Desert Art Center
Gallery Membership and Jury 2025/2026 Season
The Desert Art Center is the longest running art center in the Coachella Valley. We provide art education to adults and children in a range of mediums. Our refurbished gallery, on Palm Canyon Drive, is a historic building and was the city’s first school. In normal years we aim for five major shows each year which are open daily. Juried Gallery members can exhibit and sell their art to the public. We are a non-profit organization and use all our profits for the educational work of our organization.
Gallery membership is both a privilege and a commitment. As a gallery member you are allowed to exhibit in our main gallery shows and to sell your art. We also expect you to become involved in the co-operative nature of our volunteer organization. One aspect of this is the necessity to host the gallery on agreed days each month. When the jurors judge your work, they are looking for not just artistic excellence but assessing whether your work will add something new and different to our gallery, and will it sell. They will also discuss your willingness to become involved in our organization and what skills and experience you can bring.
Check out the GALLERY DISPLAY RULES below and choose your gallery category. This is a two-stage application process, initially digital and secondly personal presentation of art. The initial application process is handled by OnlineJuriedShows. There is a non-refundable $25 jury application fee payable to onlinejuriedshows. There will be two juries this season this season.
Stage 1 Entry – For the first stage, applicants must submit their work digitally. Log in and click Enter This Show above to begin your submissions. You may submit in only one category. (Existing Gallery members may submit in a new section but please read the gallery display rules below for requirements.) You will be asked to submit between 6-10 digital images of your artwork. The title of each photo should contain the Title of the work, the medium, and width x height (x depth if 3D). Applications are invited in any medium except jewelry and photography.
Images must be jpg, under 4 mb and in sRGB colorspace. For best results, images should be at least 1920 pixels on the longest side @ 72 dpi. For help with your entries, contact onlinejuriedshows@gmail.com or 888-666-1351.
Stage 2 – Finalists Shows- From the initial digital applicants, the jurors will select a shortlist of artists, who will be asked to bring in two representative pieces of work on a date and at a time to be agreed. Your work will be hung in the Terry Masters Gallery and displayed as a show for member and public viewing. It will not be for sale. You will also be able to see the artwork of the other applicants. At some point during this week the Judges appointed by the DAC will view the entries and select those for full Gallery membership. You will be asked to collect your work at the end of this week.
Do check the GALLERY DISPLAY RULES before presenting your work. Your work should be ready for display. It is essential that you live near enough to the Desert Art Center so that you can contribute to its co-operative nature. You will be asked to complete a short questionnaire regarding your future involvement.
Successful New Gallery Members will be notified by e-mail with the jury's decisions. If your work is accepted, you are required to become a Gallery Member. You must pay the $125 fee which covers Regular Membership and Hanging Fee. You will be expected to submit art for at least two shows each year. If you do not, your gallery membership may be invalidated. Those not accepted will also be informed and encouraged to take part in other DAC activities and themed shows.
Fall Jury 2025
Applications through Onlinejuriedshows.com October 6 – November 6, 2025
Intake of Artwork of shortlisted artists at DAC November 14
Finalists Show November 17 - 21
Finalists Collect artwork November 21
First Show intake for new members December 1
Spring Jury 2026
Applications through Onlinejuriedshows.com February 10 – March 3, 2026
Intake of Artwork of shortlisted artists at DAC March 10
Finalists Show March 16 – March 21
Finalists Collect artwork March 21
First Show intake for new members March 30
Commitment - Once you are a Gallery Member and pay your annual Gallery Member's dues, you may show your work in our gallery. You are expected to submit work for the regular Gallery shows. In turn you are required to host the gallery six hours per month. You will be asked to attend an orientation, dates to be announced later and also invited to participate in other volunteer activities.
Help – For help with the digital application, please contact onlinejuriedshows@gmail.com or 888-666-1351. Any other questions to info@desertartcenter.org
Liability - By submitting artwork, artists acknowledge insurance is the responsibility of each individual artist. The Desert Art Center will not be held responsible for lost, stolen, or damaged property owned by you.
