UNMOOERED/UNBOUND

Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition, in partnership with Powerhouse Arts Presents: UNMOORED / UNBOUND

a juried group exhibition, on view at Powerhouse Arts, May 21 - June 5, 2026

Please read the entire Application

Prospectus UNMOORED/UNBOUND:

“There is no comfortable foundation for an artist to stand on. Do not look for it, and if you find it, get off it.”

Enrique Martinez Celaya, On Art And Mindfulness

Being an artist often means accepting uncertainty and embracing the unknown, in our lives and in our work. At a time of political, economic and technological upheaval, art serves as a powerful expression of our uncertain and liminal existence. 

Unmoored/Unbound is a BWAC juried group exhibition in collaboration with Powerhouse Arts. The show will present artworks that explore themes of loss, transition, liberation, freedom and deliverance. Art of all mediums will be considered including drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, video and installation. The curators welcome existing work as well as new work made in response to the exhibition prompt. Of particular interest is work that explores how art can be a vessel for transition, lesser known sources of strength and wisdom, and the value of community in times of disruption. Unmoored/Unbound will provide viewers with inspiring and expansive accounts of how artists survive and thrive in dark and challenging times.

Exhibition May 21, 2026 – June 5, 2026
Call to All Artists for Submission

Submission Deadline April 22, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. EST
Call Announcement Start: March 2, 2026
Notification Letter: April 29 2026

Eligibility

This is a Juried Exhibition for artists working in all media. This exhibition is open to all to artists working in traditional and non‐traditional formats. All artwork must be original in concept, design and execution and be ready to be exhibited (framed for 2-Dimensional wall art or pedestal ready for 3-Dimensional work.) Please contact shows@bwac.org for any special considerations.

Note:

• Artwork must be available for sale. NFS or POR will not be considered
• Reproductions of original works in other media (such as giclee reproductions of oil paintings and AI creations), will not be considered. At this time there will be no AI generated artwork allowed to be submitted either as a base or the entire art piece.
• All submissions must be hand delivered. An address will be provided in the acceptance letter.

Submission Fee

$35.00 per person (to pay for operational expenses) for up to 3 images. $5.00 for additional submissions.

All entries must be received by April 27, 2026, 11:59 PM EST
Entry fees are non-refundable.

Artwork Requirements
Images:

• JPEG or PNG images only
• Longest side being at least 1,280 pixels
• Resolution 72 pixels
• Weight of Artwork: In pounds (lbs.) and ounces (oz.), plus add approximately 5% for packaging to ship

 Juror

We are happy to announce that Eric Shiner, the President of Powerhouse Arts will jury this show. He was the Executive Director of Pioneer Works in Brooklyn, and formerly Artistic Director of White Cube, New York and Senior Vice President of Contemporary Art at Sotheby’s. Prior to this, Eric was the director of The Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh from 2010 to 2016, and was the Milton Fine Curator of Art at The Warhol from 2008 to 2010.

A leading scholar on Andy Warhol and Asian contemporary art, Eric lived and worked in Japan for a total of six years and was assistant curator on the inaugural Yokohama Triennale in 2001. Eric has curated dozens of contemporary art exhibitions in cities around the globe and was the team leader on The Warhol Museum’s major Warhol retrospective that traveled to Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing and Tokyo between 2012 and 2014. Notable exhibitions include Andy Warhol | Ai Weiwei in 2015/16, Deborah Kass: Before and Happily Ever After in 2012, Armory Focus: USA at the Armory Show in 2013 and Armory Platform in 2017. He is the immediate past President of the board of Visual AIDS, a NYC-based nonprofit promoting the artistic legacy of those artists lost to and living with AIDS, and a board member of The Romare Bearden Foundation and Art at a Time Like This. 

PLEASE DO NOT GO TO THE POWERHOUSE ARTS SPACE TO SCOUT IT OUT UNLESS YOU ARE ATTENDING A SCHEDULED EVENT.

Sales, Commissions, and Shipping when applicable
All artwork must be priced for sale. Artists will retain a 70% commission on all exhibition sales. The price represented on the artist entry form will be the sale price. 

Art sales will be conducted onsite and online via a QR code. The buyer has the option to either pick up the artwork when the show ends or have it delivered for a fee.

For Sales to be Delivered:

• Buyer pays for an art piece including sale taxes and estimated shipping costs calculated from the size and weight information provided from the artist.
• BWAC contacts Buyer about shipping to determine if they want the artwork shipped
• If Buyer wants it shipped, then BWAC will email shipping label to Artist
• Artists will wrap their own artwork and ship out using shipping label from BWAC or deliver to Buyer
• All artwork not picked up by the buyer on the last day, June 5, 2026 will be delivered at the buyer’s expense
• Artist will receive commission payment when the work is picked up or after notifying BWAC of delivery (either shipped or hand delivered)

Directions for Online Submission

Follow the directions on the Site Login Page to create a profile, if you are new to Smarter Entry or used the system prior to August 27, 2012.  Profiles created in Smarter Entry after the date above have been saved in the system. Simply log in using your email as your username.

• Select “UNMOORED/UNBOUND” to register (UNDER AVAILABLE SHOWS). You will be redirected to a secure page to pay the application fee and upload your work.

• Once you have paid your application fee, you can upload your images. Submit your images as JPG or PNG file with the longest side being no less than 1,280 pixels.

NOTE:

• Your Submission is not complete and will not be valid if you do not upload an image even if you pay. Please do not skip this step.

Contact/Questions

Direct all questions to  shows@bwac.org. The curator’s results will be emailed in the week of April 29, 2026. If you have not received notification by May 1, 2026, please notify us at the email above. If accepted, your Acceptance Letter will include instructions to confirm participation, deadlines, and all the details needed for the exhibit.     

Entry Agreement

With the submission of artwork into the UNMOORED/UNBOUND BWAC art show, the artist agrees to all the terms and conditions set forth in this prospectus.