Art & Democracy VII: A Shared Torch. This exhibition explores the intersection of art and democracy through the eyes of artists with direct or inherited knowledge of the perils of unchecked power and the strength of collective action. Centering Los Angeles's legacy of cultural activism, it highlights art as a vehicle for justice, memory, and change.

Visual Artists Guild
CALL FOR ARTISTS
Art & Democracy VII: A Shared Torch

Who Should Apply
For our 2026 edition, we are proud to center Southern California -based artists whose works speak to the soul of the area’s long-standing legacy of cultural activism and civic engagement.

We welcome submissions across all visual mediums including performance, video.

Eligibility
Open to all artists, all visual media accepted including live performances, video, prints, political cartoons, sculptures, etc. Works must be ready to display and fit within a traditional gallery space.

What to Expect
The exhibition will feature a vibrant opening event with a celebration of creative freedom and community dialogue.There will be artists talk featuring participating artists

Art & Democracy VII: A Shared Torch explores the deep and enduring relationship between art and democracy—an ever-evolving dialogue shaped by protest, memory, displacement, and hope. In moments when democratic ideals are tested or denied, artists have long served as both witnesses and catalysts, illuminating what is broken while imagining what is possible. Through a range of voices and visual languages, Art & Democracy VII: A Shared Torch invites viewers to consider how art can uphold the fragile yet resilient promise of democracy: a system built on voice, dignity, and collective power.

The exhibition centers on artists who have experienced—either directly or through cultural legacy the consequences of authoritarianism, displacement, and censorship. Their works offer testimony, resistance, and renewal. Through visual storytelling, reflective installations, and immersive experiences, these pieces don’t just critique existing systems—they ask viewers to consider the deeper ethical questions at the heart of democratic life: Who belongs? Who decides? And how do we hold power accountable?

While this exhibition includes international perspectives, it is grounded in Los Angeles—a city shaped by migration, activism, and resistance. The featured artists connect to this place either physically or ideologically, reflecting the city’s long-standing tradition of community organizing, cross-cultural solidarity, and creative defiance.

Visitors will move through works that call upon historical memory and current events alike, experiencing personal stories that reflect universal themes: the right to speak, to assemble, to remember, and to dream. With Art & Democracy VII: A Shared Torch we hope visitors feel not only the weight of history, but also the light of possibility, where visitors leave with the understanding that their voice counts, and that the realization of dignity, peace, and free expression is a shared torch passed from generation to generation.

Submission Guidelines

Join us in creating a space where art holds a mirror to democracy— its struggles, its triumphs, and its future.

    • Artist name, address, phone, and email

    • Title

    • Medium

    • Dimensions (H x W x D in inches)

    • Weight (approximate, if applicable) 

  • A short written statement (approx. 150–200 words) describing how your artwork connects to the exhibition’s theme of art and democracy.

  • A brief introduction to your artistic practice, influences, and perspective (approx. 100–150 words).

  • Up to 3 high-quality images of the submitted work (JPEG or PNG format).