2027 FLAG PROSPECTUS
78th ANNUAL MEMBER EXHIBITION PROSPECTUS
This year's exhibition, "Merge," will be held on February 5 and 6, 2027, at the beautiful Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center (SBDAC) in Fort Myers, FL. The SBDAC is a vibrant cultural hub, located in the thriving historic river district of downtown. The beautiful masterpiece of Neoclassical Revival architecture, built for government services, now nurtures innovation and excellence in the visual and performing arts. Join the fun, merge and mingle with other members, and network in this gorgeous city that attracts thousands of tourists each year. You will find wonderful parks, incredible restaurants, and an active arts and culture scene. FLAG has an agreement with our preferred hotels that they offer members the same rate for additional days, so you can make it a nice vacation.
Our esteemed judge this year is Mary Laube. She is an Associate Professor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She received her MFA (2012) from The University of Iowa. Laube has held recent exhibitions at Morgan Lehman Gallery (NYC), Ortega y Gasset Projects (NYC), Groundfloor Contemporary (Birmingham, AL), The Warbling Collective (London), the Knoxville Museum of Art, and Tiger Strikes Asteroid Philadelphia. Laube’s work questions how cultural objects accumulate meaning across time and space. Through the abstraction of historical objects, her work gives form to the de-territorialized conditions of a globalized and colonized world. In doing so, the works become artifacts themselves, antagonizing our relationship to culture and the fraught process of defining it. Learn more:
https://www.marylaube.com/Key Dates:
- Exhibition Submission Deadline: Wednesday, December 16, 2026, 12 midnight. Marketing opportunity - Members who submit by mid-October may be selected for promotional purposes.
- Delivery Deadline (shipping or hand delivery): Monday, February 1, 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Work delivered outside the dates and designated time will not be accepted for exhibition.
- Exhibition Period: February 5 – February 25
- Symposium Dates: February 5 & 6
- Public Art Opening Reception: February 5, 5:30 – 7:30
- Public Educational Presentations and Artists' Talks: February 6, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
- Public Plein Air Paint-Out: February 6, starting around 1:30 p.m.
- Pick-up Deadline: Friday, February 26, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Event Location:
Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center, 2301 First St, Fort Myers, FL 33901
Please do not contact the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center. READ THE PROSPECTUS carefully before asking questions. Your contact for questions is
[email protected]1. Accepted Artwork: All FLAG members in good standing may submit one piece to the 78th Annual Symposium. Please send your very best! The quality of our artwork helps us retain exhibitions in the most prestigious venues.
2. 3-Year Restriction: Artwork must have been created after December 16, 2023. A reworked version of an older work is not acceptable.
3. Previously Exhibited Art Restrictions: Art that has previously been exhibited in any FLAG Annual Exhibition is not eligible. Art that has been exhibited in any exhibition in Fort Myers, including FLAG Area shows, is not eligible.
4. Price and Commission: No work that is marked price on request or not for sale is eligible to exhibit. The venue will handle sales and receive a 40% commission on gross sales.
5. SBDAC specific requirements: Per the SBDAC venue, no change of any kind may be made to the floors, walls, ceilings, doors, or any fixtures or equipment in the gallery.
6. Insurance - The venue does not carry insurance. If you wish, please choose your own insurer for this exhibition. Per the SBDAC and FLAG contract, ARTIST, by exhibiting, hereby agrees to hold SBDAC harmless from any personal physical injury, property loss or damage to ARTIST's work, equipment, or supplies in connection with this exhibition.
7. Artwork Content:
a. Only original work is eligible, meaning the submitted artwork is the artist's own composition in concept and design, created solely by the artist without the use of AI (artificial intelligence).
b. Artwork shall not be a copy of OR from reference material not solely created by the artist.
c. Multiple prints, such as etchings, must be labeled with the edition number. Single print additions must clearly be labeled as a PRINT or DIGITAL PRINT with a total print number of no more than 25.
d. Reproduction prints and archival Giclee prints reproduced from original works of art, whether embellished or not, are not eligible.
e. Original art created on the computer and transferred to paper or cloth material is acceptable if it is labeled as such (i.e., Digital Art). No AI-generated or partially generated art is acceptable. The use of monitors for art will be subject to the venue's ability to display such works of art. Final art must be considered 2D or 3D in its presentation.
f. Functional art must work properly, or it will be deemed ineligible, will not be exhibited, or may be removed from the exhibit at any time.
g. All art must be presented professionally. Art that arrives warped, unclean, or otherwise damaged will not be exhibited.
h. No political, negative, or controversial material that may cause harm to the venue or to our FLAG nonprofit status is allowed. Members may present the art in question for consideration to their Area Chair, who will consult the President for further action.
i. Artwork Deemed Ineligible: Should the work be determined ineligible following installation or award, the artwork may be removed, and the art member will return any award to FLAG. Final determination is the responsibility of the President, along with the Symposium and Exhibition Director and/or the Parliamentarian.
