For Artists

Submission Deadline: Saturday, June 7, 2025, 9 pm

When You Know Your Neighbor is a juried group show curated by Claire Millett Lima, that invites artists to explore themes of connection, place, and the many expressions of community. Being a neighbor is more than simply sharing a street or a building—it’s about the invisible threads that tie us to the spaces, people, and living systems around us.

This exhibition will highlight personal interpretations of neighborhood and kinship, both visible and hidden. How do your surroundings influence your sense of self? In what ways do they affirm—or challenge—your place in the world? We welcome thoughtful, creative approaches to the idea of “neighbor.”

Join us in celebrating the beauty of community and connection. We look forward to seeing how you interpret the theme When You Know Your Neighbor!

Eligibility

This call is open to artists who have participated in Somerville Open Studios at any time in the last five years (2020 – 2025). If you are not a current member and your work is selected, you will need to renew your SOS membership for 2025 at the Sustaining Member level ($30).

Location

Exhibit @ 50 Prospect, sponsored by @discoverusq, is a new community arts space showcasing local creativity as part of the Union Square Revitalization Project (USQ). Located at the corner of 50 Prospect Street—directly across from the MBTA Union Square Station—the exhibit is viewable from both Station Plaza and Prospect Street. Work will be displayed in the large windows of the new, as yet un-leased retail space closest to the T Station.

Submission Guidelines

We are seeking a diverse range of media. Although most work will be hung on display walls, a limited number of 3D submissions—whether floor-standing or requiring a display pedestal—will be considered. Regardless of whether works are 2D or 3D, we encourage materials that may not be normally associated with wall-hung art. In addition, note that work may have more depth than is common for wall-mounted work.

You may submit up to 3 works for consideration. All work must be available from June 23rd through the end of October.

All work intended to be hung on display walls must:

• Be ready to hang with a horizontal picture wire
• Not exceed 6 feet high by 3.5 feet wide, including frame
• Weigh no more than 30 lbs

3D work that is floor standing or requires a pedestal should be on the smaller side, ideally less than 2 feet wide by 2 feet deep. A maximum height of 6 feet is suggested. Taller pieces may be considered but will exceed the height of display walls and therefore may not show well, depending on the nature of the piece.

How to Submit

Artists may submit a single application with one to three artworks. Applications must include:

• Artist’s name (and public name, if different)
• Contact information (phone number and email)

For each piece include the following:

• Title
• Medium
• Dimensions – H x W x D, including frame
• Price
• JPEG image labeled as: LASTNAME_1.jpg, LASTNAME_2.jpg, etc.

Please note that the price will be used as the insured value. If not for sale, please still provide the pieces’ value for insurance purposes and indicate “NFS”.

Submit your application via email to limaclairem79@gmail.com with the subject line: “Submission – When You Know Your Neighbor”.

Key Dates

• Submission Deadline: Saturday, June 7th, 2025 by 9 pm
• Notification of Acceptance: June 20th, 2025
• Artwork Drop-Offs: June 23rd and 24th, 4:00 to 7:00 PM
• Installation: June 27, 2025
• Opening Reception: Saturday, June 28, 2025, 3:00-5:00 PM
• Exhibit Close & Artwork Pickup: Approximately October 31, 2025 (exact date(s) TBD).

SOS 2025 Narrative Show
April 26 – May 17th, 2025
Narrative Bookshop, 387 Highland Avenue
Exhibit Theme: Alternate Worlds
Submission Deadline: Saturday, April 5th, 2025

Books can be portals to different realities. Stories can empower, heal, connect, transport, and persuade. They can portray brighter possibilities, bear warnings about the future, or tie us to our ancestors & root us in our heritage. This exhibit will showcase the transporting power of written & spoken narratives, translated into visual forms of alternate worlds created by Somerville artists.

This is a juried show that is restricted to artists that are participating in Somerville Open Studios 2025.  Sustaining (non-participating) SOS members are also welcome to submit work.

Location: Narrative Bookshop, 387 Highland Avenue, Somerville

This juried show is an opportunity to participate in the first exhibit at Narrative. Proudly immigrant-woman owned & operated, with an emphasis on amplifying marginalized voices and experiences, Narrative is an independent bookshop offering a welcoming space for finding connection through community-minded events and a curated selection of new and used books across various genres. This show will be open to a variety of works, including large and small 2D artwork, as well as sculpture and hanging works. There are shelves for display, hanging ceiling hooks, and hanging curtain rods, which could all be used for art display. We are seeking a wide range of media to display visions of alternate worlds and exemplify the transporting power of books in this unique space. Please feel free to submit multiple pieces for consideration.

Parameters for Submissions:

Work must be available from April 23, 2025 – May 21, 2025

Dimension considerations- submissions are not restricted to specific dimensions, however, although the installation/display options available in Narrative are versatile, the overall space is limited & artists are encouraged to visit the shop in-person during retail hours and prior to submitting to get a visual understanding of the possibilities and constraints of the space.

Weight restrictions: up to 30 pounds

Submissions by Artists:

Each artist shall submit a single application. The application, which can be for up to five pieces of work, shall provide the following information:

• Full name (and public name, if different)
• Contact info: phone number and email
• 1-3 JPEGs of each piece being submitted 
• Title of each piece 
• Description of medium for each piece 
• Complete accurate dimensions (length, width, depth)

Please submit your completed application with this google form: https://tinyurl.com/alternate-worlds-sos2025.
If you run into any issues completing the form or have any questions, please email emmatung.art@gmail.com .

