The Art of Jazz - A Painted Response
Watauga Arts Council invites painters to explore jazz through visual art. Submissions open until March 6, 2026.
The Watauga Arts Council (WAC) is opening a call for art for their upcoming gallery exhibit titled "The Art of Jazz - A Painted Response." This exhibition invites painters to explore the spirit, emotion, and rhythm of jazz through visual art in dialogue with Boone's High Country Jazz Festival.
Artists are challenged to reflect on the question: "What does jazz mean to you?" The prompt is intentionally open-ended, encouraging artists to interpret jazz in expressive, imaginative, abstract ways or in whatever manner best fits their narrative and perspective. WAC seeks paintings that capture the energy, improvisation, and/or cultural significance of the subject.
This exhibit is the second in WAC's new gallery system, which proposes more structured calls for art and exhibit calendars that artists and the local community can depend on year after year. The first exhibit of the year, "Through the Lens: Exploring Photographic Art," will be on view until the end of March.
The Art of Jazz exhibition will be on view from May 5 through June 30, presented at a venue to be announced. The exhibit will be displayed in the lead-up to and during the Jazz Fest, working in tandem to showcase the painterly and visual expression the genre inspires.
Submissions will be juried by a diverse group of local artists and art leaders from the region with diverse media backgrounds. All interested artists must submit an application with a $35 application fee.