Reception: January 19th, 6 - 8 pm (free and open to the public)

One of our favorite shows of the year is all about food, and this year’s theme (Devour) is inspired by dishes that are so delectable, so delicious that something ravenous awakens. Think of the best meal you ever had and the unrelenting need to recreate that moment. Now imagine you’ve discovered that sensation again. How can you translate that insatiable desire and implosion of fluorescent flavor into your artwork? Devour coincides with our event, Let Them Eat Art! Local chefs get inspired to create a mouth-watering dish for guests to enjoy based on a specific artwork in this year’s show. 

Devour is a juried show open to all artists 16+ years old, all media welcome.

Drop off: Jan 12 & 13  | Pick up: Feb 24  |  Let Them Eat Art: date TBA

To learn more about becoming a member of CAL, please visit our website, or call or stop by during open hours.

Reception: November 17, 6 - 8 pm (free and open to the public)

This unthemed, Members-only show is always a holiday delight! We invite our artists to showcase the work they are most proud of, giving you the opportunity to snatch it up as a holiday gift. As always with our Members’ show, all media are welcome. You may enter one artwork at a time.

All 2D work must be gallery wrapped and wired across the back. No triangle hooks or saw tooth hangers will work with our hanging system. 3-D work must be gallery ready. Please write your name and title on the back of each artwork before you drop off.

Drop off: November 10 & 11 | Pick up: January 5 & 6, 2024  

To learn more about becoming a member of CAL, please visit our website, or call or stop by during open hours.

Patrons Party Date: Monday, October 30, 6-8 pm

Ready to add a little excitement, adventure, and risk to your art-buying? CAL’s Annual Patrons Party fundraiser is the hottest ticket in town. Our talented community of artists donate original artworks worth $150 or more. There are only as many tickets available as there are artworks, and each ticket includes one of the artworks to take home for your very own! We throw one of the fanciest receptions of the year for ticket-holders to peruse all the art and come up with a Top Ten List. Next comes Luck of the Draw: each ticket-holder receives a randomly generated number which determines the order in which ticket-holders pick the artwork to come home with them. (You do not need to be present to buy a ticket or participate. Ticket-holders generally get one of their top choices due to our different tastes and preferences in art.)

All 2D work must be gallery-wrapped and wired across the back. No triangle hooks or saw tooth hangers will work with our hanging system. 3-D work must be gallery-ready. Please write your name and title on the back of each artwork before you drop it off.

Tickets are $150 and include entry to the Patrons Party, as well as the artwork you’ll choose. More details are available on our website, or by calling or stopping by. 

Artists Drop Off: Oct 20 & Oct 21 | Tickets on sale now | Patrons Party: Oct 30, 6-8 pm

Important directions below, keep scrolling!

In a new exciting take on our Interpretations Show, artists will select a randomly generated title for their artwork from an AI (Artificial Intelligence) Artwork Title Generator. Artists will then interpret and transform that title into their own unique artwork. Personalities and the inner workings of artists' minds will be on full display on our gallery walls.

OK, Computer is a juried show open to all artists 16+ years old, all media welcome.

All 2D work must be gallery wrapped and wired across the back. No triangle hooks or saw tooth hangers will work with our hanging system. 3-D work must be gallery ready. Please write your name and title on the back of each artwork before you drop off.

Drop off: September 1 & 2  | Pick up: October 20 & 21  

Reception: September 8, 6 - 8 pm (free and open to the public)

Entry Fees: Members: $15 for 2 artworks, Non-members: $20 for 2 artworks

Student members: $10 for 2 artworks, Student non-members: $15 for 2 artworks

HOW TO SELECT YOUR AI-GENERATED TITLES

1. Click on the “Pick your AI-Generated Title” button to select your AI-generated title(s).  

2. Browse through them all and when you find the title that speaks to you, click on it. 

3. Select “Add to Cart”. If you would like to submit 2 artworks, you will need to repeat steps 1-2 and add another title to your cart. 

4. Once you are ready to checkout, click on your cart.

1. If you are working from a phone, your cart will appear as a black bar along the bottom of your screen. 

2. If you are working from a computer, your cart will appear in the top right corner of your screen.  

5. Once you are in your cart, click “Checkout”.

6. If you chose only one title, continue with the checkout process and enter your method of payment. Before finalizing your purchase, ensure the title in your cart is the one you selected. Once you have finished checking out, you have officially secured that title and no one else will be able to select it. By purchasing that title, you have paid your entry fees and are officially entered into the Ok, Computer show. If you chose two titles, SEE STEP 7. 

