Life in Baltimore - Call for Artists
The Peale is pleased to announce the opening of the Call for Artists for Life in Baltimore, a juried exhibition exploring the lived experience and everyday life of our city.
About the Exhibition
Life in Baltimore welcomes artists across disciplines. Documentary, conceptual, narrative, abstract, and experimental approaches are all encouraged. The exhibition is intentionally broad in theme, allowing artists to interpret “life” through personal, political, social, or poetic lenses.
We are interested in work that asks:
- What does daily life in Baltimore look like now?
- How do communities gather, survive, celebrate, and endure?
- What stories are visible — and which remain unseen?
How is the present moment shaping the city’s future?
The exhibition opens in October 2026 and will run for 1 month at The Peale.
This exhibition centers the human experience of Baltimore — its people, neighborhoods, labor, rituals, relationships, joys, and struggles. We are seeking work that reflects Baltimore as it is lived today.
A Revitalized Tradition
This initiative revives a historic program originally presented at the Peale Museum in the 1950s and 60s, when artists were invited to document life in Baltimore through their own creative lens. By reinvigorating Life in Baltimore, The Peale continues its legacy as a space where art and civic identity intersect.
Today’s iteration expands that vision to include diverse artistic media and contemporary perspectives, reflecting the complexity and vitality of Baltimore in the 21st century.
Supported by
Awards
Supported in part by the Andy Warhol Foundation, the top five artists will receive a cash prize for their submissions.
Exhibition Cycle
- Call for Artists Opens: February 2026
- Submission Deadline: August 31, 2026
- Exhibition Opens: October 2026
Duration: 1 months
Selected works will be installed in The Peale’s community exhibition spaces as part of an annual cycle that documents Baltimore through both lived experience (Life in Baltimore) and the built environment (Built to Last). Together, these exhibitions form a dynamic rhythm of storytelling about the city — one focused on people, the other on place.
Who Should Apply?
- Emerging and established artists
- Baltimore-based artists and artists responding to Baltimore
- Artists working in photography, painting, sculpture, mixed media, installation, film, digital work, performance documentation, and more
We encourage submissions from artists whose work reflects the diversity of Baltimore’s communities and perspectives.
How to Apply
Submissions are being accepted through CaFÉ.
Click below for full guidelines and submission details.
