Now in its fourth year, this year’s Call for Art asks regional artists to consider the theme “Home”: How can Pittsburgh be a just and equitable home for all? The first workshop for interested artists is set for June 19.
Pittsburgh, PA, June 3, 2026— Carnegie Museums, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, the University of Pittsburgh, and Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh today announced the Call for Art for the 2026-2027 Envisioning a Just Pittsburgh regional arts competition, which will conclude with an art showcase at Carnegie Museum of Art in early 2027. The August Wilson African American Cultural Center and 1Hood Media are again serving as community partners for the arts program.
Launched in 2022, this year’s Envisioning a Just Pittsburgh program invites artists to explore the meaning of “Home” through visual art, writing, performance, and interdisciplinary works. To support artists in this exploration, program partners will offer a series of community workshops from June through October—the first scheduled for Friday, June 19. These workshops are designed to create space for artists to reflect, experiment, and develop their ideas in conversation with others. Art submissions will be due November 1, 2026, and monetary awards will total $20,000.
“We’re so proud of the Envisioning a Just Pittsburgh program, which has always been grounded in the belief that art is a vital tool for shaping belonging and possibility,” said Gina Winstead, Vice President for Culture and Community at Carnegie Museums, lead partner for the fourth year of the program. “Through all artistic forms, artists help us see what justice looks like when it is lived, felt, and shared. They help us imagine a city that welcomes people from every corner of the world and makes room for many definitions of home. This year’s theme invites us to consider home not only as a place, but as a feeling we create together through care, connection, and shared responsibility.”
“Programs like Envisioning a Just Pittsburgh are essential because they create space for artists to help us see our region more honestly, imagine what justice can look like, and inspire collective action toward a future where everyone belongs,” said Teona Ringgold, Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh’s Director of Culture and Community Impact, a new participating partner. “Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh is proud to be a partner in uplifting creative voices that challenge, teach, and move our community forward.”
The Awards Categories are:
- Writing for the Page: Short Story, Poetry, Personal Essay, Flash Fiction
- Visual Art: 2D, 3D, Painting, Photography, Sculpture, Fiber Art, Graphic Design
- Performance: Music, Dance, Slam Poetry, Spoken Word
- Video & Interdisciplinary: Works that cross categories, Mixed Media, Digital Art
- Youth Arts (Grade 6th–8th and Grade 9th–12th): All categories.
Learn more and see the lists of past Envisioning a Just Pittsburgh awardees.
Contact: Betsy Momich, 412.622.3236.