GALLERY DISPLAY RULES
(updated Summer 2025)
Space is limited in the DAC Gallery, so the following guidelines apply when submitting work for REGULAR gallery exhibitions. The aim is to give all artists a fair opportunity to display their work.
GALLERY DISPLAY CATEGORIES
There are 3 major categories: 2-Dimensional, 3-Dimensional and Fine Craft. Each of these has subcategories. Members must be juried in separately for each sub-category. For example, if you are presently juried in oil, you may also display watercolor, acrylic etc., but not photography
2-DIMENSIONAL ART
Work in this category is displayed on walls or an easel. 30lb weight limit for all wall work.
• Paintings and Drawings: Oil, Watercolor, Acrylic, Pastel, Drawing, Printmaking, etc.
3 Pieces up to 24” or
2 Pieces up to 36” or
1 Piece up to 72”
Measured on longest side including frame.
• Photography: Framed, or on metal, acrylic or 1.5” canvas finished on all sides. Gatorboard acceptable in bins only. Same as above for sizes and quantity.
2-Dimensional Art General Requirements
• All wall pieces must be dry and ready for hanging with wire attached D-rings are preferred. Hooks, clasps or metal teeth brackets are not acceptable.
• Unframed work must be executed on gallery canvas no less than 1½” deep with all edges painted or finished.
• Due to weight considerations, framed wall pieces with GLASS will only be accepted up to 16” x 20” (or 320 square inches of glass). Plexiglas is preferred and essential above this size.
•There is an exception for pastel artists and some forms of photography that react badly with acrylic. If you wish to use glass for these reasons, please speak with the gallery co-ordinator. Maximum of 30lbs still applies.
• Frames must be clean and free of scratches, chips or dents. The reverse of the frames and pictures must be presentable for sale.
3-DIMENSIONAL ART
Work in this category is displayed on tabletops, sculpture stands, shelves or walls. Items submitted here should be unique and original except for items such as coasters, small items or mugs which may be in sets.
• Assemblage: 3-D art using found objects. Number of pieces is dependent on size by longest dimension. Maximum 6 items.
• Sculpture: Clay, Wood, Metal, Stone, Glass, Paper, Bronze etc. Maximum 8 pieces. As a variety of materials lend themselves to this subcategory, please be informed that if you are juried in Assemblage, Ceramics/Clay, or Glass Fused or Stained, any item that can be called sculpture is to be treated as the subcategory that you are juried in and items count towards that allowed number in your subcategory quantity. If you wish to display 3D art as a wall item, you may display 3 pieces from the 8 maximum
• Ceramics/Clay: Functional and non-functional. Up to 8 individual pieces. Mugs on display trees and/or stands to be counted as ONE item. Each artist may have ONE tree with up to SIX mugs. Spare mugs and Coasters for restocking may be kept behind the counter. Coasters sold in groups with one price count as one item and are to have the same control number with Multi following the number.
• Glass - Fused or Stained – functional and non-functional pieces. Up to 8 individual pieces. Small items and coasters sold in groups with one price count as ONE item and are to have the same control number with Multi following the number. Small items and Coasters for restocking may be kept behind the counter. Note: Large Hanging pieces may be restricted due to weight considerations, at the discretion of the Gallery Coordinator.
FINE CRAFT
Artwork in this category is displayed in windows, jewelry cases, shelves, garment racks, or walls.
• 3-D Mosaics – Maximum 3 pieces each up to 30 lb. in weight. Free standing or hanging.
• Jewelry: A glass case is allocated to each jeweler to be used for the artistic display of a reasonable quantity of jewelry without crowding. The Jewelry Coordinator will monitor the cabinets before each new show.
• Fiber and Textile Arts
Up to 8 pieces depending on size.
• Carving to include, wood carvings, gourds or other carved or woven materials Up to 8 pieces.
