Black Creativity
Call for ArtistsCall for Artists
For more than 50 years, the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry has hosted the nation’s premier exhibition of African American art. This annual show presents more than 100 works of art from professional and emerging Black artists from around the country.
Entry Guidelines
Eligibility
General Category
Black artists 18 years of age or older.
Teen Category
Black teen artists in the Chicagoland area (within 100 miles of the Museum) currently enrolled in secondary education, grades 9-12 or equivalent.
Medium
Contemporary works created in any visual medium.
Jurors
- Amina Dickerson: President, Dickerson Global Advisors
- Thomas Lucas: Founder, Hummingbird Press Editions; Chair, Department of Art and Design, and Curator, University Galleries, Chicago State University
- Asha Iman Veal: Associate Curator, Museum of Contemporary Photography; Associate Professor, School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Fee
General Category (over 18): $10 (nonrefundable)
Teen Category (under 18): free
Awards
General Category*
Best in Show: $4,000
Second Place: $2,750
Third Place: $1,500
Teen Category
Best in Show: $600
Second Place: $375
Third Place: $250
*General Category award winners will also receive two complimentary tickets to the 2025 Black Creativity Gala at Griffin MSI.
Applications Closed
Applications for 2025 are now closed. (See full exhibition timeline below.)
Important Information for Applicants
Additional information will be shared with accepted artists. Click each section below for a general overview of participation expectations.
More Information
For more information, contact juriedart@msichicago.org.
The 2025 Black Creativity Program is sponsored by The Allstate Insurance Company and Ardmore Roderick.