Harris County Juried Exhibition
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Harris County Juried Exhibition
The 2026 Harris County Juried Exhibition will bring together a dynamic cross-section of artists living or working within Harris County, Texas, reflecting the depth and diversity of the region’s contemporary art landscape. Curated and juried by distinguished curator Hesse McGraw, this third annual presentation at Silver Street Studios will build on the success of the 2024 and 2025 juried exhibitions, continuing a growing tradition of showcasing innovative practices from emerging and established artists alike.
Through painting, sculpture, photography, installation, and interdisciplinary works, the exhibition will highlight the vibrant creative energy shaping Harris County today. As in previous years, the exhibition aims to highlight the wide spectrum of perspectives, materials, and approaches that define contemporary art in Harris County. McGraw will bring his curatorial insight to shaping the final selection, offering audiences an opportunity to experience new voices as well as established practices within one of the most dynamic cultural regions in the country.
Exhibition Dates On View: June 1 - July 18, 2026
About the Juror: Hesse McGraw
Hesse McGraw is a visionary curator and cultural leader who partners with artists, collectors, organizations, and communities to realize projects that drive civic change. As principal of Radical Normalcy and founder of the Artist Venture Fund, he is a passionate advocate for the transformative power of art in advancing society.
Throughout his 25-year career, he has established an international reputation for expanding artists' agency beyond traditional gallery spaces to create groundbreaking public art initiatives, landmark exhibitions, and collections that intimately engage audiences. His projects have been cited among the greatest artworks of the 21st century—creating urban-scale rainbows, the most-visited site within the world's largest linear park, and the first playable basketball court within a museum. Most recently serving as the 10th Executive Director of Contemporary Arts Museum Houston (2020–2025), he previously served as a partner at El Dorado (2017–2019), Vice President of Exhibitions and Public Programs at San Francisco Art Institute (2013–2017), and Chief Curator at Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts (2008–2013).
Prizes: $300.00 Best of show, $200.00 Second Place, $100.00 Third Place (Prizes may increase based on submission count.)
Entry Fee: The entry fee is $15.00 per entry. Max entries of up to four (4) works. One application per artist.
*Juror selections are based on mastery of design, technique, conceptual quality, and creativity. Works will be accepted on a piece-by-piece basis due to space limitations. This means some work may be accepted from an artist while others are not.
All entry fees are non-refundable.
Important Deadlines / Exhibition Schedule:
- Deadline for Entries: All entries must be registered/received by Saturday, May 9, 2026 (11:59 pm Central Time)
- Artists notified of jurying results: No Later Than Sunday, May 17, 2026
- Hand-delivered accepted works: Tues., May 26, 2026, from 9 am to 5 pm and Wed., May 27, 2026, Noon to 7:00 pm
- Exhibition opens to the public: Monday, June 1, 2026
- Exhibition closes: Saturday, July 18, 2026
Application / Eligibility Requirements:
Open to artists, 18 or older, currently residing or working in Harris County, Texas. Refunds will not be given to applicants who do not qualify.
Submitted work(s) must be original and created after January 1, 2021. No commercially made prints, giclees, or reproductions of an original work of art will be considered for exhibition. Any work submitted must be entirely the original creation of the artist, produced independently without significant guidance, oversight, or direct technical assistance from a teacher, instructor, or mentor.
Works created through the use of artificial intelligence (AI) are not eligible.
Works must not have been previously displayed in Silver Street Studios.
All work submitted must be professional and suitable for art in public spaces. All art is subject to approval, and no work that is offensive, slanderous, or that contains hate speech will be accepted. Artwork seen as inappropriate, unsuitable, or not meeting guidelines will be removed/disqualified.
All artwork exhibited must be professional and suitable for art in public spaces.
Two-dimensional works must be suitably prepared for hanging and no larger than 62” in height by 86” in width and 5" in depth, including frame. This is a max size that includes all multiple-panel diptychs, triptychs, etc.
Three-dimensional works to be displayed must be no larger than 84" height by 36" in width and 36" in depth; smaller 3-D works to be displayed on a wall must be suitably prepared for hanging. All 3D/sculptural work must be accompanied by its own pedestal or display stand in white.
Works weighing more than 50 pounds require advanced approval for submission; contact for further instructions.
No installation art or audio enhancements permitted due to gallery limitations.
Videos must be silent - no audio will be accepted.
Selected videos will be displayed via projector, and should be formatted accordingly.
Videos must be submitted in a high-quality MP4 format.
Maximum video length: 10 Minutes.
Submitting Images:
- 2D: Please submit one (1) Image
- 3D: one image is required. If you’d like us to see additional angles, you’re welcome to upload a multi-image PDF instead.
- Only one file per entry will be accepted.
Delivery of Selected Artwork:
Work(s) must be hand-delivered to Silver Street Studios, 2101 Winter Street, Houston, TX 77007, between these hours:
- Tues., May 26, 2026, from 9 am to 5 pm, and Wed., May 27, 2026, Noon to 7:00 pm
All work must be ready to install*. Please include clear directions and proper hardware for special installation needs.
We do not accept substitutes for the artwork approved by the juror.
Be patient, other artists will deliver and pick up simultaneously. You may need to wait for staff to process other artists.
Pick Up:
Artists who do not retrieve their work will be charged a storage fee of $5.00 per day. Works remaining after 30 days will become theproperty of Silver Street Studios. Please note that other artists will deliver and pick up during the same hours. You may need to wait for thestaff to process other artists. All artwork must be signed out with a committee member present.
Sales:
All sales are handled directly by the artist: Management/Committee will not handle sales in any way.
Artwork must remain up for the duration of the exhibition. Sold works must be delivered to buyers after the exhibition has closed.