Apply Now for DRIFT
Our 2026 Annual Juried Open + Awards Exhibition

Entry deadline: midnight, June 20, 2026 • Show dates: August 7, 2026–September 6, 2026

To drift is to let go, to surrender to a current; it is a state of being in slow motion. To drift is the serene space between leaving and arriving.

DRIFT, our annual juried open + awards exhibition asks you to explore gradual movement—whether through physical displacement or the wandering of thoughts or ideas. DRIFT investigates what happens when we let go. It examines the marks left behind by that which has passed or the blurring of memory.

BAU Gallery invites artists 18+ to apply with work that relates to visual interpretations of “drift.” All media accepted, 2D and 3D, abstract and representational.

See below for additional information and application requirements.

Our juror: Ellen Hawley

Ellen Hawley is an independent curator whose experience bridges art, marketing, and architecture. At the Flinn Gallery in Greenwich, CT., she has curated exhibitions for more than a decade, including extraORDINARY things, Biophilia, Home Sweet Home, GLOW, Hazardous Beauty, and Heidi Johnson: Animal Attraction; while also organizing independent curatorial projects, such as the recent Twist and Shout at Metro Art Studios, Bridgeport, CT. Ellen is active on three non-profit art advisory boards and juries exhibitions throughout the region. Early in her art career, she volunteered at MoMA’s Education Center for seven years where she honed their Visual Thinking Strategies for visitors. Previously, Hawley built a career in advertising, developing brand strategy campaigns for clients including AT&T, IBM, NYSE, and L’Oréal in New York and Los Angeles. She holds a degree in Art History from Syracuse University, with a concentration in Architecture for non-majors, and a minor in Advertising. After living and working in New York, Los Angeles, and Hong Kong, she settled in Cos Cob, CT. Her Instagram LinkTree offers more detail: @ellenhawley_curates.

 DRIFT: Additional Information and Application Requirements

Prizes:
First Prize*—A month-long Solo Show in the 2027 exhibition calendar in Gallery I at BAU Gallery during the 2027 exhibition calendar.

TWO Runner Up Prizes*—A month-long joint Two-Person Show in Gallery II at BAU Gallery during the 2027 exhibition calendar.

*The month will be selected by the Gallery for all prizes.

Submission Guidelines:
Media—All mediums accepted, 2D and 3D, abstract and representational. If submitting a video, and it is accepted, you must provide your own method of viewing/display in the gallery.

Size—No larger than 36 inches in any direction, including frame and bases for sculptures.

Display—Separate works displayed in a grid will not be considered. All wall work must be ready to hang with D-rings or wire. Any work created on a canvas board must be framed.

Weight—Wall work not to exceed 25 pounds; 3D pieces should not to exceed 60 pounds.

Value—Work should not exceed $7,000 in value

Accepted work must be ready to hang with D-rings or wire at the time of the exhibition. The Gallery has the authority to turn away any work that is not ready to hang, that differs from the original accepted work, or is not suitable for gallery installation. All work must remain in the gallery until the close of the exhibition on September 6, 2026.

Summary of Important Dates

Entry deadline: midnight, June 20, 2026 

Show dates: August 7, 2026–September 6, 2026

Notification acceptance:  July 6–8, 2026

Drop off work: Accepted works must be dropped off and picked up from the Gallery (no exceptions). Work must be delivered by artist or proxy—no shipping. Artists will be asked to complete a drop-off checklist.

Drop-off dates:

  • Sunday, 8/2/26, 6–8 pm

  • Monday, 8/3/26, 12–6 pm

  • Tuesday, 8/4/26, 9 am–1 pm

Gallery Opening/Juror’s Talk/ and Awards Presentation: Saturday August 8, 5:30–8 pm

Show ends: Sunday, September 6, 6 pm

Pick up dates:

  • Sunday, 9/6/26, 6-8 pm

  • Monday, 9/7/26, 3-8 pm

The submission fee is tiered to encourage early birds! Fee will be tiered in this show by dates of submissions:

  • $35 from April 10 to May 1

  • $40 from May 2 to June 1

  • $45 from June 2 to end of call on June 20 midnight

3 pieces of work per entry are allowed in each application.

How to apply: Fill out the digital application form.