The “Piercing the Silence: Everyday Art of Resistance” exhibition purpose is to unveil the value of craftivism, 
resistance, and protest art works and the people who created them. 

The Museum of Beadwork in Portland, Maine is calling for new, existing, or historic works categorized as craftivism, protest, and resistance art. As a beadwork museum, we typically show a preference for beaded art, however, in this exhibit we accept all works created with needles as a primary tool including: knit/crochet, embroidery, quilting, leatherwork, cross stitch, and of course, beadwork. Pieces may be made by hand or machine. Forms include: jewelry, sculpture, wearable art, 2-D and 3-D designs. 

For many, art is used to express a person’s inner emotions and as a way to externalize a lived experience. 

Importantly, art has also served as a secret weapon. This approach works because everyday people making art are often undervalued and overlooked by their oppressors. For centuries, the power of the collective has toppled regimes with values that include creativity, communication, and community.  

For example, during WWII knitting and needlework were used by the resistance to surveille and encode messages for those fighting Germany. During the Cultural Revolution in China, artists were said to “paint by candlelight” to create and encode paintings in secret. Across Latin America, textile arts document typical daily life as well as scenes of violence while living under a regime. 

We are living in a time of great transition.

The axis of global power is shifting. Therefore, now is the time to learn from historical resistance and apply those lessons to our present moment. 

If you have existing or archival works that address current or historical events, please email images for curatorial review (guidance for taking photos here). See instructions for application here. We will select artworks for exhibition starting June 18th, 2026 and contact you by May 17th, 2026. 

PLEASE: Do not send your items until you have received full confirmation from us. 

Next steps and other details:

• Items in this exhibit will be on loan to the museum, all artwork will be returned unless otherwise arranged after the exhibition has closed.

• Exhibit dates will be: June 18th, 2026 to April 25th, 2027.

• You may submit multiple pieces to this call, please submit one piece per form. 

• International submissions are encouraged.

• Selected entries will be on exhibit for a 10-month show in the Museum of Beadwork gallery.

• Send images and this filled in form to Submissions [at] museumofbeadwork [dot] org
  FORM (Link)

• The Museum of Beadwork retains the right to photograph all entries and use those photographs as well as any photography entered into the competition in any lawful way including (but not limited to) publicity, marketing, publication, exhibitions, etc. in perpetuity with full credit to the artist.