BIRDSWATCHARCHIVE

Open Call

Inaugural Winter 2027 Online Exhibition

The inaugural Bird Swatch Archive Online Exhibition explores birds as subjects of beauty, curiosity, connection, and wonder.

Applications close December 6, 2026 at 11:59 PM ET

Apply now to Inaugural Winter 2027 Online Exhibition
Joakim Möller

About the exhibition

They gather on telephone wires, move through city parks, build nests above storefronts, visit suburban backyards, and call from trees we pass every day without noticing. Elsewhere, in distant wetlands, forests, mountains, and deep rainforests, extraordinary species live beyond our everyday experience, glimpsed through travel, photography, scientific study, or the patient observation of those who seek them out.

In recent years, our fascination with birds has become increasingly visible. More people are watching them, photographing them, recording their songs, learning their names, following migrations, and building communities around the simple act of noticing the life around them. In a culture shaped by constant movement, distraction, and digital experience, birds offer something remarkably immediate: a reason to stop, look upward, listen, and be present.

This exhibition considers the bird not only as a subject, but as a point of connection between people and the natural world.

It is an invitation to look more closely.

Juror

Carrie Lipscomb

MIxed-media artist and Creative Director · Brooklyn, NY

Carrie Lipscomb is a mixed-media artist and creative director based in Brooklyn, NY with over 20 years experience in art, design and creative direction.

About the juror

Important dates

Applications open
November 1, 2026 at 12:00 AM ET
Applications close
December 6, 2026 at 11:59 PM ET
Artists notified
December 21, 2026
Exhibition opens
January 15, 2027
Exhibition closes
February 28, 2027

Eligibility

Applicants must be 18 years of age or older.

Eligible media

  • Photography
  • Works on Canvas
  • Works on Paper
  • Works on Wood Panel

Size and weight

Maximum 36 × 48 inches in any orientation, up to 3 inches deep and 30 lb packaged.

Shipping

Accepted artwork remains with the artist. After Bird Swatch Archive confirms the sale and activates the Artist Workspace fulfillment task, ship directly to the collector within 5 business days using the provided shipping label. The collector pays shipping separately at checkout. Shipping and taxes are excluded from the 25% gallery commission and the artist’s 75% share of the artwork sale price. Nonstandard transport requires advance approval. Bird Swatch Archive manages tracking and collector communication; retain proof of carrier acceptance and packing documentation until the transaction is complete.

Submission requirements

  • 1–3 artworks per application
  • One image for each artwork (JPEG, PNG or WebP, up to 10 MB)
  • Artwork details for each work: title, year, category, medium, and width, height, depth and estimated weight in inches and pounds
  • Retail price in US dollars for each work offered for sale
  • Artist details: legal name, contact email and an artist statement
  • Optional artist portrait, kept private during review
  • Confirmation of each eligibility statement inside the application

Applications may be saved as a draft and completed later. Uploaded images remain private throughout review.

The requirements on this page apply to this exhibition. For how the program works overall — applying, selection, sales, shipping and artist payments — read the Artist Guide

Application fee

$15

The fee is paid at the end of the application, inside the application flow.

All application fees are non-refundable once a submission has been completed.

The application fee covers the administrative costs associated with processing and reviewing submissions and does not guarantee selection for an exhibition.

If Bird Swatch Archive cancels an open call before applications are reviewed, affected applicants will receive a full refund of the application fee. Duplicate charges or confirmed payment errors will also be refunded.

Applicants who withdraw their submission, submit ineligible work, miss required materials, or are not selected for an exhibition are not eligible for a refund.

If selected

Selected artists are notified by email and asked to complete exhibition onboarding, which includes:

  • Signing the artist agreement
  • Confirming final artwork information
  • Providing high-resolution artwork images
  • Confirming approved pricing
  • Providing package and shipping details; keeping artwork until a confirmed sale and activated fulfillment task
Apply now to Inaugural Winter 2027 Online Exhibition