Eligibility & Entry Rules

Who May Enter?

• Indy Art Center or Fishers Art Center students—adult or youth— creating at all levels who have taken at least one class or workshop at the Art Center since August 2024.
• Students who have participated in art classes taught through the Art Center’s ArtReach program since August 2024.
• Indy Art Center studio monitors who have monitored since August 2024.
• Indy Art Center and Fishers Art Center Staff and Faculty who have taken at least one class at the Art Center since August 2024.
• Indy Art Center Members are entitled to a $10 discount on their application fee. Please see Guest Services (317)255-2464 or reach out to amoore@indyartcenter.org to receive this promo code. Membership must be active at the time of inquiry to receive discount.

Artwork Requirements

• Works in any medium produced since August 2024 are eligible. (Works entered need not have been produced in an Art Center class or workshop.)
• Works must not have been exhibited before at the Art Center.
• Works must be the original production of the artist entering. (Not accepted: copies of existing work by another artist; images copyrighted by anyone other than the entering artist.)
• Works accepted must remain on display until the close of the exhibition.
• Artists must adhere by the “Rules for Display” listed below.

Rules for Display

• All work must be delivered ready to install with no protruding nails or hooks. Please securely fasten hanging hardware—eye screws/D-rings and picture-hanging wire—to 2D artworks. All framed works should be equipped with hanging wire.
• Paintings must be completely dry and framed; works on paper must be mounted or framed; 3D works must sit level.
• Maximum weight for wall-mounted works is 250 lbs.
• Works requiring special installation or placement must be approved by the Exhibitions Department prior to delivery.
• Digital works requiring a monitor screen must be formatted as an mp4 file at an aspect ratio of 16:9.
• Youth- Division submissions must be delivered with Entry Form completed contract form and submitted online application form.

Which Adult Division should I choose?

These categories are self-prescribed. Please read through all the descriptions and pick the appropriate division for your work.

• BEGINNING: For students who have only taken one or two adult art classes in any medium. (At least 1 of these classes must have been taken at the Art Center.)
• INTERMEDIATE: For students who have taken three to seven adult art classes in any medium. (At least 1 of these classes must have been taken at the Art Center.)
• ADVANCED: For students who have taken eight or more adult art classes in any medium. (At least 1 of these classes must have been taken at the Art Center.)
• OPTION: You may enter the Professional Division if you would like to have your work juried with the same criteria as the professional artists.
• PROFESSIONAL: For students who are…
  • Artists who possess a BA, BFA, MFA, or MA in a visual art discipline, including theatre design, graphic design and architecture.
  • Artists who have entered under the “professional” category in competitions OR whose artwork has been accepted into a juried exhibition not designated as a student exhibition Examples: Hoosier Salon’s annual exhibition; State Fair’s art exhibition (“professional” category); Whitewater Valley Art Competition.
  • Artists who regularly sell their artwork, participate in art fairs, give art instruction, participate in non-student competitive or invitational exhibitions, are represented in a gallery, or who engage in other activities (past or present) representative of a career artist.

*Note: Professionals learning a new medium still need to apply in the Professional Division. Example: Professional graphic designers submitting sculpture may be a beginning student in welding, but are considered to still be professional artists.

Youth Applicants

• Youth Student Show Applications are NOT to be processed through CaFE. Application Forms can be found online at indyartcenter.org/cfe and Contracts can be found at the IAC Guest Services Desk. Youth Submissions must be delivered by Dec 23, 2025.
• Indy Art Center students ages 2-17 are eligible for the Youth Division (Artists ages 17-18 who have taken adult-level classes may elect to apply to the appropriate adult category for jurying).
• All eligible youth artworks will be accepted. All 2D work must be framed
• Youth Juror determines additional awards. Award winners will be notified by email before the Awards Ceremony.
• Each youth may submit 2 works.

Thank you for your interest and good luck!

Please feel free to contact Alex Moore; Exhibitions Program Manager at amoore@indyartcenter.org if you are unsure about your entry category or have questions.

The Exhibitions Department reserves the right to move artwork from one category to another should our records indicate that the work has been submitted under the wrong category. We will notify you if we have re-categorized your artwork.