About the Exhibt
Location
The Center at Rockwall City Place · 108 E. Washington St., Rockwall, TX 75087
Important Changes for the 2026 Show
Hand delivery only — all artwork must be hand-delivered and picked up in person; shipped artwork will not be accepted.
New size limit — two-dimensional works may be no larger than 36" × 36", including frame.
New weight limit — sculpture weight is limited to 50 lbs.
New location — the show has moved to The Center at Rockwall City Place, 108 E. Washington St., Rockwall, TX 75087.
Updated schedule — take-in, reception, and awards times have changed; see the Calendar of Events.
2026 Key Dates
July 15 — Call for Artists opens on CallForEntry.org (CaFÉ).
September 15 — Call for Artists closes 11:59 PM Mountain Time. No late entries will be accepted.
September 26 — Acceptance and rejection notifications will be emailed.
October 16, Friday, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM — Take-in for entries at The Center at Rockwall City Place.
October 16–18 — Show exhibit on display. Judging takes place the afternoon of October 16 before the show opens.
October 16, 5:30 PM — Ribbon Cutting with the City and County; exhibit opens to the public.
October 16, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM — Artist Reception, with award announcements at 7:00 PM.
October 17, 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM — Artists' Social with the show judges.
October 18, Sunday, 3:00 PM — Final awards announced; artwork pickup and art sales begin immediately following the awards. Pickup closes at 5:00 PM.
November 1 — Checks issued for sold artworks (no later than 14 days after the conclusion of the show).
Calendar of Events
Friday, October 16 — 5:30 PM – 8:00 PM
Ribbon Cutting with City & County — 5:30 PM
Artists Reception — 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
Award Announcements — 7:00 PM
Saturday, October 17 — 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Artists' Social with the Show Judges — 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
Sunday, October 18 — 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Final Awards Announced — 3:00 PM
Pick up artwork — immediately following the awards announcement, until 5:00 PM
Awards: Up to $6,600 in Prize Monies
Best in Show — $1,000
1st Place in each category — $500
2nd Place in each category — $200
Special Awards
In addition to the judged cash prizes above, the following special awards will be presented. Special awards are ribbons and recognition (no cash prize):
Heather Lawley Memorial Award — Presented in memory of Heather Lawley. Open to RAL members only. The winner receives a commemorative plaque.
People's Choice Award — Selected by votes from show visitors over the course of the weekend.
Touches the Heart Award — Selected by local medical professionals.
Shine On Award — Selected by participants in the SHINE program.
Showstopper Award — Awarded to the artwork with the highest number of social media shares tagging Rockwall Art League.
Hot off the Press Award — Selected by local publishers.
Mayor's Award — Selected by the Mayor of Rockwall.
Images of Rockwall County Award — Awarded to artwork depicting Rockwall County subjects — for example, paintings or photographs of local sites, landmarks, and scenes. Selected by Rockwall County representatives. Open to RAL members only.
Around the Cities Award — Selected by city representatives from the Cities of Rockwall, Fate, Heath, McLendon-Chisholm, Royse City, and Rowlett.
Categories
Oil — Works in which oil-based paint is the primary medium.
Watercolor — Works in which water-soluble watercolor paint is the primary medium, typically on paper or board.
Acrylic — Works in which acrylic paint is the primary medium.
Mixed Media (includes Digital Art) — Works that intentionally combine two or more distinct media or materials — for example, paint with collage, ink with pastel, or incorporated found objects — where no single medium alone accounts for the finished piece. Digital Art is judged within this category (see Category Notes). Artists entering Mixed Media must include a brief description with their entry explaining what materials were used and how the piece qualifies as mixed media.
Mosaic — Works composed of small pieces such as tile, glass, stone, or other tesserae assembled into an original design.
Drawing — Works created using dry media such as chalk, charcoal, pastels, pencils, or wax crayon, and fluid mediums limited to inks and washes applied by pen or brush.
Photography — Original and enhanced photography originating from a single photographic frame captured by the artist, including images refined or edited with digital tools.
