Starkville Area Arts Council offers a number of programs and submission opportunities, from the annual Cotton District Arts Festival to period calls for submissions posted throughout the year. All applications are now taken online - no more postage, no more CDs or DVDs, and no more printing and lost materials!
Submission requirements vary for each program. So, be sure to read all instructions (and make sure you are submitting to the right program)!
Join our newsletter list, or check here from time to time, to see what calls may be open.
PLEASE NOTE: Submittable is best viewed on a desktop or through the Submittable App.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: SAAC is an equal opportunity organization. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. These activities include, but are not limited to, hiring and firing of staff, selection of volunteers and vendors, operation of programs, and provision of services. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for the public, all members of our staff, volunteers, vendors, and artist communities.
We expect all SAAC & CDAF board members, volunteers, participants, vendors, and grantees to follow the same community-engagement policy.
Open call for submissions for Natural Mississippi, our next SAAC group show! The submission deadline is January 14th, 2024. This show will be a HYBRID show: works will be on display in the Greater Starkville Development Partnership lobby as well as online. This is a six-month exhibit that will run from February 5th to August 5th, 2024.
The theme of this exhibit is "Natural Mississippi." What beauty do you see in the landscape around us? Does a certain flower catch your eye every spring? We want to see how you interpret Mississippi's natural landscape through your artwork. The interpretation can be literal or conceptual, but be aware that works not related to the theme will not be accepted.
NOTE: Only submit ONE work per submission. Artists can submit up to 3 works by submitting additional forms. All mediums accepted. Visit the page for our AiPP initiative at https://www.starkvillearts.net/creativeeconomy.html for additional rules and details.
Open call for submissions for our spring AiPP Group Show - A Southern Gothic Exhibition! The submission deadline is February 4th, 2024. This show will be a HYBRID show: works will be on display in the Starkville Area Arts Council gallery as well as online. The exhibit will run from March 4th to May 6th, 2024.
AiPP’s spring group exhibition will have the theme of Southern Gothic. While this term has deep roots in literature that set out to expose the myth of the old Antebellum South, it extends to other art mediums as well. The theme traditionally has a narrative of an idyllic past hidden by social, familial, and racial denials and suppressions. Dark romanticism and abandoned places fall into this theme. There’s a general melancholy that comes to mind when thinking of the realm of Southern Gothic. It can be decayed or derelict settings, deeply flawed, disturbing, or eccentric characters. It can explore madness, despair, or continuing pressures of the past upon the present. Works might evoke folklore, oral history, local communities, concepts of the abnormal, or plantation life, capturing the dark landscape of the American South. The overgrown yards, decaying mansions, paint-peeled front porches, and quiet corner stores that bear the traces of the region’s historical scars.
We would love to see how you interpret this theme through your art work, whether literally or abstractly. Works that fall beyond the theme will not be accepted.
NOTE: Only submit ONE work per submission. Artists can submit up to 3 works by submitting additional forms. All mediums accepted. Visit the page for our AiPP initiative at https://www.starkvillearts.net/creativeeconomy.html for additional rules and details.
Open call for submissions for our spring AiPP Group Show - A Cultural Kaleidoscope Exhibition! The submission deadline is February 4th, 2024. This show will be a HYBRID show: works will be on display in the Starkville Area Arts Council gallery as well as online. The exhibit will run from February 26th to April 29th, 2024.
Starkville and MSU are extremely diverse. We here at SAAC seek to give an opportunity to underrepresented cultures to showcase the rich history, artistry, and customs. We are currently looking for handmade multimedia works that celebrate your culture. This could include visual works, sculpture, ceramics, handmade jewelry, handmade traditional garments, or any other medium that fits the theme.
We would love to see how you interpret this theme through your art work, whether literally or abstractly. Works that fall beyond the theme will not be accepted.
NOTE: Only submit ONE work per submission. Artists can submit up to 3 works by submitting additional forms. All mediums accepted. Visit the page for our AiPP initiative at https://www.starkvillearts.net/creativeeconomy.html for additional rules and details.
This application is for consideration for SAAC's new SAAC Artist Store.
About the SAAC Artist Store:
SAAC has moved to a new space on Main Street in Downtown Starkville! With a greater Main Street presence, we'd like to share this opportunity with artists in town who would like to sell their unique artwork in our space. Our space is limited to 6 artisans at a time, so reserve your spot today!
The SAAC Artist Store will be open during SAAC business hours (Monday-Friday, 9 am - 5 pm, excluding Holidays). SAAC handles all sales, taxes, and payments to artists. Specific rules and information can be found below.
Rules and Important Notes: PLEASE READ THOSE BEFORE APPLYING.
- All forms of work are eligible for acceptance, including but not limited to: Ceramics, Graphics, Jewelry, Literary Materials, Painting, Sculpture, and Traditional Crafts (including but not =limited to woodworking, candle-making, fiber arts, etc.)
- 1 shelf per artisan. Space is Limited to 6 artisans total. Shelf dimensions are H 21.5 in x W 57 in x D 26 in. Larger works may be accepted (Please notify SAAC). All works must be for sale. All works must be original by the artist contracted with SAAC.
- Artists will receive 60% commission of sales for works sold on their shelf. A 40% sales commission will be assessed against the retail price provided by the ARTIST. The ARTIST will be paid the gross, less commission and sales tax, on or about the 10th of the month following the month of sale.
- SAAC only provides space to the ARTIST. The ARTIST will need to supply any and all decorations, business cards, signage, etc. for their booth.
- Artists may change inventory at any time (by appointment with SAAC) to reflect new work, holidays, seasons, etc. Artist must provide SAAC with an updated Inventory Sheet upon any changes made to inventory.
- Space occupancy is first come first serve. Terms may be for 6 or 12 months, which may be reassessed at the end of the term.
- All accepted artists must follow our Community Engagment Policy (available on our website).
- A blank Letter of Agreement and Terms and Conditions can be found on our website (www.starkvillearts.net).
If you still have questions after reading the instructions, please send an email to Juliette at arts@starkvillearts.org. If you have technical issues with the application form itself, contact Submittable by clicking the "?" in the upper right or lower left of the form.
Acceptance Notes
All applications will be reviewed for acceptance by SAAC Staff and our current Board President. IF ADMITTED, you will receive a Letter of Agreement and Terms and Conditions. No admitted vendor will be allowed to set up until the Letter of Agreement is signed by the participating Artist and returned to SAAC.
The second round of applications will be reviewed and accepted before September 3, 2023.
Are you a potter, painter, photographer... or any other artist? Interested in a reading or a one-person show or submitting a mural?
SHARE YOUR WORK WITH SAAC!
Send us your best work (images you provide must represent the work you wish to submit). We'll take a look at what you've got and follow up with you if we see potential fit with one of our programs!