Online Submission Deadline: Friday, May 15, 5 PM

Selected Artwork Drop Off: Tuesday, May 26, at the Alpert JCC

Click here to submit your artwork

Calling all artists! Submit your artwork to the first-ever Eva Vail Community Art Show Contest for a chance to win a cash prize!

 

🎨Theme: Makom: Creating Holy Space

In Jewish tradition, Makom means “place.” It is also one of the names for God — HaMakom, “The Place.” This dual meaning invites us to consider: What makes a space holy? How do we create sacredness in our homes, our community, our everyday lives?

Makom: Creating Holy Space invites artists to explore the ways physical, emotional, and spiritual spaces become infused with meaning.

Sacred space can be grand — a sanctuary, a coastline at sunset, a moment of communal prayer.

It can also be intimate — a Shabbat table, a quiet corner with candlelight, hands kneading challah dough, a hospital room where hope is held, a neighborhood gathering, a family tradition.

We encourage artists to interpret this theme expansively. Consider:

• The meaning of HaMakom — God as Place
• Jewish ritual and tradition as creators of sacred space
• Home as sanctuary
• Nature as holy ground
• Community as sacred container
• Memory as sacred space
• Spaces of healing, resilience, and belonging

Your work may be literal or abstract, contemporary or traditional, personal, or communal. We welcome art that explores holiness not only in ritual moments, but in the ordinary spaces where life unfolds.

 

✅Submission Guidelines

• Open to artists ages 18+ residing in Long Beach and West Orange County
• All mediums welcome, including paint, photography, mixed media, sculpture, fiber art, and more
• All artwork must be ready to hang or ready for display in a gallery setting (properly wired, framed, mounted, or display-ready)
• All submissions must include a short written statement (100-300 words) explaining: What inspired the piece; How it connects to the theme of Makom

 

All artwork must be pre-submitted digitally for review by May 15 at 5 PM.

If selected for the show, artwork must be dropped off at the Alpert JCC by May 26.

 

🥇Prizes

• 1st: $500
• 2nd: $250
• 3rd: $100

Winners will be awarded at the artist reception on July 12.

 

Sacred space is not only found — it is created.

We look forward to seeing how you interpret Makom and bring holiness into the gallery through your unique artistic vision.