August 15 – September 27, 2026
1 Commandant’s Lane, Benicia
Sylvia Hughes-Gonzales and Ebti, Jurors
What happens when artists give up sole artistic control and ownership of an artwork in favor of expanding the creative process? There are benefits and challenges to collaboration. The process can bring surprise, joy, ambiguity, compromise, communication, frustration; all ending in an agreeable finishing point. Working together to combine perspectives and art practices, we create something that could not have been created alone.
Arts Benicia, a non-profit art center in Benicia, CA, invites artists to submit fully realized collaborative artwork made by two or more artists.
All 2D and 3D media and video accepted. 2D work may not exceed 72″ in width or height, including the frame. 3D work may not exceed a 72” footprint. There is a 35-pound weight limit for any hanging work. Floor weight for 3D work must not exceed 300 lbs. Installations may exceed the size limit but not the weight limit. Please contact the staff with any special requirements for installation.
Accommodations: We are committed to ensuring that everyone feels included and valued. We warmly invite you to reach out to us with any requests for accommodations that may be necessary for your participation in our programs.
Deadline for Entries: May 22, 2026 (10:59 pm Pacific Time)
Schedule
Jurying of entries: May 22 to May 28, 2026
Notification to artists: June 2, 2026
Hand Delivery of artwork: July 23-24, 2026, 1-4 pm
Delivery of shipped artwork: July 20-24, 2026 (no later than July 24)
Members and Exhibition Artists Preview: Thursday, August 13, 2026, 6 – 7 pm
Opening Public Reception: Saturday, August 15, 2026, 4 – 6 pm
Close of exhibition: Sunday, September 27, 2026
In Person Pick-up of Artwork: September 29, 2026, 1 – 4 pm (or by appt)
Return Shipped Artwork: begins September 29, 2026
Sylvia Hughes-Gonzales and Ebti Shedid, Jurors
Sylvia Hughes-Gonzales works in sculpture and social actions. Her work lives in the space between celebration and loss. Years on the Gulf Coast shape her sensitivity to land, its volatility, and the bodies that move through it. She works with fragile materials, collective gestures, and chance. Born in New Orleans, raised in Oakland, she lived in New Orleans for over two decades. She studied art and printmaking in Mexico, Louisiana, and South Africa, and received her MFA from Mills College in Oakland, CA, in 2021. She was awarded the Graduate Fellowship at Headlands Center for the Arts (2021–2022) and is currently in the Panhandle Artist Residency (2025). Her recent projects include stacking paper and wearing bread.
Ebti Shedid is a multidisciplinary artist, a curator, a photographer, and a translator living between Cairo and San Francisco. She has an MA in translation and intercultural studies from Johannes Gutenberg Universitat, Mainz, and an MFA in Fine Art from California College of the Arts. Ebti is part of the “Right Window” collective. She co-founded the “Off Hours” curatorial collective and sits on the curatorial council at Southern Exposure Gallery in San Francisco. She is also part of the artist-run collective space Dream Farm Commons in Oakland. Her work has been shown in galleries across the US and Egypt. She currently teaches photography at UC Davis. www.ebti.art
GALLERY LOCATION
1 Commandant’s Lane, Benicia, CA 94510
GALLERY HOURS
Thursday – Sunday, 1:00 to 5:00 pm, during exhibitions. The gallery is closed between exhibitions.
CONTACTING ARTS BENICIA
Staff often work remotely. The best way to reach staff is via email or leave a phone message: Jean@artsbenicia.org; 707-747-0131.
Artwork by Bodil Fox and Larnie Fox