Desert Stories (SAQA Global Exhibition) - Call for Entry

EXHIBITION THEME

Deserts cover about one fifth of the Earth's surface and, perhaps surprisingly, are home to around one sixth of world’s population. Some of the world’s most famous deserts are hot, arid places, but cold deserts, coastal deserts and semi-arid deserts exist too.

Deserts are far from empty, lifeless places. A variety of plants, animals, and other organisms have adapted themselves to the harsh environments, displaying considerable diversity. Desert soils often have abundant nutrients and become very productive once water eventually arrives. Plants and animals are forced to adapt to harsh environmental conditions to ensure their survival. Disturbances in the form of occasional fires, cold weather, and sudden, but infrequent flooding events all impact on desert life. 

This new, exciting exhibition is a collaboration between Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Art Institute and Studio Art Quilt Associates. The museum seeks to inspire people to live in harmony with the natural world by fostering love, appreciation, and understanding of the (Sonoran) Desert.

Wall-hung and 3D artwork are all acceptable

EXHIBITION SCHEDULE

Opens February 2028 at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Art Institute, Tuscon, Arizona

This exhibition will travel until December 2030

QUESTIONS?
If you have questions about this exhibition, please refer to SAQA’s Exhibition Guidelines and FAQs where many exhibition related questions are answered. If you have any further questions, please contact us at calls@saqa.art.

ARTWORK REQUIREMENTS

Wall-hung (2D and 3D) and freestanding artworks are eligible. Ceiling-hung artwork is not eligible. 

• Pieces may not exceed 96” (8 ft / 243cm) in height, width, or depth. There is NO minimum size.
• All artwork must fit through a standard 34” doorway.
• Wall-hung pieces (2D and 3D) must hang without distortion. Traditional quilt sleeves, stretcher bars, framed or mounted work, and other hanging mechanisms are acceptable.
• Artwork must meet SAQA’s definition of an art quilt: "a creative visual work that is layered and stitched or that references this form of stitched layered structure." 

IMAGE REQUIREMENTS

It is critical that submitted images be of the best possible quality: in focus, with clear details, and following SAQA's digital image requirements. Read Tips for Successful Art Quilt Photography and  Submitting Digital Images first!  

• For each wall-hung 2D entry (depth is less than 2 inches), submit one full view front digital image and one detail digital image.
• For each 3D artwork (wall-hung or freestanding), submit one overall front image and two detail images  
• Full-view images MUST show all the edges along with a small amount of background.
• Detail images should preferably be in portrait orientation. Do not simply crop your full-view image.
• Digital images must be saved as a high-quality JPEG or JPG file (No TIFF files). Do not use your name or initials in the filename (title is fine).
• Finished images should be at least 2100 pixels on the longest side (no maximum).   

Common errors include:

• Cropping images too closely on the full-view image. All edges of the artwork  must be visible along with a small amount of contrasting background. Do NOT crop your photo into any part of the artwork as this may disqualify your entry.
• Your background should be neutral and not include distracting elements such as hands, floors, studio, pets, pins, etc.
• Images that are out of focus or too small

ELIGIBILITY / FEE
Artists must be a current SAQA member to enter this call. $50 USD for up to 3 entries. $10 Early Bird Discount if all entries submitted by January 15, 2027. Entry fee must be paid online before the entry deadline via a credit card or PayPal at www.saqa.com/fees.

Entry form will be available May 1, 2027