7. This step is only for those who have two titles in their cart. We have a discount code you will need to apply to your cart to only pay one entry fee for two works.

1. If you are checking out on a phone, make sure you have clicked on your cart (black bar along the bottom of your screen). Once in your cart, you will see a bar that says “Discount Code”. Enter the code “OKCENTRYFEE” into this line and click “Apply”. You should see the discount applied. Proceed with payment. 

2. If you are checking out on a computer, make sure you have clicked on your cart (top right corner of the screen). You will see four sections to complete. #1: Enter your email address. #2: Select your Delivery Method. #3 Enter your card information and then on the line that says “Discount Code”, enter the code “OKCENTRYFEE”. Click “Apply”. #4 Review & Purchase. 

Again, before you submit any form of payment, ensure the title(s) in your cart is/are the one(s) you selected. Once you have finished checking out, you have officially secured that title and no one else will be able to select it. By purchasing that title, you have paid your entry fees and are officially entered into the Ok, Computer show. 

Reception: July 28, 6 - 8 pm (free and open to the public)

The tradition of the human figure in art continues to inspire and challenge artists today. Whether abstracted or realistic, we experience the figure in art both visually and physically. This figural show focuses on the unadorned human body, adding to the rich tradition of the nude figure in the history of art.

Bare is a juried show open to all artists 16+ years old, all media welcome.

All 2D work must be gallery wrapped and wired across the back. No triangle hooks or saw tooth hangers will work with our hanging system. 3-D work must be gallery ready. Please write your name and title on the back of each artwork before you drop off.

Drop off: July 21 & 22  | Pick up: September 1 & 2  

Entry Fees: Members: $15 for 2 artworks, Non-members: $20 for 2 artworks

Student members: $10 for 2 artworks, Student non-members: $15 for 2 artworks

WE HAVE REACHED CAPACITY FOR THE MEMBERS’ SHOW.

If you have already entered your work, you may still drop off. If you haven’t entered your work online, we are no longer accepting work for the members’ summer show as we have reached the limit of artworks we can exhibit. Thank you for understanding.

Reception: June 23, 6 - 8 pm (free and open to the public)

CAL is proud to be a local non-profit that’s been a part of the mid-Missouri art scene since 1959. Our Members’ Shows are exciting opportunities for CAL Members to display their art, and for our community to get to know our vibrant artist members. There is no theme, instead this is an opportunity to show our community what we’ve been working on recently. Members’ shows are not juried, awards will be given out at the reception.

The Members’ Show is open to all CAL members, all media welcome. You may submit one artwork at a time. Purchase membership here.

All 2D work must be gallery wrapped and wired across the back. No triangle hooks or saw tooth hangers will work with our hanging system. 3-D work must be gallery ready. Please write your name and title on the back of each artwork before you drop off.

Drop off: June 9 & 10 | Pick up: July 21 & 22  

Reception: May 12, 6 - 8 pm (free and open to the public)

Texture can show up in artworks via medium, technique, subject matter, movement, perspective, and more. We work with people every day to NOT touch artwork in the gallery but we challenge you to make work that invites the viewer to reach out and touch. As always, artists get to choose what to make… SO! Will your work elicit the forbidden touch? Will you allow the viewer to touch your work? Or will you make your work enticing but NOT allow visitors to touch? You get to choose! 

Touch is a juried show open to all artists 16+ years old, all media welcome.

All 2D work must be gallery wrapped and wired across the back. No triangle hooks or saw tooth hangers will work with our hanging system. 3-D work must be gallery ready. Please write your name and title on the back of each artwork before you drop off.

Drop off: April 28 & 29  | Pick up: June 9 & 10  

Entry Fees: Members: $15 for 2 artworks, Non-members: $20 for 2 artworks

Student members: $10 for 2 artworks, Student non-members: $15 for 2 artworks

TINY THINGS 2023

Reception: March 10, 6 - 8 pm (free and open to the public)

All artworks in this show are limited to 8” x 8”, including frame. Artists are challenged and inspired to create something tiny in physical size, but still powerful and touching in impact and emotion. Changing our perspective and viewpoint in one way, can lead us to see our entire worlds in expansive ways. Size isn’t everything; so what is it really, and how does it impact the creation, vision, and enjoyment of art?

Tiny Things is a juried show open to all artists 16+ years old, all media welcome.

