Kentucky Museum News

The Kentucky Museum invites artists to submit up to three works to Equal Temperament, a national juried art show to be hosted at the museum from July 2025 to April 2026. The show is produced in partnership with The Society for Inclusive Blacksmiths, WKU Department of Art & