89th Annual Student Show in Memory of Judy Christofolis

The 89th Annual Student Show in memory of Judy Christofolis is the largest juried exhibition of work made by the students of the Indy Art Center.

Each year, more than 400 works are submitted, and only some of the works are selected by the judges to be displayed. The result is a breathtaking sampler of creativity and skilled artistic work from all walks of life, spanning years and years of art education inside the Indy Art Center building.

The 89th Annual Student Show juror will be announced soon.

General Information

This call is open to students of the Indy Art Center or Fishers Art Center only. Students must have taken at least one class at the Art Center since August of 2025. All entries will be cross referenced to verify student status

We are excited to announce the call for our annual Student Exhibition! The exhibition is an opportunity to show the Indianapolis community the depth and breadth of artworks made by students enrolled in classes throughout the Art Center's studios.

Jurors will choose artworks for the exhibition from each adult division and works will be juried against other works in the same division.

Jurying

The Adult Divisions are juried and competitive. The number chosen for display is limited. Depending on the volume of applications, anticipate a maximum of two pieces per adult artist to be accepted for exhibit.

Jurors are asked to consider design skills, technical elements, presentation and expressive/imaginative/conceptual content of artwork.

For 3D work- Consider uploading video documentation to better give jurors a sense of your sculpture in the round.

Jurors will keep a balanced show in mind but are not required to select a specific quota in each division or medium.

Jurors will determine award winners. Awards will be announced at a public ceremony at the exhibition's opening reception. Award winners will be notified by email following the Awards Ceremony.

The juror for the Adult Division of the 89th Annual Student Show will be announced soon.

Important Dates

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Monday, November 30th, 2026

ACCEPTANCE NOTIFICATIONS: EOD December 2, 2026

ARTWORK DROP OFF: December 3 – December 23, 2026

ARTWORK INSTALLATION: January 4 – January 24, 2027

EXHIBITION OPENS: January 25, 2027

EXHIBITION RECEPTION: TBD

EXHIBITION CLOSES: March 21, 2027

ARTWORK PICK UP: March 22 – March 26, 2027

Application Requirements

Artwork Requirements:

1. Works in any medium produced since August 2025 are eligible. (Works entered do NOT need to have been produced in an Art Center class or workshop.)
2. Artworks may NOT have been exhibited previously at the Art Center.
3. Works must be the original production of the artist entering. (Not accepted: copies of existing work by another artist; images copyrighted by anyone other than the entering artist.)
4. Works accepted must remain on display until the close of the exhibition.
5. Artists must adhere by the "Rules for Display" listed below.

Rules for Display

• All work must be delivered ready to install with no protruding nails or hooks. Please securely fasten hanging hardware—eye screws/D-rings and picture-hanging wire—to 2D artworks.
• Paintings must be completely dry and framed; works on paper must be mounted or framed.
• Maximum weight for wall-mounted works is 250 lbs.
• Works requiring special installation or placement must be approved by the Exhibitions Department prior to delivery.
• Digital works requiring a monitor screen must be formatted as an mp4 file at an aspect ratio of 16:9.

Which Adult Division should I choose?

These categories are self-prescribed. Please read through all the descriptions and pick the appropriate division for your work.

Beginning

For students who have only taken one or two adult art classes in any medium. (At least one of these classes must have been taken at the Art Center.)

Intermediate

For students who have taken three to seven adult art classes in any medium. (At least one of these classes must have been taken at the Art Center.)

Advanced

For students who have taken eight or more adult art classes in any medium. (At least one of these classes must have been taken at the Art Center.) Option: You may enter the Professional Division if you would like to have your work juried with the same criteria as the professional artists.

Professional

For students who are…

• Artists who possess a BA, BFA, MFA, or MA in a visual art discipline, including theatre design, graphic design and architecture.
• Artists who have entered under the "professional" category in competitions OR whose artwork has been accepted into a juried exhibition not designated as a student exhibition. Examples: Hoosier Salon's annual exhibition; State Fair's art exhibition ("professional" category); Whitewater Valley Art Competition.
• Artists who regularly sell their artwork, participate in art fairs, give art instruction, participate in non-student competitive or invitational exhibitions, are represented in a gallery, or who engage in other activities (past or present) representative of a career artist.

Note: Professionals learning a new medium still need to apply in the Professional Division. Example: Professional graphic designers submitting sculpture may be a beginning student in welding, but are considered to still be professional artists.

Please feel free to contact Alex Moore; Exhibitions Program Manager at amoore@indyartcenter.org if you are unsure about your entry category or have questions. The Exhibitions Department reserves the right to move artwork from one category to another should our records indicate that the work has been submitted under the wrong category. We will notify you if we have re-categorized your artwork.

Eligibility Criteria

This call is open to students of the Indy Art Center only. Students of the Fishers Art Center are also invited to participate. All entries will be cross referenced to verify student status. Students must have been enrolled in at least one Art Center course since August of 2025

Indy Art Center Members are entitled to a $10 discount to the application fee. This promo code can be retrieved by contacting amoore@indyartcenter.org or consulting the Indy Art Center Guest Services Desk.