envisioning a just pittsburgh artist showcase

We are excited, once more, to call all members of the Pittsburgh community at large to submit creative works of all kinds to help us envision a just Pittsburgh. Submissions will open on Friday, June 19 and close on Sunday, November 1, 2026. 

Theme: Home

We invite community artists across the region to submit new work that is bold, authentic, and rooted in care. Artists are encouraged to draw from lived experience, community sharing, memory, storytelling, research, and imagination to help us collectively envision a more just and equitable Pittsburgh. We invite our partners to continue shaping this project alongside us, strengthening the connections between culture, community, and justice.

Together, we ask:

How can Pittsburgh be a just and equitable home for all?

Awards Categories:

• Writing for the Page: Short Story, Poetry, Personal Essay, Flash Fiction

• Visual Art: 2D, 3D, Painting, Photography, Sculpture, Fiber Art, Graphic Design

• Performance: Music, Dance, Slam Poetry, Spoken Word

• Video & Interdisciplinary: Works that cross categories, Mixed Media, Digital Art

Youth Arts (Grade 6th – 8th and Grade 9th – 12th, in the 2026-2027 school year):

• Writing for the Page

• Visual Art

• Performance

• Video & Interdisciplinary

Artists will receive notification of application status in November 2026. Selected artists must sign and return the institutional agreement by December 4, 2026.

All accepted artworks must be delivered in person and picked up at the curated assigned site during the schedule outlined in the acceptance letter. Shipments of artwork cannot be received directly by the sites. Arrangements must be made by the artist to deliver the work to the site per the acceptance letter requirements and exhibition agreement.

Works that are selected for exhibition may be offered for sale at the artist’s discretion. The exhibition will be staged at the discretion of Carnegie Museums, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Children's Museum the University of Pittsburgh and an independent contractor. Display locations will be determined by project curator.