Drop off: Feb 25  | Pick up: April 8  

Entry Fees: Members: $15 for 2 artworks, Non-members: $20 for 2 artworks

Student members: $10 for 2 artworks, Student non-members: $15 for 2 artworks

Reception: January 20, 6 - 8 pm (free and open to the public)

One of our favorite shows of the year is all about food and this years’ theme (Nibble) is inspired by our many receptions and the beauty of the charcuterie board. What are your favorite nibbles? Nibble coincides with our event, Let Them Eat Art! Local chefs get inspired to create a nibble for guests to enjoy based on a specific piece in this year’s show.  Let Them Eat Art: date Feb 21 6-8 pm

Nibble is a juried show open to all artists 16+ years old, all media welcome.

Drop off: Jan 13 & 14  | Pick up: Saturday, Feb 25 

Entry Fees: Members: $15 for 2 artworks, Non-members: $20 for 2 artworks

Student members: $10 for 2 artworks, Student non-members: $15 for 2 artworks

Give the Gift of Art: Winter Members’ Show

November 15--January 5

Reception: November 18, 6-8pm

This unthemed, Members-only show is always a holiday delight! We invite our artists to showcase the work they are most proud of, giving you the opportunity to snatch it up as a holiday gift! As always with our Members’ shows, it’s open to all Members, and all media are welcome.

Drop Off: November 11 + 12 

Pick Up: January 6 + 7 (2023)

Entry fees: Members: $15 for 1 artwork, Student members: $10 for 1 artwork

All 2D work must be gallery wrapped and wired across the back. No triangle hooks or saw tooth hangers will work with our hanging system. Please write your name and title on the back of each artwork before you drop off. You may only enter one artwork but when your work sells, you may bring in a replacement throughout the whole show!

September 13 - October 20

Reception: September 16

The rhythm of repetition is a fundamental part of visual language used to create movement, stillness, confusion, or to keep order. Repetition shows up all over our art and in the art world through imagery, process, series, color stories, themes, subject matter, and more, often adding deeper and nuanced meaning to the work. Where and how does repetition show up in your work, and which of your artworks highlight repetition visually and in your own practice?

The Repeat Show is a juried show open to all artists 16+ years old, all media welcome.

All 2D work must be gallery wrapped and wired across the back. No triangle hooks or saw tooth hangers will work with our hanging system. Please write your name and title on the back of each artwork before you drop off.

Drop off: September 9 + 10 

Pick up: October 21 + October 22

Entry Fees: Members: $15 for 2 artworks, Non-members: $20 for 2 artworks

Student members: $10 for 2 artworks, Student non-members: $15 for 2 artworks

Scapes - No longer accepting submissions

July 26 - September 8

Reception: July 29, 6-8pm

There’s a reason galleries around the world are filled with so many landscapes, seascapes and fantastical dreamscapes: at some point in our daily lives, we all crave an escape. We invite you to submit work that explores the world we live in and worlds beyond, from the prosaic humdrum scapes of daily life, to inspirational views and escapist fantasies.

Scapes is is a juried show open to all artists 16+ years old, all media welcome.

All 2D work must be gallery wrapped and wired across the back. No triangle hooks or saw tooth hangers will work with our hanging system. Please write your name and title on the back of each artwork before you drop off.

Drop off: 7/22 + 7/23 | Pick up: 9/9 + 9/10
Entry Fees: Members: $15 for 2 artworks, Non-members: $20 for 2 artworks

Student members: $10 for 2 artworks, Student non-members: $15 for 2 artworks

The Members’ Summer Show is now full! We are no longer able to take submissions due to space limitations. Thank you for understanding.

June 14 - July 21

Reception: June 24, 6-8

Our Members’ Summer Show is a great opportunity for the public to get to know our member-artists! The show is unthemed and unjuried: just bring in new work for our community to enjoy. 

The Members’ Show is open to all CAL members, all media welcome.

All 2D work must be gallery wrapped and wired across the back. No triangle hooks or saw tooth hangers will work with our hanging system. Please write your name and title on the back of each artwork before you drop off.

Drop Off: June 10 + 11 | Pick Up: July 22 + 23

Entry fees: Members: $15 for 1 artwork, Student members: $10 for 1 artwork

TINY THINGS 2022 - APPLICATION IS CLOSED

Why do we love tiny things? Although small, their impact can be quite big when it comes to our feeling, understanding, and positioning in the world. We can understand tiny things in their entirety: we know immediately what we’re faced with, removing the possibility of fear from our usual, life-sized world. There can also be a power in limited space, as artists and viewers alike recognize limitations of scope, and communicate only the bare necessities of understanding. The only restriction for this gallery show is that the work must be smaller than 8”x8”, including frame. Your subject matter, small or large, is completely up to you. We ask that all prices for artwork be under $300.

