The City of Dallas is inviting Dallas-based artists to submit 2D visual art for a year-long exhibition at City Hall exploring “The Dallas We Share” — the neighborhoods, traditions, and everyday moments that make this city feel like home
Submission deadline: Thursday, August 14, 2026 by 5:00 p.m. Exhibition runs October 20, 2026 through October 15, 2027 at Dallas City Hall. Apply at form.jotform.com/261724740050146 or dal.city/CMOArtistCall2026.
Well neighbor, if you’re a Dallas-based artist — or you know somebody with a wall full of finished paintings, drawings, or mixed-media pieces sitting in a studio just waiting for the right audience — here’s a chance you shouldn’t sleep on. The City of Dallas City Manager’s Office has opened its annual Call for Artists, and the deadline to submit is Thursday, August 14, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. Selected work will hang for a full year in the City Manager’s Office, in conference rooms, and along the corridors of Dallas City Hall.
About the exhibition: The Dallas We Share
This year’s theme is a good one. The City Manager’s Office is inviting artists to explore “the places, moments, and connections that create a shared sense of belonging” — the everyday stitches that hold Dallas together across every corner of the city. That could mean a neighborhood tradition your grandmother taught you. It could mean a community celebration you photograph every summer. It could mean the quiet places you go when you need to feel like yourself again. The city is asking artists to think about what brings us together and how the diverse stories of Dallas contribute to its shared identity.
According to the call, the goal is to build a collective portrait of Dallas through a range of artistic perspectives and mediums — one that reflects the creativity, resilience, and spirit of the communities that make the city what it is. Whether you paint, draw, work in mixed media, print, photograph, or work in fiber, this open theme leaves a lot of room to bring your voice to the wall.
Who can apply
The call is open to Dallas-based artists. Submissions are for 2D visual art works, which covers a wide range — painting, drawing, photography, printmaking, mixed media, textile work, and other flat, wall-mountable pieces. This is a great opportunity for both established artists looking for civic-space exposure and emerging artists looking for one of their first major public displays.
Key dates to circle on the calendar
Applications are open now through Thursday, August 14, 2026, with submissions due by 5:00 p.m. Selected artists will be notified by Monday, September 14, 2026. Artwork delivery will take place October 5 through 9, 2026, between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. The installation begins Tuesday, October 20, 2026 — which is also the exhibition’s opening date. The show will run for a full year, closing October 15, 2027, with artwork pickup scheduled for October 18 through 22, 2027. Dates are subject to change, so keep an eye on the application page for updates.
Where the work will hang
The exhibition space is Dallas City Hall at 1500 Marilla Street, Dallas, TX 75201 — I. M. Pei’s iconic inverted concrete pyramid downtown. Your work will be seen not just by city staff and elected officials but by the residents, business owners, community leaders, and visitors who move through City Hall every day. That’s a real civic audience, and it’s the kind of visibility that can open doors for what comes next in your career.
Why this matters
Here’s the thing about a call like this, neighbor. Public art programs are one of the most reliable ways for working artists to get real exposure, real audience, and real momentum — especially artists who haven’t yet cracked into gallery representation or major commissions. A year on the walls of Dallas City Hall means your work is being seen by decision-makers, developers, community organizations, and neighbors from every part of the city. It’s a resume line. It’s an audience. And it’s a chance to say something meaningful about a place you call home.
How to apply
The application is available online at form.jotform.com/261724740050146. You can also reach the application through the shortcut link dal.city/CMOArtistCall2026. Give yourself time to select strong images of your work, write a clear artist statement, and think through which pieces best speak to the “Dallas We Share” theme. Don’t wait until the last afternoon — the platform tends to slow when submissions stack up near a deadline.
Spread the word
If you know a Dallas artist working in any 2D medium — the friend who paints in a garage studio in Oak Cliff, the neighbor whose photographs of your kids’ little league games are somehow always the best ones, the cousin who just finished her MFA — pass this along. Free to apply. A year of visibility. A theme that invites real reflection on what makes Dallas, Dallas.
Applications close Thursday, August 14, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. Apply today at form.jotform.com/261724740050146.
Show Dallas what you see, neighbor. And show it to the whole city.
