“We were thrilled to receive so many proposals this past year for our inaugural open call for artists exhibition,” AMA Director of Curatorial Affairs Katie Dillard said.  “The overwhelming response made the selection process challenging for our committee, but in exactly the way we had hoped! This year, we’re continuing our commitment to highlight new voices from the South by expanding our applicant area to include our neighbors in Alabama.”

Atlanta-based multidisciplinary artist Jamele Wright, Sr., was selected in the AMA’s first artist call. Wright’s exhibition Hues of Skin and Earth opened on May 15 in the McCormack Gallery, where it is on view through Aug 16.

A blue-ribbon committee will select the artist, who will be notified on or before March 9. The dates for the exhibition in the AMA’s McCormack Gallery are May 21-Aug 29, 2026.

To be eligible for consideration, the applicant must be an emerging or mid-career artist in Georgia or Alabama who is 18 years old or older. The artist can work in any medium.
Applications must be addressed to the Curatorial Department and submitted by email to [email protected].

The artist must submit the following materials for the application to be considered:

• A curriculum vitae (CV) or résumé.

• An artist bio including three institutions where the artist has shown their work for reference.

• A letter of interest (two to four pages) that includes a description of the artist's practice, a description of the proposed exhibition’s subject matter, theme, and focus, and a narrative of a walkthrough explaining how visitors will interact with the space. The letter should be single-spaced using a 12-point standard font such as Arial or Times New Roman.

• A checklist of artworks to be exhibited. The checklist should be limited to five to nine artworks. Artworks intended for submission must be able to be exhibited within a 345 square foot space, or approximately 65 linear feet.

• The checklist must include the artwork title, date, medium, and dimensions.

• Each of the submitted artworks must be available for display at the AMA during the dates of the exhibition (May 21-Aug 29, 2026).

• A high-resolution jpeg image for each work proposed to be exhibited. The artist’s name and the artwork title must be included in the photo file name.

• A bibliography is optional. If included, the bibliography must include a list of references the artist draws upon for inspiration or influence.

• PDF documents are preferred.

• All file names should include the artist's first and last name.

• Applications that arrive in the AMA’s entries email account after 5 pm EDT on Jan 29, 2026, will not be considered. The AMA is not responsible for internet outages or other delays in the transmission of the email to the museum.

• To confirm receipt of the application, an artist who does not get an email response to a submission can call 229.439.8400 and ask to speak with the AMA Curatorial Department. Please allow one full business day to receive an email response before calling the AMA.

• The AMA will not engage in any sales or promotion of sales for any artworks displayed.

Important dates to know regarding this open call for artists:

• The deadline for submission is 5 pm EDT on Jan 29, 2026.

• The selected artist will be notified by March 9, 2026.

• The artworks must be delivered to the Albany Museum of Art, 311 Meadowlark Drive, Albany, Ga., by 4 pm on May 11, 2026.

• The opening day for the exhibition is May 21, 2026.

• The closing day of the exhibition is Aug 29, 2026.

• The artwork must be picked up by Sept 7, 2026.