All 2D work must be gallery wrapped and wired across the back. No triangle hooks or saw tooth hangers will work with our hanging system. Please write your name and title on the back of each artwork before you drop off.

This is a juried show and open to all artists 16+ years old, all media welcome.

Artists may submit up to 2 artworks for one fee.

Drop Off: Feb. 25 & 26 | Pick Up: Apr 9

January 18 - February 24

Reception: January 21, 6-8PM

One of our very favorite shows of the year is Savor, which we lovingly refer to as the Food Show. Part of savoring your food is making positive connections to emotions and slowing down to enjoy your food and your environment. We hope it inspires you in what you depict, how you make your work, and certainly what you hope people will remember. Savor corresponds with our Let Them Eat Art event (date TBA), where local chefs inspired by the artwork in the gallery prepare delicious dishes to share during the event.

Savor is a juried show and open to all artists 16+ years old, all media welcome.

All 2D work must be gallery wrapped and wired across the back. No triangle hooks or saw tooth hangers will work with our hanging system. Please write your name and title on the back of each artwork before you drop off. Drop Off: Jan. 14 & 15 

Pick up: Feb. 25 & 26

Entry Fees: Members: $15 for 2 artworks, Non-members: $20 for 2 artworks

Student members: $10 for 2 artworks, Student non-members: $15 for 2 artworks

This un-themed, Members-only show is always a holiday delight! We invite our artists to showcase the work that they are most proud of, giving you the opportunity to snatch it up as a holiday gift! As always, our Members’ Show is open to all media.

Member entry fee is $15 / Student Member entry free is $10.

All media welcome. This is a CAL Members' show.

We are social distancing at CAL, please wear a mask in the gallery.

Drop off November 5th & 6th

Pick up January 7th & 8th 2022

Support the Arts - Be a Patron! 

The Second Annual Patron’s Party is part “art auction”, part raffle, all fun, with a twist. Here’s how it works... Our fabulously talented community of artists will donate original works worth $150 or more. There will be one ticket available for each work. On the evening of the Patrons’ Party drawing (Date TBA), tickets are randomly drawn, and when the name of each ticket-holder is announced, they may select an available work of art from the show. For the price of a ticket ($150 per patron), you will go home with a one-of-a-kind, original artwork. Which one will depend entirely on the order in which your name is drawn. Prior to the drawing, the show will be on view in the Gallery, allowing ticket-holders to scout out their favorites. On the night of the event, Patrons will enjoy music and refreshments in the Missouri Theater lobby while they await the luck of the draw.

Drop off October 15th & 16th

Deadline for initial submission: April 1st

Notification of Acceptance by April 23rd

Back by popular demand, this beloved exhibition marries the visual and literary creative arts in seamless harmony.  Here’s how it works – 30 visual artworks and 30 short pieces of poetry or prose (150 words or less) are selected from a pool of submissions.  Artists and authors are then paired anonymously and at random.  Each selected visual artist will receive a piece of writing and each author, a visual image.  They then have the next few months to create a response inspired by the prompt they’ve been given.  The result is a fascinating glimpse into the creative process and a gallery chock full of penetrating conversations between works and across mediums which transcend the limits of both visual and written communication alone.  A perennial community favorite, this show is not to be missed.

Drop off (for original submission and response pieces) August 27th & 28th

Pick up October 15th & 16th

One of our very favorite shows of the year is what we lovingly refer to as the Food Show. This year we’re officially calling the show: Snack. Whether eaten mid-morning, after school, or at midnight, snacks carry us from meal to meal keeping our blood sugar stable and giving us a moment to pause. Enjoyed alone, or as a friendly hangout necessity, snacks exist in a cuisine world all their own.

This is a juried show and open to all artists 16+ years old, all media welcome.

Snack will correspond with our Let Them Eat Art event where local chefs, inspired by the artwork in the gallery, make a delicious dish to share.

Drop off July 9th & 10th 12-4PM

Pick up August 27th & 28th 12-4PM

Artists may drop off 1-2 artworks. You will be contacted within a week of drop off if your work does NOT get juried into the show / if you need to pick up one or both of your artworks.

The Members’ Show is FULL.

