Our American Stories: A Community Exhibition
​​
Call for Art:
“On July 4, 2026, our nation will commemorate and celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The journey toward this historic milestone is an opportunity to pause and reflect on our nation’s past, honor the contributions of all Americans, and look ahead toward the future we want to create for the next generation and beyond” (america250.org).
​
​In celebration of America’s semiquincentennial, the Champaign County Museum Network invites artists to submit artwork that reflects the following themes for an exhibition entitled: Our American Stories.
​
-
Stories that reflect upon America’s past
-
Stories that honor individual and collective contributions that have shaped the nation
-
Stories that cultivate visions for America’s future
​
Submission Requirements
We invite you to create and submit artwork in whatever art medium you choose--visual, performing arts, creative writing, new media, music, and more. Submit items in the following formats where possible:
-
Images (150 dpi; 3MB; JPG, PNG, or PDF)
-
Video (1-2 minute video, mp4; 1080p)
-
Audio files (mp3)
-
Text (PDF)
To Submit, complete the Our American Stories submission form. Submitting work grants permission to the Our American Stories planning committee to publish work crediting the artist.
​
Exhibition
Pieces gathered from this project will be compiled and displayed in a video airing on the Champaign County Museum Network website and social media channels, and archived for potential use as future historical documents and exhibitions.
The Our American Stories Exhibition aims to provide a number of exhibition and display opportunities. Inclusion into digital or museum displays or programming is dependent on submission formatting and curators may be required to modify, with permission from the artist, submissions depending on exhibition needs.
Exhibition artworks may be shared with local and state officials in effort to share creative community visions and stories for our cities, state, and nation.
Eligibility
We invite submissions from community members (middle school students to seniors) from Champaign County.
​
The Our American Stories Exhibition is co-sponsored by the Champaign County Museum Network. Network members include Anita Purves Nature Center, Champaign County African American Heritage Trail, Champaign County Historical Archives, Champaign County History Museum, Giertz Gallery at Parkland College, Homer Lake Interpretive Center, Illinois Distributed Museum, Krannert Art Museum, Lincoln Legacy Committee, Museum of the Grand Prairie, Pollinatarium, Richmond Family Welcome Gallery, Sousa Archives & Center for American Music,
Spurlock Museum of World Cultures, and William M. Staerkel Planetarium.
Timeline
Week of November 17th, 2025 - Call for Art Released
November 17th–January 31st, 2026 - Submissions Period
Saturday, January 31st at 11:59PM CST - Submission Deadline
February 2026 - Launch of the Our American Stories Video Released
Remainder of the 2026 Year - Associated Programs TBC based on submissions
Questions?
For more information, contact the network at: Champaign.County.Museums@gmail.com.