Art Gone Wild
At the Kelly
September 25th – November 13th
Art Celebrating the Southeastern Wildlife and Alabama Wilds
We are pleased to announce our fifth annual “Art Gone Wild” art exhibition, celebrating our native wildlife and field sports through the arts. We invite artists and collectors alike to submit artworks of any medium featuring southeastern native wildlife, field sporting life, and regional outdoor wildlife pursuits.
Table of Contents
Theme
Entries must fit the theme of native southeastern wildlife and/or field sports. Art Gone Wild will coincide with the Alabama Wildlife Fine Art Competition from September 25th – November 13th . Please note that THIS IS NOT THE COMPETITION (link below).
Originality
Artwork should be exclusively created by the submitting artist(s) from a concept or composition originally conceived by that artist(s) from draft to completion. If using copyrighted, licensed, or other reference materials (including permissive use or reference photos not owned by you), please refer to our “Originality and Copyright Infringement Rules” below for specific guidelines and restrictions:
Ready to Hang
Accepted 2D artworks must be either framed or gallery-wrapped (at least an inch thick with the edges painted, not raw), and all 2D artworks must have gallery wire installed for hanging. Artwork that does not fit this criteria will not be accepted.
Entries
Each artist may submit up to four (4) entries and must submit a photo of each entry with their application for review. This is a juried show, and both wildlife art exhibitions are The Kelly’s most popular shows of the year. Therefore, please understand that space is limited and not everyone will have pieces chosen. Applications must be received by August 16, 2026 to be considered for this exhibition.
Fees
There are no submission fees. There is a flat rate fee of $25 per artist if your submission(s) is/are accepted, which is due upon Drop Off. However, entry fees are WAIVED for membered Kelly artists of any membership level. Memberships are available for as low as $50 a year (starting from your donation date), so if you intend to enter multiple exhibitions, we encourage you to consider becoming a Kelly member.
Artwork Photos/Images for Application
The artist must submit a labeled photo of each entry with their application. These images should best represent your entries for the jurors’ review, as bad entry photos could result in entry rejection.
- High Quality: When applying, please ensure that your photos of your artwork entries are high quality, well-lit, in focus, not tilted, completely in frame, and with proper white balance set. Try not to have
- Labeled: Please label your entry photos with your name and artwork title via file name (ex. “John Smith – Mallard.jpg”) or on the back of the physical photo, so that The Kelly can know which artwork is which. Do NOT add visible text on top of your entry photo, as artist names will be kept anonymous from the jury.
- Digital File Formats: For digital files, please share your photos as either PNG, JPEG, TIFF, or PDF files. Your files should be high-quality, so please ensure that your photos are at least 1920×1080 and/or 300 DPI. We do not have requirement for a maximum file size.
How to Apply
The artist must fill out an application form with their entries’ information and submit a labeled photo of each entry. Applications must be received by August 16, 2026. Please note that late entries will NOT be accepted. There are several ways to submit your application:
- Online: You may submit your application package online at https://thekelly.org/exhibitions/application
- Email: You may email a copy of your filled out PDF application and artwork photos to Exhibits@TheKelly.org
- Mail: You may mail a paper copy of your application with photos OR a zip drive of your files to our office at The Kelly Fitzpatrick Center for the Arts, PO Box 641, Wetumpka, AL 36092
- Physical: If you are local, you may come by our physical location and drop off your application and photos into the Registrar’s receiving box at our office at 301 Hill Street, Wetumpka, AL 36092.
Entries received any other way are NOT considered valid. This includes entries sent via text, Facebook messenger, or any other delivery method. Please do NOT drop off or mail your original artwork as part of your application or for the jury process.
Notifications
Artists will be notified by email by August 21th if they have been accepted or not and which pieces. Every applicant will be notified of acceptance or rejection, so please contact us if you have not received any response after that date.
Art Drop Off
Art must be delivered to The Kelly at 301 Hill Street, Wetumpka, AL 36092 on September 11th & 12th. Please only bring the accepted artworks. The Kelly reserves the right to refuse any artwork that does not match the submitted entry, has unpainted edges, and/or does not have gallery wire installed (if 2D). Late deliveries will not be accepted, so please contact us beforehand if you need to make other arrangements.
Commission
A twenty-five percent (25%) donation to The Kelly will be deducted from any sales during this exhibit. If you have any pieces that are for display only and not to be sold, please notate clearly on the application form.
Artwork Pick Up
Artwork that has not sold or is not for sale should be picked up on November 14th & 16th. If you or an authorized person on your behalf are unable to pick up your art on those dates, please contact us to make alternate arrangements. Any artwork not removed within 90 days from the pickup date (February 16th) shall be considered an unrestricted donation to The Kelly.
Apply Soon
Applications are due August 16, 2026.
FAQs
Are there specific animals for this exhibition?
“Art Gone Wild” is different from the “Alabama Wildlife Fine Art Competition” in that there is not a specific list of animals to work from. However, “Art Gone Wild” does focus on Southeastern native wildlife. So while there is not a specific list, we are looking for animals that you could find in Alabama and/or the American Southeast. This does mean that while artworks of lions and tigers may be beautiful, they would not fit in this exhibition’s theme.
Is there any prize money?
There are no prizes, monetary or otherwise, offered for participants in “Art Gone Wild” like there is for the “Alabama Wildlife Fine Art Competition.” You may however sell your art through The Kelly, and this exhibition will last through September 25th – November 13th.
How do I price artwork?
When it comes to pricing, there’s not a clean-cut answer. Prices vary depending on many factors: your level of experience, your material costs, how large or small the artwork is, the amount of time you spent on your artwork, and artistic merit, among other things. There’s no right or wrong way to price your work. We at The Kelly cannot price your art for you. But for more tips and tricks about pricing your work, check out online resources like: https://www.artworkarchive.com/blog/seven-rules-for-pricing-your-artwork