Paper as Politic
Call for Artists
(Juried Group Exhibition)
Application Deadline: February 1, 2026
Eligibility: Regional (DC, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware)
Exhibition Dates: April 13 – 24, 2026
Location: Gillespie Gallery
George Mason University, School of Art and Design, Fairfax, Virginia
Jurors: Helen Frederick and Nicole Donnelly
The Paper as Politic exhibition invites artists working with paper—materially, conceptually, and politically—to submit work for inclusion in an exhibition presented during the 2026 Paper as Politic symposium at George Mason University.
This exhibition centers paper as a charged site: a surface of labor, memory, and resistance. We welcome work that explores how fibers, water, pulp, and mark-making carry histories of power, cultural inheritance, and visibility.
We seek work that approaches paper as:
A primary material—handmade, commercial, reclaimed, or hybrid
A political surface connected to governance, protest, censorship, or public record
A site of labor, extraction, and material inheritance
A record of the body through touch, inscription, repair, or erasure
A platform for social commentary and cultural critique
A fragile and persistent material that holds collective and personal histories
notes, archive, library, and canon
About the Jurors:
Helen Frederick, an artist, curator, and educator, is the founder of Pyramid Atlantic Art Center and Professor Emerita of the School of Art, George Mason University, where she established the papermaking program. She directs Reading Road Studio, Silver Spring, MD, as a collaborative atelier for work in and on paper. Throughout her career, she has championed experimentation and collaboration across disciplines.
Nicole Donnelly is the founder of paperTHINKtank and a Philadelphia native. She is a hand papermaker and visual artist now operating the Morgan Conservatory of Papermaking in Cleveland, OH. She has taught papermaking both as a traditional craft and artistic medium and served as Collaborative Papermaker to resident artists for both Brandywine Workshop & Archives and the Brodsky Center at PAFA. Her creative and academic research has been published by The Legacy Press and Hand Papermaking magazine, and she served as president of IAPMA (International Association of Hand Papermakers and Paper Artists) for seven years. Donnelly’s mission is to establish handmade paper as a recognized art medium and preserve its value as a craft.
Application Deadline: February 1, 2026
(There is no fee for this application)
Submit Materials: Paper as Politic: Exhibition Call for Entries
Please read the Application Requirements and information below before submitting.
Application Requirements:
Upload a single PDF document including:
- Up to 5 artworks for consideration
- Artwork Checklist Including title, date, medium, and dimensions for each work.
- Artist Statement - including a description of how your works address the Paper as Politic theme
- Artist Biography (200 words)
- Artist website and/or social media accounts
Key Dates
Application deadline: February 1, 2026
Notification of acceptance: February 16, 2026
Artwork delivery deadline: April 6-9, 2026
Exhibition dates: April 13 – 24, 2026
Symposium: April 16-18, 2026
Exhibit Location: Mason Exhibitions, Gillespie Gallery of Art at the GMU Art & Design Building, Fairfax VA
Accepted Artworks: Accepted artists will receive an Artwork Loan Agreement from the University for insurance purposes. Accepted works must arrive ready to install between April 6 –9, 2026. Works that are to be delivered or shipped earlier than April 6 will need to be coordinated with gallery staff. Mason Exhibitions reserves the right to exclude any work that is not fully prepared for installation or requires additional display fabrication without prior agreement and consultation with Mason Exhibitions staff. All works must remain on display for the duration of the exhibition.
The artist is responsible for transporting or shipping work to and from Gillespie Gallery.
Shipped works should be packed in reusable containers with a prepaid return shipping label. Artists are encouraged to hand deliver fragile work when possible.
Artwork packaging materials must be clearly labeled with the artist's name and contact information.
Gallery staff will provide installation of shipped or delivered artworks according to instructions and materials provided by artists. Placement of artworks within the gallery will be determined by exhibit jurors and Mason Exhibitions staff.
Artwork may be hand delivered between Monday, April 6 – Thursday, April 9, 2026 during the hours of 10:00 am - 4:30 pm.
Return of Artworks:
Artwork can be picked up following the exhibit between Monday, April 27 – Thursday, April 30, 2026 during the hours of 10:00 am - 4:30 pm. Shipped artworks will be returned between April 27 – May 15.
For questions about the exhibit or application process contact:
Jeffery Kenney - jkenney5@gmu.edu
jkenney5@gmu.edu