MEPAINTSME ANNUAL OPEN CALL

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

MEPAINTSME's Annual Open Call is a juried exhibition and fundraiser aimed at providing a platform for emerging and mid-career artists, while also supporting important social and humanitarian causes.

Since its inception in 2022, the Open Call program has featured the artwork of 80 international artists, and offered financial support to important charitable causes — in 2022, Ukrainian Relief organizations, in 2023 groups working to end gun violence in America, and most recently, to support the great work of three non profit organizations that provide inclusive and enriching programming for artists with disabilities: Creativity Explored (San Francisco), Project Onward (Chicago) and Summertime (Brooklyn).

We care deeply about providing opportunities for artists to expand their audience and reach. As the gallery does not accept unsolicited submissions, the annual Open Call is the best way to submit your artwork for consideration by mepaintsme. Several artists selected for Open Call Exhibitions were invited to join future group and solo exhibitions on mepaintsme.com.

The next Open Call will be announced in March 2025. If you’d like to receive an email notification, sign up for our newsletter at the bottom of this page.

2024 OPEN CALL PROGRAM BENEFICIARIES

PROJECT ONWARD

Since 2004, Project Onward has been a trailblazer in the field of disability arts, providing artists with disabilities a platform to express themselves freely. They offer a safe, supportive studio environment where artists can access workspace, materials, and professional guidance at no cost. Through exhibitions and public programs, Project Onward bridges the gap between artists with disabilities and the wider arts community, fostering empathy and reducing stigma. Our motivation is rooted in giving our community a "visual voice" to tell their stories and challenge perceptions. With over 60 extraordinary artists supported, we've seen their works showcased globally, enriching private and corporate collections alike.

@projectonward / projectonward.org

SUMMERTIME GALLERY

Summertime is a nonprofit art studio, gallery and residency located in Brooklyn championing a more inclusive art world where artists with and without intellectual disabilities create and display work alongside one another. We strive to revolutionize the art world by breaking down barriers that have made "outsiders" out of artists with disabilites. Summertime connects neurodiverse artists with the people and world around them, providing a platform to tell their stories, show their work and make money. (Photo: Nate Langston Palmer)

@summertimegallery / summertimegallery.org

CREATIVITY EXPLORED

Creativity Explored is a studio and gallery in San Francisco that supports a neurodiverse community of over 135 artists with disabilities, providing opportunities to create, exhibit, and sell their work. Founded in 1983, Creativity Explored has facilitated the careers of hundreds of neurodiverse artists and serves as a model in the field of art and disability worldwide. Our life-changing programs continue to open doors of inclusion to center the personhood and creative vision of people with developmental disabilities. Most importantly, Creativity Explored is a source of community, empowerment and dignity.

@creativityexplored / creativityexplored.org

Organizations dedicated to ending gun violence in America:

Sandy Hook Promise, Healing Hurt People, Everytown for Gun Safety, and Giffords Law Center