Entries Deadline: Wednesday, September 16, 2026
Applications close at 11:59 PM, Central Time
All entries must be submitted online at https://reviewstar.io/f/muertos2026
Read this prospectus entirely before submitting entries.
The Bath House Cultural Center is seeking entries for its 40th annual Día de Muertos exhibition. In 2026, the show is titled Día de Muertos: They’re Having a Party! The exhibition, curated by Enrique Fernández Cervantes, will include art in a variety of media and altar installations by local, regional, and national artists.
ELIGIBILITY
This call is open to all artists who live in the United States. Art that has been exhibited in previous Día de Muertos exhibitions at the Bath House will not be accepted. Entries that do not meet submission requirements will be disqualified.
DIA DE LOS MUERTOS TRADITION
Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) is one of Mexico’s most cherished and representative traditions. Central to this celebration is the belief that, on November 1 and 2, the souls of departed loved ones return to the world of the living to spend time with their families. They are welcomed with altars prepared in their honor, where offerings of food, drink, and other meaningful items are placed to nourish them during their annual visit.
FOCUS OF THE 2026 EXHIBITION
The Bath House Cultural Center will present its 40th annual Día de Muertos exhibition in 2026, marking four decades of celebrating one of Mexico’s most cherished traditions. Since the exhibition was first introduced to the center by Teatro Dallas founder Cora Cardona, it has honored the cultural significance of the Day of the Dead through artworks and altars that express love, remembrance, and the enduring bonds between the living and those who have passed away.
Although Day of the Dead celebrations have become increasingly common in recent years, few art spaces in the United States have presented an annual exhibition dedicated to the tradition continuously for as long as the Bath House Cultural Center. To celebrate this milestone, this year’s exhibition will transform the galleries into a vibrant visual celebration—a grand party in honor of those who are no longer with us.
According to tradition, the spirits of the departed return each year to reunite joyfully with their loved ones. But who is to say that their party is limited to two days out of the year? For this exhibition, we invite artists to imagine those same loved ones celebrating in the afterlife. Picture the uncle who never missed a chance to play the guitar, the cousin who loved to dance until dawn, the friend with an unforgettable singing voice, or the parents who found their greatest happiness in preparing a feast for family and friends.
Create a work of art that celebrates the qualities, passions, and joyful moments that made someone special by portraying them as participants in a party beyond this life. The artwork should depict a lively celebration in which the honored spirits are enjoying themselves. As visitors enter the galleries, they should feel as though they have been invited to become part of the festive atmosphere created by your work.
Artists proposing an altar are encouraged to embrace the same theme, honoring their loved ones through a lively celebration of their spirit.
The exhibition’s central theme is a joyful tribute to the unique people we remember and the happiness they continue to inspire.
MEDIA
Art in all media will be considered. All two-dimensional art must be properly wired and suitable for hanging. Three-dimensional art must be fully stable to stand on its own or be attached to a stable base that can sit securely on top of our pedestals. A limited number of 32” TV screens are available to play video art. Due to space restrictions, we do not use video projectors in this show.
There are no restrictions on the size of the artwork, but bear in mind that artists are responsible for the transportation of their works and their prompt removal after the show closes.
Altar installations must be coordinated with the curator. Because of insurance restrictions, the use of irreplaceable items in altars is discouraged. Candles can be used for display only and must not be lit. We discourage the use of perishable items.
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
We do not require an entry fee. Unfinished artwork will not be reviewed.
All the entries, including altar proposals, must be submitted online at https://reviewstar.io/f/muertos2026
Artists may submit one work of art for the curator’s consideration. The Bath House Cultural Center will not accept files submitted on USB drives, memory cards, or by e-mail.
PROPOSING AN ALTAR
Artists who wish to build an altar must submit their proposals using the link above. You will be asked to provide a description of your altar and a photograph of the completed altar (if possible), or a preliminary sketch that shows the basic structure and elements of the installation.
Due so space limitations, only 5-7 altars will be selected. Altars cannot exceed 50 inches in width and depth, but they can be up to 8 or 10 feet in height.
PHOTOGRAPHING YOUR ARTWORK
Submit clear images for the curator’s consideration. Our entries platform can accept files that are up to 5MB in size. Larger files are easier to review by the curator and are likely to be used for publicity.
GALLERY AGREEMENT
The curator will make a final decision for the selection of entries for the show. He will review photographs of completed artwork only and will select 45-65 pieces for the exhibition. The decision of the curator is final and indisputable.
Permission to photograph and reproduce accepted entries for promotional and educational purposes is considered granted unless otherwise indicated by the artist.
Submission of entries constitutes agreement to the conditions set forth in this prospectus and in the Gallery Policy for Exhibitions. View the policy at:
https://oca-media.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2021/07/exhibitionspolicy.pdf
SALES
Bath House Cultural Center employees are not authorized to accept payments from prospective art buyers; however, they may collect contact information from them and supply it to artists. Transactions for the purchase of artwork shall be directly between the purchaser and the artist or his/her official agent. The Friends of the Bath House Cultural Center would gladly accept a 15% voluntary donation on all art sold during the exhibition
DELIVERY, LIABILITY, AND INSURANCE
Any accepted artwork that is delivered after the scheduled date of delivery will not be included in the exhibition. All artworks should be either shipped (at the artist’s expense) or hand-delivered to and from the Bath House. The Bath House Cultural Center will not be responsible for damage, loss, or deterioration of any work while in transit. All reasonable care will be given to each work of art once it is received.
At its discretion, the City of Dallas will provide insurance on most works of art. At times, the City of Dallas may refuse to insure certain pieces of art. The Bath House will not be responsible for art that is damaged while in the custody of the center because of defective hanging or installation hardware that were provided/installed by the artists. As an added precaution, artists have the option to purchase coverage separately from their own insurance providers.
CALENDAR AT A GLANCE
Entries deadline: Wednesday, September 16, 2026
Selection notification: Saturday, September 19, 2026
Posted online at 6 PM at https://bathhouse.dallasculture.org/notifications/
The notification will include the names of the selected artists (including altar artists) and will be available after 6 PM. Artists are responsible for reviewing this list. The center will not send acceptance notifications to the artists.
In-person art deliveries: Tuesday, September 29, 2026 (3-7 PM). Late deliveries will not be accepted.
Art shipments: Art shipments must arrive between September 21-September 28, 2026.
Installation of altars: Altar artists will install their work on Saturday, October 3 (12-6 PM). They have the option of bringing all or some of their items to the gallery on September 29, but they will not begin their installations until October 3.
Show dates: October 10-November 7, 2026
Reception: Sunday, October 11, 2026 (5-7 PM)
Artwork pickup: Tuesday, November 10, 2026 (1-7 PM)
Return of shipped artwork: Artwork that comes from outside of DFW will be shipped back to the artists on the second week of December.
Questions?
Please contact the exhibition curator, Enrique Fernández Cervantes at (214) 670-8723 or enrique.fernandez@dallas.gov
