---
title: Old, New, Borrowed, Blue
description: Juried group exhibition at L7 Gallery, Bellingham WA, on the themes old, new, borrowed and blue. $300 cash award to the winner, two honorable mentions.
url: https://www.artsume.com/programs/fd1ec279-0d18-42ef-915d-d332def5c3b3
type: program
status: closed
createdAt: "2026-09-04"
updatedAt: "2026-10-02"
programType: Exhibition
organization: L7 Gallery
organizationUrl: https://www.artsume.com/o/l7-gallery
deadline: "2026-09-30"
entryFee: 30 USD
location: L7 Gallery, Bellingham, WA, United States
isOnline: false
compensationRange: $300 cash award to the winner; two honorable mentions from the juror
disciplines:
  - painting
  - drawing
  - watercolor
  - photography
  - sculpture
  - digital art
  - printmaking
  - fabric art
---

# Old, New, Borrowed, Blue

**Hosted by:** L7 Gallery

**Type:** Exhibition | **Location:** L7 Gallery, Bellingham, WA, United States | **Deadline:** September 30, 2026 | **Entry fee:** $30

## About This Program

> "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue"

For our October 2026 exhibit, we invite artists to respond to the four themes in the traditional Victorian rhyme, "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue". The origin of this familiar wedding poem represented a source of magical charms used to ward off evil and protect future generations. What could these words possibly mean right now - in a world of cultural recycling, generative AI, overwhelming tech capital, political and ecological anxiety, loneliness, isolation and the existential fear of the future?

OLD: History, tradition, nostalgia, forgotten / rediscovered stories, memories that reemerge, objects that reappear from the past. NEW: An experiment. A new medium to work in. A new approach, a new way of thinking, a new collaboration, "a new path to the waterfall".* BORROWED: Found material, borrowed identities, inspirations from channelled entities, ideas inspired by cultural interactions, imagining art created by one's alter ego.

BLUE: The color itself, sadness, longing, distance, water, sky, bruises, dreams, loss, hope. Whatever blue means to you. We look forward to seeing your response to one or all of these categories with your new or existing work. We are especially interested in work that is personal, strange, uncomfortable, beautiful, experimental, craft or concept oriented (or both) or simply difficult to categorize. *Raymond Carver. Winner will receive a cash award of $300. Two additional artists will receive honorable mentions from the juror.

## Eligibility & Requirements

- **Geographic Eligibility:** National
- **Disciplines:** painting, drawing, watercolor, photography, sculpture, digital art, printmaking, fabric art
- **Age Requirements:** 18+ years old
- **Note:** Location Eligibility Type: National. Eligible Applicant Types: Artist. Submission Limit: 1. All artwork must be original. Artist must be 18 years or older.

### Additional Requirements

Applications must be completed online through CaFÉ (Callforentry.org). Submit 1 to 3 images (minimum 1, maximum 3); no audio or video. All artwork must be original. Submission limit: 1. Entry fee $30.00 for 1 to 3 images.

## Compensation & Benefits

$300 cash award to the winner; two honorable mentions from the juror

**Includes:** Prize

Winner will receive a cash award of $300. Two additional artists will receive honorable mentions from the juror.

## Timeline

- **Opens:** August 28, 2026
- **Deadline:** September 30, 2026
- **Program Start:** October 10, 2026
- **Program End:** November 10, 2026

## Contact

**Email:** info@L7gallery.com

**Phone:** 360-603-6903

## How to Apply

Apply at: https://opportunities.wearecreativewest.org/opportunity/18115/CAFE?_gl=1%2A1bxyd5d%2A_ga%2AMzQwMDM5NDYuMTc4Nzg0MzA1OA..%2A_ga_QD6B0NHEYD%2AczE3ODc4NTU4NzkkbzIkZzEkdDE3ODc4NTU5ODgkajYwJGwwJGgw