Submissions

Most of our Exhibits require by-hand submission of artwork. Please see the Call for Entries page for current requirements.

Please contact our Office with any questions!

 

Gallery FAQs

These are our most frequently-asked-questions about submitting to our Gallery exhibits. Although information is current when published, specific policies may change over time. Please view any exhibit's Call for Entries for specific details, or ask us a question if you don't see your answer here!

Do I need to be a member of O’Hanlon to submit artwork?

No! We encourage any interested artist to submit work to our shows. We welcome you to become a Member at any point, but Membership is only required for our Annual Members’ Exhibit.

If you join as an Artist Level Member you are elligible for the annual Member Show and do not need to pay a submission fee for that exhibition.

What kind of artists do you show?

No experience is required. Most of our exhibits are juried ‘blind’ so the Juror is viewing the work itself, without regard to artist name or reputation.

We love that our shows usually include a good mix of all experience levels, from experienced professional artists to people who might self-define as ‘recovering from bad junior high art classes!’

How long do the exhibits run?
Currently Exhibits run for 4 to 6 weeks but varies from show to show.

In Person Shows usually open for viewing a few days PRIOR to the Opening Reception, which is normally held on the First Tuesday of the Month – as part of the Mill Valley First Tuesday Artwalk.

Who juries your exhibitions?

Jurors are usually Gallery owners or noted Artists with some experience in jurying shows. Some shows are curated by members of the Exhibition Committee, including the Annual Members’ Show.

Jurors are selected by the Staff, in consultation with the O’Hanlon Exhibition Committee.

Is there a size limit for art?

For our In-Gallery shows we are currently limiting the size to 48" wide for wall pieces, with no limit to height.

The Gallery walls are quite high.

Even though a Juror may respond positively to a very large piece, they sometimes like to have the option to select a smaller work from the same artist, to enable the inclusion of more work/more artists in a given show.

Our Online exhibitions do NOT have a size restriction.

How many pieces can I submit?

For most shows, the maximum is 3 pieces.

See the Call for Entries for any variations.

How is a diptych or triptych counted?

They are counted as ONE entry.

However, we prefer that artists do not submit more than one ‘set’ per show. So, you may submit one Diptych or Triptych, plus 1 or 2 other individual pieces.

Diptychs/triptychs will not be split up, they will only be considered a “whole piece."

Does artwork have to be for sale?

No. While most pieces submitted are priced for sale, it is not a requirement. You may mark a piece as NFS (Not For Sale) or POR (Price on Request.)  


When artwork does sell, the artist agrees to contribute 30% of sale price to OHCA, which is tax-deductible.

Payments are made directly to the Artist from the Buyer, usually by check.

Staff will facilitate any sales and payments to artist, although the artist is the Seller of Record.

Does artwork need to be framed?

Artwork does not need to be Framed.

It must be ‘ready for display’ and ‘ready for hanging’ if it is to be wall-hung. 

What kind of hanging hardware is acceptable?

All wall-hung art should be wired for easy hanging.

Other types of hooks on the back of frames are very difficult to install and level properly. Our installers have to hang 40-60 pieces of work in a few hours. If you’re in doubt about proper hardware, please ask a Staff member.

Note: the most challenging kind of hook is a combination of two ‘saw-tooth’ hooks on both sides of the frame. Those are very difficult to hang properly, and will not be accepted.

Submission fee - is it per piece?

The submission fee is the same for ‘up to 3 pieces.’ i.e. the same fee for submitting one, two, or three pieces.

(See the specific Call for Entry for any variations. Member-only Shows may have a different limit.)

How do I label my artwork?

Submitted artwork should be labeled on an unseen side prior to delivery; that label will stay on the piece. At minimum, it should include Artist Name, Title, and Price (if for sale.) It can also include medium, dimensions, etc. We don’t remove or display those labels. 


You will also fill out our Artwork Submission Form when you deliver your work, which will include all needed information for each piece. You’ll attach a copy of that form to each piece of artwork temporarily. This form is our official record from which we create the show Program, after the show is installed.

Why don’t you accept online submissions for every show?

We are continuing to offer a hybrid gallery show program withOnline and In-gallery exhibitions.

For many of our shows we are accepting online submissions – sometimes through JotForm and sometimes through CaFE.

Our online shows are curated in groupings much like virtual rooms.

Quality images for online shows are a must for representing the work appropriately.

For the In Gallery shows, many of our jurors especially appreciate being able to view the actual artwork itself to see how it will relate to other works and the gallery space, so a first tier of selections may be done online with a second round in person. Please refer to the specific show call for details.

We consider ourselves a Regional Art Center… so we prefer that work that hangs in the gallery come from the Greater Bay Area so that we are not involved with the complications and expense of shipping works.

There may be occasional In-Gallery shows that require artists to drop off work before the jury selection. This is the case for our Annual Wabi-Sabi show. Please reference the specific call for details.

How many entries do you receive?
The number of entries varies from show to show, but on average 50 to 100 artists enter In Gallery shows each submitting between 1 and 3 pieces.

For our online shows there are more submissions as artists can participate from all over the globe.

While this is a newer program for us since 2020, we are seeing on average 300 artists submitting to online shows.

How many artworks are displayed in each exhibit? 


Most exhibits in the O’Hanlon Gallery have 35 to 50 pieces.

The final installation is up to the curator/installer, based on the pieces selected by the exhibit's juror.

For online shows the number is between 40 and 80 works.

The Annual Members’ Show allows for ALL members to have one piece, so there are more than 50. As a result the show extends into our 2nd Gallery in the Loft and online for members who live out of the area.

Do you offer prizes or awards?

We do not currently offer prizes.

The philosophy and mission of O’Hanlon Center fosters a non-competitive experience of creating and experiencing art, as a way of nurturing individual creativity. 


While most of our exhibits have a Juror who selects the work, we suggest that having artwork selected (or not) for a particular exhibit not be considered a value judgement of any kind. Most Jurors are expressing their preference in the moment of viewing, and some adhere tightly to the selected exhibit theme, while others do not.

I have a different question...?

Our Staff Directors are happy to answer your questions by phone or email!

Please view our Contact page and send us a message.