Open Call for U.S. Artists: 17th Annual Juried Art Show at Riverviews Artspace

Exhibition Dates: November 7th, 2025 - January 8th, 2026

Beyond All Boundaries: An Exploration of Art That Defies Convention

Beyond All Boundaries is a celebration of the boundary-pushing, the unconventional, and the undefinable. For our 17th annual juried exhibition, Riverviews Artspace invites artists to submit works that explore the transformative power of art through material, concept, and form. Specifically, we are looking for artists whose practices engage in the radical expansion of their mediums, challenging both traditional perceptions and material limitations.

This year’s juried exhibition will highlight the ways artists experiment with their tools, whether revisiting familiar material with fresh eyes, or using unconventional methods to reframe meaning. These works do not need to reinvent the wheel; rather, we are looking for pieces that offer a fresh angle, works that are materially curious, but also conceptually deep, emotionally resonant, and capable of surprising our audience.

Beyond All Boundaries is about more than just form—it is about transformation. We celebrate art that blurs the lines between disciplines, embracing fluidity and uncertainty, works that are not simply about the technical mastery of materials, but engage in conceptual risk-taking and push beyond established borders. Our juror Alpha Massaquoi Jr. is particularly drawn to “art that creates new emotional landscapes, that invites viewers into unfamiliar territories, and asks them to question their assumptions about both the medium and the message.”

If your work challenges norms, bends rules, and transforms materials into something new and profound, Beyond All Boundaries may be the perfect platform for your vision. By submitting your work to Riverviews Artspace, you are joining a conversation about art that defies the limits of what we think is possible.

Juror: Alpha Massaquoi Jr.

Alpha Massaquoi Jr. is Riverviews Artspace’s current artist- and curator-in-residence. Massaquoi was born in West Africa, Liberia, as the youngest of four to an upper-middle-class family; his father worked for the United States embassy in Liberia, and his mother was a tailor with a small charcoal business. At age fourteen, Massaquoi and his family moved to the U.S. seeking the “American dream.” However, life wasn't easy, the 2008 recession just happened, and racism and colorism were new challenges Massaquoi and his family had to face.

As an interdisciplinary artist and poet, Massaquoi’s practice is centered on dismantling conventions. He takes materials traditionally bound to specific functions—charcoal, coffee, gouache, and soft pastel—and transforms them into vessels of storytelling and memory. Charcoal that is often confined to preparatory sketches becomes a tool for immersive, atmospheric painting. Coffee, a humble liquid, becomes a living pigment that carries both personal and cultural histories. Gouache and pastel are no longer static, but dynamic forces capable of shifting meaning and tactile presence.

Massaquoi received his BA from Towson University and MFA from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University. His works have been a part of major group shows in the United States, including Novo Legado & Black Creatives at The Chicago Museum of Science and Industry, and major solo shows: Black Noise (Baltimore, MD), Black Noise (Boston, MA), and Led by The Holy Spirit. Massaquoi is a winner of the Macon Art Prize, Free Fall Baltimore Grant, Awesome Baltimore Grant, Montague Travel Grant, and The Masc. Independent Artist Award. In 2024, he was a finalist for the AXA Art Prize. Massaquoi founded Hot Sauce Artist Collective, supporting artists and bridging the gap between the everyday person and the arts.

Eligibility

• Artists based in the United States, ages 18 and over

• Up to three entries in any medium, concerning any subject matter

• Artwork must not have been shown previously in the region or city

• Artwork must be original, created within the last three years

• Artwork must be for sale

• AI-generated artwork will not be considered or accepted

• Accepted artwork must remain on view for the duration of the exhibition

• Accepted artwork must be properly labeled on the back (name, title, media, year) 

• 2D work must arrive dry and ready to hang with appropriate hardware (no sawtooth hangers) 

• 3D work must come with display instructions

• Artists are responsible for delivery and pickup of work and any associated costs

• RVAS reserves the right to refuse artworks that do not meet installation requirements or are otherwise judged unsuitable

Entry Deadline 

Friday, September 12th, 2025 at 11:59 pm EST

Entry Procedure

• $35 for up to three artworks

• All submissions must be made online through CaFÉ (callforentry.org).

Juror’s Awards

First Place ($1,000) Second Place ($500); Third Place ($250); People’s Choice ($100)

Timeline

Exhibition dates: November 7th, 2025 - January 8th, 2026

Entries due: Friday, September 12th at 11:59 pm EST

Notification of selected artists: Monday, September 22nd

Artwork delivery date: Friday, October 17th from 12pm-7pm 

Exhibition Opening: Friday, November 7th, at 5:30 pm (with juror’s talk and awards at 6:30 pm)

People’s Choice Award announcement: Friday, December 5th

Artwork Pick-up: January 9th from 12pm-7pm