent art space in Hermosa Beach, CA known for thought-provoking, often provocative exhibitions that challenge societal norms and spark conversation.