BINS
These are available for artists juried in for 2-Dimensional work and are limited to the sub-category accepted.
• Bins are for unframed prints, Giclee’s, photo prints and photos, unframed sketches and small unframed original paintings.
• Pieces should be flat, no larger than 24” in height and 20” wide. Pieces should be displayed horizontally so they do not cover up the artist name labels.
• All pieces must be matted or mounted on foam core or white board and be neatly wrapped in clear wrap (not the kitchen stretch film). Packing cardboard is not accepted.
• Works will generally be kept in alphabetical order by the artist’s last name. Occasionally, the Gallery Co-ordinating Committee will rotate works so everyone has a chance to be in the front of the bin.
• Artists are responsible for keeping their bins and artwork neat and clean.
• The number of works should not to exceed 8 flat pieces OR 3 pieces on maximum ½” stretcher bars.
•. Artists who produce small paintings may mount these on clean foamcore to bring the items closer to the viewer.
ART CARDS
Each artist juried for 2-Dimensional work may display up to 15 art cards in a rack designated for their use. Artists are responsible for keeping their art cards tidy and replacing those that are sold. It is
recommended that cards be priced at a minimum of $4 each or be packaged with a price not less than $5 per package.
The DAC wishes to encourage creativity and any artist who produces work that does not fit the rules or categories is invited to discuss this with the Gallery Coordinators who will try to display innovative work if appropriate.
GALLERY GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS
• Artwork that is submitted for a regular exhibition is subject to review by the Gallery Coordinators, who have the final say in what is best for each exhibition.
• Art should be brought in personally by the artist or by his or her appointed representative on intake day. Art must not be left at the gallery in advance of intake. Art will not be displayed if brought in after the scheduled intake, unless previously agreed by the Gallery Coordinator.
• All artwork must be original and created within the last five years. Copies of other artists are unacceptable. Art that is a printed reproduction of an artwork originally done in another medium is not acceptable, except in the bins.
• All art must be in excellent condition, clean, free from damage and will be rejected if it doesn't meet these criteria.
• Any 2D artwork may only be shown once per season; i.e. October through May. Any other exceptions are at the discretion of the Gallery Coordinator.
• Pricing limit on each individual piece of artwork is $5000 per artist per show. Prices and names of works may not be changed during the run of the show.
• Any artwork not removed from the gallery at the end of a show and remaining at the Desert Art Center for longer than 30 days, is subject to forfeit and sold or disposed of by the Desert Art Center as it sees fit.
• Artists must be juried in on each subcategory before work in that subcategory can be shown in the gallery. Those wishing to show art in more than one of their accepted media in one show may do so if space allows.
• Those artists wishing to exhibit art in two subcategories in the same show must pay an additional gallery membership and expect to host the gallery and take part in hosting. Alternatively, artists may opt to show work from one of their juried subcategories in different shows.
• Upon purchase of a piece of art, the gallery hosts will notify the artist and the artist may bring in a piece of similar size for replacement, recording the entry in the INVENTORY REPORT at the front desk. Only Gallery Coordinators or their designate may move or hang any artwork in the gallery.
• An artist must not remove his or her artwork from the gallery during any DAC exhibition. The exception would be that the artwork will be displayed under the name of the Desert Art Center and is listed with a DAC label, prices, titles and artists' names with the 35% commission paid to the DAC for any sales. The Gallery Coordinators must give approval before the works are removed.
• Instructors who are not gallery members are encouraged to participate in shows and are entitled to submit one piece of art for each show.
• Artists should carry their own insurance on art that is displayed at DAC. DAC is not responsible for loss or damage to artwork.
• All exhibiting artists will be required to sign a GALLERY AGREEMENT form that remains in effect until such time as the Artist either is no longer a member or has let their membership lapse. This contract is binding and will stay in effect until a future revision is made.
• Some members may be exempt from hosting due to health reason. Any such members must seek specific agreement for this exemption if they are unable to host.