About Irving Arts Center

Irving Arts Center (IAC) combines family entertainment and cultural events with a convenient location in the center of Dallas/Fort Worth. The Arts Center boasts two fully equipped theaters, five galleries, meeting and classroom facilities and a beautiful outdoor sculpture garden on a ten-acre site. Art Connection is the IAC’s membership program for the visual arts. Members can join at a variety of levels, including a dual membership with the Smithsonian Affiliations program. Please click here for Art Connection Membership Information or call (972) 252-ARTS to learn more about becoming an Art Connection Member. 

About the Art Connection Members’ Exhibition

This annual, non-juried exhibition is open to all current members who wish to participate. The entry fee is $10 per work, and artists may submit up to two pieces. Eligible entries will be judged for cash awards in three categories: Youth, Non-Professional and Professional. An overall “Best of Show” prize will also be awarded.

OPTIONAL: 2025 Theme/Design Challenge – XXV: Then / Now / Next 
Members are invited to create artwork that reflects on the theme “XXV: Then / Now / Next” marking the 25^th anniversary of the Irving Arts Center’s Art Connection Members Show. Participating artists are invited to reflect on time (25 years ago, today, and 25 years from now) and explore how they, their art, or the world has changed and what might come next.

Selection of the thematic challenge winners in the three categories (Youth, Non-Professional and Professional) will be done by People’s Choice voting on IAC’s social media platforms as well as in-person by QR code for the duration of the exhibition, Nov. 1 – 22. (It is not a requirement that the artwork submitted for the 25^th Annual Art Connection Members Show conform to this theme. Participation in the thematic challenge is optional.)

Eligible Participants

All Art Connection Members are eligible to participate. Membership fees must be current. To join or renew, go to the Art Connection Page or call the IAC Box Office at 972.252.ARTS (2787).

Art Connection members who are employed by the Arts Center or who serve on the Irving Arts Board, as well as their families, may participate in the exhibition, but are not eligible for cash awards. PLEASE NOTE: Youths under the age of 14 may participate only if they are part of a household with a Smithsonian Affiliate/Family Membership or above. Student Art Connection Memberships are for individuals age 14 and older.

Eligible Work/Show Conditions

•  All entries must be original works completed within the last two years. Entries that have been in any previous exhibition at the Irving Arts Center (IAC) are ineligible.

  · Eligible media include: painting, sculpture, ceramics, drawing, printmaking (hand-pulled graphics), digital printmaking, photography, textiles, fiber, mixed media, and fine art crafts (no work from kits). Video will be accepted; however, equipment availability for viewing/displaying is limited.

  · 2-D work must be framed with glass or Plexiglas (acrylic) and ready to hang, equipped with wire or D-rings. (Please no sawtooth hangers or Uni-Frames – a system with two pieces of glass or acrylic held together with springs and clips.) Works on stretched canvas must be dry to the touch and can either be framed or have finished gallery-wrapped edges with proper hardware attached to the back.

  The IAC will not be responsible for damage to artwork resulting from improper or inferior framing/presentation.

  · It is strongly suggested that framing for works be consistent with gallery or museum standards, i.e. simple black, metal frames or natural wood frames with white or off-white mats for a more professional and polished presentation..

  · Maximum size for 2-D work is 60” in any direction, including frame. 3-D artwork should not exceed 200 lbs. and should not occupy more than a 4’x 4’ area on the floor. Work must fit through the Main Gallery’s 9’ x 5’ doors.

  · Diptychs, triptychs, or other works with multiple panels or elements that constitute one piece, must not exceed the 60” height and width restriction.

  · Work with special or complex display needs, or that is not properly prepared for installation, may not be accepted.

  · Work will not be accepted that violates fire, safety or health codes. Work that could present a risk to public safety because of sharp edges, moving parts, etc. may also be excluded.

• Art Connection Members of all ages, including youths, will be participating in the Members Exhibition. Please submit work that is suitable for family viewing.

• By participating in the show, the artist gives the IAC the right to photograph the artwork and/or use existing photographs and digital images of the artwork for promotional and educational purposes. Photographs and or video may be taken of the artist during the exhibition and reception. These may also be used for promotional purposes.

   

• Artwork will remain as placed in the Main & Focus Galleries, and adjacent areas if necessary, by IAC staff and cannot be removed before Nov. 22.

Entry Fees & Procedures (“The Rules”)

Awards

Cash prizes will be awarded. Members may enter in one of three categories: Youth (17 years old and younger), Non-Professional and Professional.*  

Prizes will be awarded at the discretion of the 2025 awards judge, Jessica Fuentes.  

Jessica Fuentes is a writer, arts professional, and artist whose work has appeared in Hyperallergenic, The Brooklyn Rail, Southwest Contemporary, and scholarly journals such as the Journal of Museum Education and Art Education Journal.  She holds an MA in Art Education from the University of North Texas and a BA in Art and Performance from the University of Texas at Dallas. 

As Editor-In-Chief of Glasstire, Fuentes leads editorial direction while also contributing essays, opinion pieces, reviews, and artist profiles. In 2023, she received the Andy Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant to highlight Texas art spaces founded by artists of color. With over 15 years of teaching experience, she has led initiatives connecting artists, museums and communities, including programs at the Dallas Museum of Art, and the Amon Carter Museum of American Art. 

Best of Show:   $350

Youth:                       
1st – $200
2nd – $150
3rd – $100

Non-Professional:   
1st – $250
2nd – $200
3rd – $150

Professional:       
1st – $300
2nd – $250
3rd – $200

Cash
prizes for the optional 2025 thematic challenge (“XXV: Then / Now / Next”) will also be awarded in each category: $75, one prize winner per category. Winners will be selected by People’s Choice voting, Nov. 1 – 22. Cash prizes for the optional 2025 thematic challenge (“XXV: Then / Now / Next”) will also be awarded in each category: $75, one prize winner per category. Winners will be selected by People’s Choice voting, Nov. 1 – 22.

(*Artists who make all or part of their income from the sale of their artwork are considered Professional for the purposes of this competition.)

MORE FINE PRINT

Liability

All artwork will be handled with care; however, the City of Irving and Irving Arts Center will not be held responsible for any loss or damage to the artwork while in transit or on the premises of the IAC.

Agreement

Submission to this exhibition constitutes the Member’s agreement to all conditions of this show as well as the terms and conditions of the IAC Loan Agreement.

Calendar

Sales/Commission

Artists 18 and older are welcome to offer their work for sale. Purchasing inquiries will be forwarded to participating artists, and all sales transactions are directly between the artist and the buyer. The artist is responsible for all taxes, and a 20% commission payable to the Irving Arts Center is required. All work is to remain in the galleries until the conclusion of the exhibition. Payment should be made by the Artist/Lender to the IAC within 30 days of the purchase. Works not for sale should be listed “NFS” on the entry form and a value must be stated on the entry form for insurance purposes.

Contact Information
Marcie Inman, Director of Exhibitions & Educational Programs
(972) 252-7558 x1225 or minman@IrvingTx.gov