We have reached capacity for this show and are no longer accepting entries. If you have already entered your work online, you should drop off at the gallery on Saturday, May 22nd from 12-4PM.

Thank you!

Our Members’ Summer Show is a great opportunity for the public to get to know our members! The show is unthemed and unjuried; just bring in new work for us to enjoy. Our Members’ Show is open to all CAL members; all media welcome.

Members may submit ONE artwork in the Summer Show. Submit your work online BEFORE you drop off at the gallery.

There is a limit to how many works we can fit in the gallery, when we reach capacity we will disable the form. 

Member entry fee is $15 / Student Member entry free is $10.

All media welcome. This is a CAL Members' show.

We are social distancing at CAL, please wear a mask in the gallery.

You do not need to submit an image with your entry.

Drop off May 21st & 22nd

Pick up July 9th & 10th

A look back on a year that is sure to live in infamy.  Together, we have witnessed, and lived, history in the making.  No doubt the events of 2020 will continue to shape our culture, our politics, and our private lives for some time to come.  This show offers artists the opportunity to reflect on all that we’ve been through over the last year, together and alone; both the triumphs and the tragedies, that which we’ve lost and that which we’ve gained.  What has 2020 taught you? 

This show is a juried show and open to all artists 16+ years old, all media welcome.

Enter your work and pay your submission fee online by clicking the button below.

Drop off your work in person on April 9th & 10th

The juror will look at all work submitted and we will be in touch if your work is NOT selected.

Pick up May 21st & 22nd

The concept for this show is simple: We provide the sketchbook, you fill it up and turn it in. We will exhibit your sketchbooks and allow the public to look through them to see how each different artist uses their sketchbook and show why they are so essential to an artists’ process.

The public will vote on which 3 sketchbooks they like the best and we will create limited edition prints of a spread from each chosen sketchbook. We will have them for sale at CAL.

Pick up your Sketchbook by TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2nd to make sure you have enough time to complete it by the drop off date. If you would like your sketchbook mailed to you, email Kelsey and let her know. Your returned Sketchbook must be returned to CAL by February 27th, 2021. 

Drop off dates are Feb 26 & 27, 2021.

The exhibit itself will be open from March 2-March 27, 2021. 

Pick up dates upon conclusion of the show are March 30-April 3rd, 2021.

TINY THINGS 2021- this application is closed

What is it about tiny things? They make us cock our head to the side, bring up our shoulders in a slight hunch and say… awww. Although small, the impact can be quite big when it comes to our feeling, understanding, and positioning in the world. We can understand tiny things in their entirety - we know immediately what we’re faced with, removing any possibility of fear we might have while roaming our life sized world. There can also be power in limited space, as artists and viewers alike realize limitations of scope, communicating only the bare necessities of understanding. 

Our only restriction for this gallery show is that your work must be smaller than 8”x 8” and your frame no larger than 12”x12”. Your subject matter (whether small or large) is completely up to you. We ask that all prices for artwork be under $300.

This show is a juried show and open to all artists 16+ years old, all media welcome.

Drop off February 26th & 27th

Pick up April 9th & 10th

Based on the 3-part medieval poetic narrative by Dante Alighieri, this show invites artists to interpret their vision of The Paradisio, The Purgatorio, and The Inferno, or heaven, purgatory, and hell.  To medieval minds, these realms were as real and tangible as the north, south, east, and west, and each man, woman, and child held sincere conviction that their respective torments or ecstasies awaited their souls upon death. Though the modern thinker may adopt a more symbolic approach, preferring to regard the realms of heaven, hell, and all that lies between as mere psychological states, the imagery they evoke is nonetheless vivid and deeply personal.  Perhaps even in small moments of our mundane lives, we too peer beyond the veil, catching a fleeting glimpse of what our own heaven, hell, or life in limbo might entail. 

This show is a juried show and open to all artists 16+ years old, all media welcome.

Drop off January 15th & 16th

Pick up February 26th & 27th

The tradition of the human figure in art continues to inspire and challenge artists today. Whether abstracted or realistic, we experience the figure in art both visually and physically. We want to see your contemporary take on interpreting the ancient practice of recreating the figure. 

All media welcome. This is a juried show.

All artists are welcome to submit work. Member entry fee is $15 / Non-Member entry fee is $20

Drop off September 11th & September 12th

We will not have a reception for this show due to Covid. We will have some smaller virtual events throughout the duration of the show.

Pick up November 6th & 7th