8. Size and Media Constraints:
a. If you have concerns regarding the size of your art, contact your Area Chair. This is not a site installation exhibit. Art must be determinable as 2D or 3D only.
b. Maximum 2D size: 60“ wide (including frame) and 84“ high. All two-dimensional work shall have proper installation hardware; SAW TOOTH AND FRENCH CLEAT hardware will not be accepted. No artwork may be greater than 40 pounds.
c. Maximum 3D size: If a pedestal is needed, the art must work fit on a 10” square, 10 x 12”, or a round 20” diameter and be stable. Please restrict the height to 42" or contact
[email protected] to discuss. You may provide your own pedestal, but sending via the FLAG courier must be pre-approved. Free-standing art is acceptable but may not be taller than 72” and must be very sturdy. No artwork may be greater than 40 pounds.
d. Art requiring special installation, such as art with more than one canvas or special wall attachments, must get prior approval from the Exhibit and Symposium Director. Include clear instructions if your art has unusual hanging requirements or multiple pieces. Attach the instructions to the artwork or include them in your shipping container.
e. NOTE: Only plexiglass, no glass, will be accepted when framing. The venue cannot hang excessively heavy artwork.
f. Electronic Media: Any wall- or pedestal-installed electronic equipment must get prior approval. Artists are required to provide their own electronic equipment. Contact
[email protected]7. Digital Image Specifications:
a. Submitted image MUST BE formatted with the longest side no less than 1200 pixels and no more than 2100 pixels at 300ppi. One additional JPG image of three-dimensional artwork may be submitted. COMPLETE ALL SECTIONS OF INFORMATION IN THE IMAGE SECTION - THESE ARE REQUIRED.
b. Complete all questions when submitting an image. Incomplete entries will not be processed.
c. Label the image with your last name, first name initial, then the image title separated by single underscores. Leave a blank space between multiple words in your title.
(Example) Johnson_G_Looking Up
9. Submission and Payment: Register and submit your image by clicking the link on Entrythingy.
a. Entry Fee: $40.00 through PayPal link at the end of the submission process. YOU WILL RECEIVE A RECEIPT from PayPal for your records through email. This way you know the payment is complete. Please do not send a message asking about it unless you do not receive that receipt from PayPal. Direct questions on your payment to Sophia Lacroix at
[email protected] b. If you have trouble with your submission on Entrythingy, contact them directly at
[email protected]. FLAG does not handle technical issues.
10. Delivery / Pickup / Shipping Instructions:
a. Label your artwork- For 2D, please attach a paper label to your hanging wire, or for 3D, an appropriately placed paper label so it does not come off. The label should show your full name, FLAG area, title of artwork, and your phone number. This helps the venue with inventory of the works.
b. Insurance - The venue does not carry insurance on the exhibition. If you wish, please choose your own insurer for this exhibition
c. Shipped work - Members are responsible for shipping or delivering work and retrieving the work.
---You may select the shipper of your choice or work with other members to ship/deliver work. FLAG is in contact with a very reasonable art carrier. Your Area Chair will contact you regarding this service later this year. If you use the courier scheduled by your Area Chair, the current request is minimal packaging/packing or no packaging. She places cardboard between all works and has been a courier for many years.
---All shipped artworks by postal carriers must include a prepaid return shipping label that is easy to find within your shipped package. Be sure the packing material is easy to reuse, labeled with your name, and the box is sturdy enough for return shipping.
---Other shipping methods: If you choose to self-deliver or mail artwork, consider protecting your work by enclosing it in a heavy box; a strong plastic bag sandwiched between foam core or cardboard; or wrapped completely with blankets or bubble-wrap. Label all parts of packing materials with your name so the information is easily found, which helps with easy return of your work.
11. Liability:
Flag supports local CDC and exhibition venue guidelines at all events. Your reservation to voluntarily attend FLAG events means you (and your guests) take full responsibility for your health and safety, and you agree that the Florida Artists Group, Inc., and/or its Board of Directors or the individuals making up the Board of Directors are not held liable in any way.