Timeline

Submission deadline is Saturday, April 5, 2025

Other key dates:

• Artists Notified: April 8, 2025
• Work drop-off: April 23, 2025 (additional drop-off details
  will be provided to artists selected for the show)
• Exhibit Setup: April 25, 2025
• Closing Reception for Artists and Guests Only: May 17, 2025, 10-11:30 am
• All art must be picked up no later than: May 21-23, 2025

SOS 2025 Locavore Show
April 28 – May 11, 2025
Neighborhood Produce, 691 Broadway, Ball Square
Exhibit Theme: “Sustenance”
Submission Deadline: Thursday, April 10, 2025

“Sustenance” is often considered to be a fancy word for food. It also extends beyond nutrition to encompass support and spiritual nourishment. In these difficult times in our country and our world, what sustains us?  What keeps us going physically and spiritually?

We will consider all artistic expressions of sustenance with a small show at the Ball Square Neighborhood Produce location that will be seen through the corner window at the intersection of  Broadway and Boston Ave. Submissions may be literal or symbolic, representational or abstract, painted, drawn, sculpted, photographic or multi-media. Submissions should not exceed 12”x12”x12” since the space is small.  This year, if anyone would like to provide a statement about what sustenance means to them in addition to their artwork, we will display that as well.

This is a closed call for artists that are registered for SOS 2025. Please note that this is a juried exhibition and not all submitted work will be accepted. 

Applicants’ work must be available from April 21-May 12.  Submission deadline is Thursday, April 10, 2025.

Submissions: 

This year we are considering up to 3 submissions per artist.  

Please send us a JPEG of the pieces you would like to show (maximum 1200 pixels in length). The following information should accompany the image: 

1. Artist name & Contact Info (phone & e-mail)
   
2. Title of the piece
   
3. Description of Medium
   
4. Complete accurate dimensions (length, width, depth, not to exceed 12”x12”x12” including frame)
   
5. Price, or NFS

Please submit completed applications to artport@rcn.com and include “Locavore: Sustenance” in the message header. Submission deadline will be Thursday, April 10, 2025, and we will let you know what we have chosen by April 15, 2025.

Somerville Open Studios
First Look Exhibit
April 24 – May 17, 2025

Somerville Museum
One Westwood Road @ Central Street

First Look drop off dates:

• Wednesday, March 26th, 5:30 – 8 pm
• Sunday, April 6th, 3 – 6  pm
• Tuesday, April 8th, 5:30 – 8 pm

If you cannot make one of these dates, please ask a friend or studio mate for help. Make sure to download and fill out the form below. 

Opening Reception:  Thursday, April 24th, 6 – 8  pm 
This is a private reception for artists and SOS volunteers. It is not open to the public.

This show is open to all 2025 SOS registered artists to submit one piece of their choosing. We strongly recommend participating in this non-juried group show – many SOS weekend studio visitors plan their trip based on what they see here. Last year we received over 160 pieces of art – this exhibit showcases the amazing array of diversity in our artistic community. Join in! 

Please download the submission form below, fill it out, and bring it to the Museum along with your artwork on drop-off day. 

We don’t have a size restriction, but if your piece is extremely large please contact us at: domore@somervilleopenstudios.org

Pick-up dates:

• Saturday, May 17th, 3 – 6 pm
• Monday, May 19th, 5:30 – 8 pm
• Wednesday, May 21st, 5:30 – 8 pm

Bring your packing materials. If you want someone to pick up your piece for you, please email domore@somervilleopenstudios.org and provide the person’s name and permission. They must have an ID matching your email.

CVS Windows • One Davis Square
April 14 – May 14, 2025
Submission deadline Sunday, March 30

The Somerville Arts Council’s Inside-OUT Gallery, in the CVS window in Davis Square, seeks works that showcase the breadth of talent of our creative community.

This year, Somerville Open Studios, the Somerville Arts Council, and the Inside-OUT Gallery once again welcome seasoned members and newcomers alike to submit pieces for the annual SOS members’ exhibit. While all works will be considered, we do encourage applicants to respond to this year’s theme. 

To apply, go to the exhibit application form https://forms.gle/DQmgjH68Y1p7pJvc7. Deadline is Sunday, March 30.

Exhibit Theme: Flourish

In May, art will once again be in full bloom. With nearly 400 artists participating, Open Studios is beaming with creativity–a visual euphony that can be seen at every corner of our 4 square mile little city. Whether it’s funky public art, serene studios, or bold murals, art is flourishing around the ‘Ville. 

In the spirit of this theme “FLOURISH”, we ask applicants to explore ways the art can thrive, grow, bloom, or to attract attention. Artists are invited to interpret this theme in a variety of ways– such as exploring the bustling on-goings of urban life, lust landscapes of flora and fauna, elaborate sculptures, ornate decorative illustrations, or bold abstract explorations. Whatever the medium, we look forward to seeing your creative interpretations of the theme. So, it’s time to toot your own horn and burst forth into another exciting Somerville Open Studios season. Share your style and your technique in this highly visible art show, on view through from April 14 – May 14.

This is a closed call for all current SOS members. Both participating SOS 2025 artists and current sustaining SOS members are welcome to submit. Please note that this is a juried exhibition and not all submitted work will be accepted.

Applicants’ work must be available from April 14 – May 14.  Work will be taken down on May 14^th (weather permitting)