Deadline January 17, 2026 Applications Closed Easy Application

Artist Call for Entry

Penney Retirement Community Centennial Celebration Juried Art Show

Presented by Penney Art in Public Spaces

Submissions for this call are closed.

Penney Retirement Community Centennial Celebration Juried Art Show

About this call

Penney Retirement Community invites the art community to participate in its Centennial Celebration.  Submitted artwork that is accepted by the jury will be exhibited at the James Penney Cash Legacy Gala at the Clay County Fairgrounds on Saturday, February 14, 2026, and then moved to Barrows Hall on the Penney Retirement Community campus for exhibition through April 24, 2026.
 
Cash awards will be presented for outstanding examples of the accepted artists’ work.  Artists will be encouraged to donate their artwork to the permanent collection of Penney Art in Public Places, but donation is not a condition of submission.  
 
J.C. Penney pioneered the concept of purposeful living in retirement. Volunteering is at the heart of purposeful living. His vision lives on to this day with a broad variety of activities and ministries, both on and off campus, run by its residents.  Resident run Penney Arts in Public Places (PAPS) manages a permanent collection of over 300 pieces displayed in more than 75 locations around campus, bringing beauty and interest to the lives of the residents.

Award Info

Purchase Awards for first place ($1,500), second place ($1,000), third place ($750), fourth ($500), and fifth ($250). Artists may decline purchase awards if they prefer to have their artwork returned. Ribbons may be awarded for Honorable mention, Best Resident submission, Best Student (under age 18) submission, and additional merit ribbons if deemed appropriate by the judge. Artists not receiving cash awards and whose artwork is desired for the permanent collection may accept a request to donate their artwork to Penney Retirement Community, Inc, which is a non-profit corporation registered in the state of Florida.

Eligibility Criteria

Please read all instructions carefully.  A maximum of three (3) pieces of artwork may be submitted per artist.  Multi-paneled pieces will not be accepted.  Artwork must be original in design, concept, and execution, created without supervision or by instruction, by the submitting artist. 
 
Penney Art in Public Places would like to encourage the creation of artwork that explores the richness of life at Penney Retirement Community.   Artists are encouraged to visit the community, which is part of the Town of Penney Farms, to paint Plein Air or to take photos of the grounds.  They may also view photos from the PRC archives, and contemporary photos by residents which they may reference with acknowledgement of the photo source.  Go to  https://www.artworkarchive.com/rooms/penney-art/b64632 

Any other references photos must be taken by the artist.
 
Tours of specific facilities may be arranged by emailing the curator at [email protected]
  
The artwork shall consist of two dimensional (2D) works only.  Acceptable media shall be limited to paintings (oil, acrylic, water media, paste, encaustic and egg tempera) and drawings (Conte-crayon, colored pencil, graphite, charcoal, pen and ink, and scratchboard). 
 
Non-acceptable media includes reproductions, prints, photography, videos, crafts, jewelry, three-dimensional (3D) works, textiles, fiber art, collages, montages, and any computer-generated elements.  No full-frontal nudes.
 
The accepted artwork MUST be ready to hang.  It must be dry and prepared with wire and D-rings or screw eyes.  Gallery-wrapped submittals (minimum of 1 ¼ inches deep) will have all edges finished/painted and all staples, hooks, etc., not visible on any edge.  Artwork may not exceed 42 inches in width or height, including the frame.  Artwork may not be smaller than 11 inches in width or height.  Works on paper must be framed using Plexiglass – NO GLASS.  The maximum weight is 20 pounds. Artwork that does not meet the eligibility criteria will be excluded from the show and the artist will be responsible for immediate removal.  
 
Accepted artwork MUST be delivered and removed by the artist as noted below. NOTE: all artwork will be moved by PAPS from Clay County Fairgrounds on Sunday February 15, 2026, and re-installed at Barrows Hall, located at 4385 Wilbank Avenue, Penney Farms, Florida, for viewing thru May 1, 2026.
 

Application Requirements

·      On line entries open August 1, 2025
·      Entry Deadline January 17, 2026
·      Acceptance/Non-Acceptance Notification to Artists January 31, 2026
·      Delivery of Art to Clay Count Exhibition Hall 2 – Thursday, February 12, 2026, 12-5 PM
·      Artists’ Reception at Barrows Hall - Sunday, February 22, 2026, 2-5 PM.
·      Exhibition at Barrows Hall - February 22 – May 1, 2026.
·      Art removal at Barrows Hall – Saturday, May 2, 2026 from 1 PM to 4 PM; and Sunday, May 3, 2026 from 1 PM to 4 PM. Artwork not removed shall become the property of Penney Retirement Community.

Juror and Judge is Patrick Mahoney. Mr. Mahoney is an artist and art restorer/conservator residing in Orange Park, Florida. Educated at the University of North Florida, he has been creating beautifully hued and meticulously detailed landscapes and still lifes in oil on canvas since 1965. Pat is now one of North Florida’s most successful representational artists and is frequently requested as a judge for regional art competitions.   He an active member of First Coast Plein Air Painters, The Jacksonville Sketchers, The Jacksonville Coalition for the Visual Arts, and The Florida Artist Group. 

Rules and Terms

ACCEPTANCE NOTIFICATIONS
 
Notification of the juror’s decision will be provided by email from [email protected].  The juror’s decision is final.  Please add [email protected] to your email safe senders list.
 
Artwork accepted must match the digital images  submitted with the entry.
 
USE OF IMAGES
 
Permission to use the submitted images for purposes of marketing and promotion directly related to the Centennial Celebration of Penney Retirement Community shall be implied by the submittal of the entry.  Copyright and other legal rights remain the property of the artists. 
 
LIABILITY / INSURANCE
 
Insurance of the artwork is the responsibility of the artist.  PRCI and Clay County Fairgrounds assume no liability for any loss, theft, and/or damage to the artwork prior to, during, or after the exhibition.

Presented by

Penney Art in Public Spaces