Small Matters
November 19 – December 16, 2026
Submissions Deadline: Wednesday, August 19, 2026, 11:59 EST
Jurors: Beth Barry & Veronica Lawlor
“It has long been an axiom of mine that the little things are infinitely the most important.”
— Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes
Small Matters is a blindly juried open call to all visual artists within the United States who are over the age of 18. The jurors are Beth Barry and Veronica Lawlor. The exhibition runs from November 19 – December 16, 2026, at Carter Burden Gallery (548 West 28th Street, #534, New York, NY 10001).
This exhibition celebrates the power of art at an intimate scale, inviting works that prove creative impact is no small matter. Small Matters seeks two-dimensional works that are no larger than 15 inches and three-dimensional works that are no larger than 10 inches in any direction; These artworks will demonstrate how meaning, beauty, innovation, and emotional resonance can be conveyed within modest dimensions. Echoing the line from William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, “Though she be but little, she is fierce!”, this exhibition highlights the remarkable ability of small-scale works to command attention, inspire reflection, and leave a lasting impression.
About the Jurors
Beth Barry
Beth Barry is a New York-based abstract artist, curator, and psychotherapist whose practice explores the fluid boundary between the external landscape and internal emotional states. Born in New Bedford, MA, and currently working between New York City and East Hampton, Barry draws on her dual background in Studio Art (Connecticut College) and Art Therapy (Pratt Institute) to create vibrant works in painting and collage. Her practice utilizes light, hue, and motion to evoke a visceral, joyful response to the natural world.
As a curator, Barry has organized notable exhibitions at venues including Equity Gallery in NYC, where she was awarded the NY Artists Equity Association Curatorial Residency in 2022, as well as Ashawagh Hall and the Springs Community Library in East Hampton. Her own work has been exhibited extensively across the U.S. and abroad. Domestic highlights include The Painting Center, Carter Burden Gallery in NYC, and The White Room Gallery, East Hampton, NY, while her international presence spans the Coupelouvous Family Museum in Athens, the Masterworks Museum in Bermuda, and Shanghai Global Harbor in China.
Veronica Lawlor
Veronica Lawlor’s practice is rooted in immersive, on-site drawing that engages directly with wild landscapes and urban environments. Attuned to subtle energies and the cycles of life, she is especially drawn to places where nature and human history intersect. Her location drawings become points of departure in the studio, where she deconstructs and reconstructs visual forms into layered palimpsests of experience. Through a dynamic interplay of line, texture, and color, Lawlor gives shape to the emotional narratives embedded within the world around us.
Veronica Lawlor works at the intersection of illustration and abstraction. She has spent more than 25 years creating award-winning reportage drawings for clients worldwide. Her expressionistic on-site practice explores the sensation of place through formal aesthetic concerns, which she brings into her studio paintings. Her work has been exhibited by the United Nations, Mystic Seaport Museum, The Society of Illustrators, Shahinian Fine Art and numerous galleries and institutions. As the 2011 North American representative for the Canson Prix, her drawings were presented at the Louvre. Lawlor is on the faculty of Parsons School of Design, Pratt Institute, and the Woodstock School of Art, and conducts reportage workshops internationally. She lives and works in New York City and the Hudson Valley.
Dates
Exhibition Dates
November 19 - December 16, 2026
Entry deadline
Wednesday, August 19, 2026
Artist Notification
Saturday, September 26, 2026
Timeframe for receiving shipped work
Tuesday, November 3 - Tuesday, November 10, 2026
Hand delivery of work
Wednesday, November 11, 10am – 4pm
Thursday, November 12, 10am – 4pm
Opening Reception
Thursday, November 19, 6 – 8pm
Closed for Thanksgiving Holiday
Thursday, November 26 & Friday, November 27
Jewelry Show Pop-Up
December 10 – 12, 2026
Pick up hand-delivered work
Thursday, December 17, 10am – 4pm
Friday, December 18, 10am – 4pm
UPS/FedEx return of shipped work
Friday, December 18
Application and Exhibition Requirements
ELIGIBILITY
All visual artists working in two-dimensional and three-dimensional works, over 18 in the USA are welcome to submit. We particularly encourage artists over the age of 60.
ARTWORK SPECIFICATIONS
Two-dimensional work, including the frame, must not exceed 15 inches in any direction and should be wired, labeled on the back, and ready to hang. No saw-tooth hangers. All works on paper must be framed. White and natural wood frames are preferred; please use best judgment when framing work. Framed works must have plexi-glass (do not use glass or leave work uncovered).
Three-dimensional pedestal pieces must not exceed 10 inches in any direction. All three-dimensional works must not exceed 50 lbs.
Artwork that does not fit these parameters will not be considered or included.
ENTRY FEES
All applications must be submitted through CaFÉ to be considered for exhibition. Non-refundable fee of $45 for up to 5 submitted works.
SALES
Carter Burden Gallery will take no commission on sales. Label work that is not for sale “NFS”. Artists must provide their preferred payment method and information for the gallery to facilitate sales.
DELIVERY, PICK-UP, and SHIPPING
Late arriving work will not be hung.
Artists must cover all shipping costs. Work that is shipped must arrive in a reusable container, including a prepaid computer-generated UPS or FEDEX return shipping label. No U.S. Postal Service returns. Do not send stamps, cash, or credit card info for return of work. Work not picked up after one month will be handled at the discretion of the gallery.
LIABILITY
All possible care will be taken to guarantee the safety of the work. Carter Burden Gallery’s insurance will cover work ONLY while it is hanging in the gallery. The gallery will not bear liability for any loss or damage while in transit. Transit insurance is the responsibility of the artist.