The Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County (AHCMC) and the Montgomery County Public Art Trust are issuing a call for artists living in Montgomery County for Printed Voices, an exhibition featuring works in the printmaking medium.  

This call is specifically for artists that utilize the printmaking medium to engage with public discourse. Artists may incorporate textual elements to reflect the ways language can carry ideas and shape our collective understanding. 

Selected artists will each receive an exhibition honorarium of $250. All selected artists must submit a completed W9 form at the time of notification to receive an honorarium.

ELIGIBILITY 

• Applicants must be 18 or older and reside in Montgomery County with proof of address. BIPOC and ALAANA Artists (African, Latinx, Asian, Arab, and Native American) are highly encouraged to apply. 

• Selected applicants will be required to submit a completed W9 form to AHCMC, with an address matching their main contact information. No honorariums will be paid without a W9 form. 

• 2D and 3D artworks in the printmaking medium are eligible for consideration. Applicants will be asked to provide instructions for hanging or otherwise installing artworks as a part of the application. 
• Artworks for consideration must have been created within the last three years. 

ARTWORK SELECTION PROCESS

Artists are invited to submit an application including a resume, work samples and a description of each artwork submitted. Artists may submit up to ten work sample images in total, and at least four of the artworks must be available for exhibition from September 2 – November 20. Artwork dropoff is the week of August 24. An Artwork Selection Panel of individuals with a professional background in the printmaking arts will review each applicant’s submission and make recommendations for inclusion in the exhibition.  

Following the panel’s review, applicants will be notified of which artworks have been selected to be included in the exhibition.  

SELECTION CRITERIA

Submissions will be juried into the collection based on the following criteria: 

• Curatorial Alignment – How the applicant’s work samples respond to or engage with the themes outlined in this Call for Art.  

• Artistic Merit – The intrinsic quality and excellence of a proposed artwork. 

SCHEDULE

Thursday, May 28	Call for Art released; Online application opens (link to submission form)
Friday, June 26 at 5pm	Deadline for submissions
July 27 – 31	Applicants notified of application status
August 24 – 28	Artworks must be delivered to Betty Mae Kramer Gallery during this time frame
Wednesday, September 2 at 6pm	Exhibition Opening Reception
September 2 – November 20	Exhibition on view at Betty Mae Kramer Gallery

REQUIRED APPLICATION MATERIALS

• Artist Information: full name, current contact information 

• Artist Statement and Bio: 1 page maximum 

• Artist Resume: 1 page maximum 

• Images: Up to ten (10) artwork samples in the form of high resolution images (JPEG or PDF). At least four (4) of the artwork samples must be works that are available to be included in the full exhibition period (see timeline above). 

• Exhibition List: A numbered list of submitted artworks that includes the following information: artist name, title of artwork, year, media, dimensions, and brief description of the work. Applicants must note which artwork samples are available during the exhibition period.  

Click HERE to apply by Friday June 26, 2026 at 5pm

Incomplete or late applications will not be accepted or evaluated.  

QUESTIONS? 

For additional information, or for interested artists needing additional assistance, please contact AHCMC at publicart@creativemoco.com. 

 EQUITY & INCLUSION  

With the acknowledgement and understanding that access to resources has been historically limited for certain groups of people, AHCMC is committed to cultural equity within all funding activities and to serving communities that have been traditionally underrepresented in mainstream funding, discourse, leadership, and resource allocation including, but not limited to, Black, Indigenous, Native American, Latinx, Chicanx, Arab, MENASA (Middle Eastern, North African, South Asian), Asian, Pacific Islander, and other communities of color, socio-economically disadvantaged communities, differently abled individuals and/or people with disabilities, and Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, and Asexual constituents. Artists in these communities are highly encouraged to apply.  

ABOUT THE AHCMC & MONTGOMERY COUNTY PUBLIC ART TRUST 

The Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County, in partnership with the community, cultivates and supports excellence in the arts and humanities, expands access to cultural expression, and contributes to economic vitality in the region. 

Since 1976, AHCMC has been the County’s designated local arts agency. Through its programs and services, AHCMC provides the infrastructure and support necessary to maintain a robust creative community that includes over 500 cultural organizations and 2,000 artists and scholars. AHCMC annually distributes over $5 million in grants to organizations and individuals to help fund enriching cultural activities in our County. Funding is provided by the Montgomery County Government, the Maryland State Arts Council, corporations, organizations, and individuals.   

AHCMC manages the Public Art Trust (The Trust), which consists of the County’s existing collection of public artworks, the commissioning of new works in collaboration with County agencies, communities and the private sector, and the advancement of the field of public art through publications and training. The Trust’s work is guided by the Public Art Roadmap and the Public Art Trust Guidelines. For more information, visit www.creativemoco.com/public-art