CALL FOR ARTISTS | Pathways 2026: The Carlos Malamud Prize

Sep 2, 2025 - Oct 26, 2025

Location: UCF Art Gallery

Call for Artists: Pathways 2026: The Carlos Malamud Prize

The Rollins Museum of Art and the UCF Art Gallery invite submissions for Pathways 2026: The Carlos Malamud Prize. Pathways is a biennial, juried art competition and exhibition for emerging professional artists living in Florida. This edition will consist of a juried selection process resulting in a Summer 2026 group exhibition for the competition’s finalists. All exhibited artists will receive support and networking through a series of events and direct engagement with curators, museum and gallery professionals, faculty, and community to expand their connections in the art community. Participating artists will arrive at Pathways: The Carlos Malamud Prize from a variety of places within the state of Florida, with diverse professional experience, and have dynamic creative research and practice.

 

The Pathways 2026: The Carlos Malamud Prize winner will:
  • Be awarded a $10,000 cash prize
  • Receive a solo exhibition at the UCF Art Gallery in 2027
  • Commit to being a juror for the following edition of the exhibition and a mentor for the next cohort of exhibiting artists
  • Receive a consulting session with a financial advisor to discuss the financial aspects of a sustainable art practice
This sustained engagement overtime makes Pathways: The Carlos Malamud Prize unique and transformative among other art competitions.
Deadline:
Eligible artists are invited to apply for Pathways: The Carlos Malamud Prize 2026 through Submittable by October 26, 2025 (11:59pm EST). CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT
Eligibility:
The exhibition and competition is open to all emerging artists (age 18 or older) who are residents of Florida and NOT currently enrolled as an undergraduate student. We are defining an emerging artist as one who has never had a solo exhibition in a gallery, arts center, or museum (solo BFA or MFA exhibitions at a college or university are acceptable). All work must be original, completed within the last two years, and not previously exhibited at any of the participating venues.
Format:
The juried exhibitions will include up to 10 artists, each of whom will have 3-8 works on view at both locations. The opening events will be staggered over the exhibition period; each venue will hold events involving the participating artists (May 27th at the UCF Art Gallery and May 28th at the Rollins Museum of Art). Three jurors will evaluate all the entries and award the Pathways: The Carlos Malamud Prize at the opening reception at the Rollins Museum of Art on May 28, 2026 (exhibiting artists required to attend opening events).
Jurors:
Artists will be selected by a group of locally and nationally recognized jurors from different areas of the arts field:
  • Teneé Hart, Artist and Pathways 2024 Winner, Tallahassee, Florida.
  • Sheldon Scott, Artist, Washington D.C.
  • Marcus Jansen, Artist, Ft. Myers, FL
Submission Process:
Artists will submit application materials for juror review via Submittable. CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT
  • Artist Statement – A brief statement written in 1st person that describes your professional art practice, research, and conceptual motivations. (max 500 words)
  • Artist Bio – A brief statement written in 3rd person that describes your background, relevant educational and professional experience, awards and honors, etc. (max 250 words)
  • Current Curriculum Vitae or Résumé
  • Solo Exhibition Description – The winner of the Pathways Prize is granted a solo exhibition in 2027. Please provide a brief and general solo exhibition proposal, including a short description of the concept or theme. Indicate the estimated number of artworks to be included and specify their formats (e.g., paintings, sculptures, digital works, installations, etc.).
  • 20 artworks – upload images (.jpg file at least 1200 [in one direction] pixels and 300dpi resolution) or video files (.mp4 or .mov file) of applicable and available work– exhibition will be curated by images submitted. Up to 5 uploads can be detail views of an individual artwork (be sure to note as a detail view next to the title)
  • Include: title, medium, dimensions (or duration for time-based work), year completed
  • Please list any special equipment, tech, or installation requirements
  • If submitting a site-specific installation, please include a schematic drawing as one of your images and describe how you would incorporate a specific space into your work)
Artworks are accepted without restriction of medium but must communicate visually, be ready to hang/install, and must fit through standard doorways. Artwork cannot include biohazard materials, water, fire, or animals (dead or alive).
Image Release: By submitting an entry form to the Pathways: Carlos Malamud Prize constitutes an agreement on the part of the artists to grant permission for the Carlos Malamud Prize organizers to use images for promotional purposes (printed materials, website, social media) if selected for the exhibition.
Finalists:
Finalists will be notified the week of December 19, 2025. Participating artists will receive a modest all-inclusive honorarium to support the cost for delivering/shipping artwork and attending the public events.
Timeline:
  • Submission Deadline: October 26, 2025 (by 11:59pm ET)
  • Notification of Finalists: week of December 19, 2025
  • Artwork delivery/drop off: UCF May 11-15, RMA May 15-16
  • Public Exhibition Preview event: May 27, 2026 from 5:30-7pm at the UCF Art Gallery and May 28, 2026 from 5:30-7pm at the Rollins Museum of Art
  • Exhibition on view: May 28 – August 30, 2026 (note venue days and hours of operation vary)
  • Prize Announcement Event: May 28, 2026 at the Rollins Museum of Art
  • Artwork pickup/ship out: UCF August 31-September 4, RMA September 4-5