CALL FOR ART: AN EXHIBITION CELEBRATING SPRING CREEK
Exhibition Dates: October 1 – 31, 2026
Applications: July 3 – August 31, 2026
Spring Creek has quietly shaped Springdale for generations. It gave our city its name, nourishes its landscape, and connects people, wildlife, and place. This October, Perrodin Supply Co. invites artists and creators of all skill levels to submit work inspired by the creek—its ecology, history, flora and fauna, watershed, or their own relationship to it.
Throughout October, our storefront will become a gallery and gathering space featuring exhibitions, events, and conversations celebrating the stories and living culture of Spring Creek.
10% of all sales will be donated to the Illinois River Watershed Partnership, supporting their ongoing work to protect, restore, and educate our community about Spring Creek and the greater watershed.
KEY DATES
- July 3 – Applications open
- August 31: Application deadline
- September 4: All applicants will be notified
- September 17: Artwork delivery & coordination
- October 1: Opening reception, 6-8pm
- October 29: Closing reception, 6-8pm
- November 2: Artwork retrieval & coordination
Submission Criteria
- Artwork must meaningfully engage with Spring Creek. This may include its ecology, watershed, flora, fauna, history, surrounding landscape, or personal memories, experiences, stewardship, or relationship to the creek.
- Artwork must have been completed in 2025 or later.
- All types of mediums are invited to apply.
- Artists must be 18 years or older. Artists under 18 may participate with parent or guardian consent. Please email perrodinsupply@gmail.com before applying.
- Each artist may submit up to three artworks for consideration.
- A separate application is required for each artwork submitted.
- Accepted artwork must substantially match the images submitted in the application and arrive ready for exhibition.
Frequently Asked Questions
WHO CAN APPLY?
Everyone is welcome regardless of age, artistic medium, skill level, or where you live. We invite all artists and creators to submit new work inspired by Spring Creek and their relationship to it.
Please note: Selected artists are responsible for the delivery or shipment of their work. If you are applying from outside Northwest Arkansas, please keep this in mind when submitting.
WHAT TYPE OF WORK WILL BE CONSIDERED?
We’re interested in showcasing artwork that responds thoughtfully to Spring Creek. We welcome all visual art mediums and are especially attracted to work that is imaginative, experimental, place-based, or deeply personal.
Our exhibition space is approximately 1,000 square feet with concrete floors (see image below), white walls, track lighting, and 8-foot ceilings. If your work can be safely installed or presented within a space like this, it will be considered.
DO I NEED TO MAKE NEW WORK FOR THIS SHOW?
Not necessarily. You may submit existing work completed in 2025 or later, provided it has a meaningful connection to Spring Creek. If you’re looking for inspiration, we encourage you to spend time with the creek, walk its trails, observe its plants and wildlife, reflect on its history, or draw from your own memories and experiences. Whether your work is rooted in ecology, conservation, personal connection, or creative interpretation, we hope it reflects a genuine relationship with Spring Creek.
I’M A PERFORMANCE-BASED ARTIST, SHOULD I APPLY?
Yes! We are planning several events around this exhibition, including an opening reception on Thursday, October 1, 6-8pm and a closing reception on Thursday, October 29, 6-8pm. Either of the receptions would be a great time for your performance or spoken word piece to be shared. We are also open to coordinating a separate date depending on your vision and will coordinate this directly with you upon acceptance. Performance artists are also welcome to document or interpret their work through video, photography, audio, or installation.
WHAT IF I NEED ACCOMMODATIONS TO APPLY OR PARTICIPATE?
We want this opportunity to be accessible to everyone. If you need an accommodation to complete the application or participate in the exhibition including submitting audio or video responses in place of written responses. Please contact us at perrodinsupply@gmail.com before the application deadline. We’re happy to work with you to find an option that meets your needs.
CAN I SUBMIT INCOMPLETE WORKS, SKETCHES, OR IDEAS?
Yes. We welcome works in progress, sketches, and early-stage ideas as long as they clearly connect to the theme of Spring Creek. If you’re submitting something unfinished, please include enough context for us to understand your intent and how the work might develop for the exhibition.
HOW MANY ARTISTS WILL BE SELECTED?
There is no predetermined number of participating artists. Selections will be based on the strength of the work, how it contributes to the exhibition as a whole, and the practical limitations of the gallery space.
WHEN WILL I KNOW IF MY WORK WAS SELECTED?
This is a juried exhibition and all applications will be reviewed once applications have closed. You will be informed by Friday, September 4, 2026.
WHY IS THERE A $10 APPLICATION FEE?
Your application fee will directly support the Friends of Spring Creek exhibition through event signage, marketing, artwork labels, and administrative support.
IS THERE COMPENSATION FOR SELECTED ARTISTS?
Selected artists will receive a 60% commission on any of their work that sells during the exhibition.
WHERE IS SPRING CREEK?
The headwaters of Spring Creek begin on the western slope of the nob hills east of the airport. Flowing westward in goes underneath the airport entering downtown Springdale skirting Luther George Park. It continues northward under Emma Avenue, highlighted at Walter Turnbow Park and the boardwalk beside the Shiloh Museum. The many springs flowing into the creek in this area are where the name for our town was found. Flowing onwards northwest through Springdale, the Razorback Greenway trail follows this general course all the way to where the creek skirts around Lake Springdale before crossing behind the AGFC Nature Center, under I49, joining Osage Creek and eventually the Illinois River. While much of the creek winds behind neighborhoods, parks, and businesses, there are several places where you can experience it.
New to Spring Creek? There are many public access points throughout Springdale and Northwest Arkansas. If you’d like recommendations for places to safely experience the creek, we’d be happy to help. Reach out at perrodinsupply@gmail.com
Are you a Friend of Spring Creek? Join us and submit your work.