Sculpture — Three-dimensional works of original design that are carved, modeled, hand-built, or cast from molds created by the artist.
There must be a minimum of 6 participating artists for a category to be represented in the show. RAL reserves the right to move an entry into a different category if, in its judgment, the artwork does not meet the criteria of the category entered.
Category Notes
No jewelry, for security reasons.
No installation art.
No video or audio enhancements.
Artworks must be entirely the work of the entrant, executed without the supervision of an instructor.
Digital Art (judged within Mixed Media) is a work created digitally from a blank canvas, or composed by combining multiple photographs or images into a single piece through digital manipulation. Source photographs must be the artist's own. Artwork generated in whole or in part by artificial intelligence (AI) is not eligible.
Photography includes original photography and enhanced photographs, judged as a single category. Digital photography is a work that originates from a single photographic frame captured by the artist, including images refined or edited with digital tools. Photographic prints made from the artist's original image must have been processed by that artist or under that artist's direct supervision.
Jury and Judges
This is a juried entry event. Our 3-person jury panel is comprised of artists, art reviewers, or other art professionals. We use a two-step process. The first step is blind and based on a simple yes/no method. Step two is curated using several factors including, but not limited to, size of artwork, category strength, and number of accepted entries. The number of works in each category is not predetermined. All panel decisions are final.
Meet the Judges: The 2026 show will feature two judges: Dana Brock and Rachel Townsend Cerny.
Brock is an abstract and mixed-media painter whose free-flowing, layered work moves between acrylic, ink, charcoal, and watercolor on paper, canvas, and birch board. She became a Signature Member of the Southwestern Watercolor Society in 2022 and has been recognized with the Lou Bono Memorial Award and the Western Federation of Watercolor Societies' Longhorn Award, with work exhibited at Watercolor USA and in Federation and SWS member exhibitions. She serves as Art Curator-Director and Treasurer for MillHouse McKinney and as Exhibition Chairman for the Southwestern Watercolor Society.
Cerny, also known as RTown, is a multidisciplinary artist, curator, and founder of RTown Gallery in historic downtown Grapevine, Texas, and holds a BFA in Drawing and Painting from the University of North Texas. Working on both sides of the gallery wall — as a practicing artist and as a curator who has reviewed thousands of portfolio submissions — she brings a perspective shaped by both the vulnerability of making work and the discipline of selecting it. She values originality, thoughtful craftsmanship, and work that leaves a lasting impression.
The exhibit will be judged the afternoon of October 16 prior to show opening. The award selections are based on mastery of design, technique, conceptual quality, and creativity. Best in Show and all category selections will be determined by the judges. The judges' decisions are final. Artists may not qualify for more than one award per category but may win awards in multiple categories.
Application Requirements
Entries: Up to 2 works per artist.
Entry Fee: $45 for up to two entries (non-members); $35 for up to two entries (RAL members).
Images: Submit a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 5 images. No audio or video files.
Mixed Media entries: Must include a brief description explaining what materials were used and how the piece qualifies as mixed media.
Labeling: Artwork must be labeled on the back with name, title, size, and medium prior to drop-off. Items not for sale must be marked NFS.
By entering this show, the artist gives RAL permission to display images for publicity or promotion. Artwork must remain on exhibit for the entire show.
Eligibility Criteria
Open to all artists residing in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, and New Mexico, age 18 and older.
Originality: Submitted works must be original and created after January 1, 2024. "Original" means that if a painting is based on photos, the photos were taken by the artist, or the artist has written permission from the photographer to use the photos. Compositions based on published material, other artists' work, or created with artificial intelligence (AI) are NOT considered original and are not eligible. Work completed in a workshop or class is not eligible.
Content: All entries must be family friendly. Artwork which includes nudes, conspicuously religious content, drug references, or blatant political statements will not be accepted into this show.
Prior exhibition: Works must not have been displayed at previous Annual Rockwall Art League Fine Art Shows. Works shown at other RAL exhibitions are eligible.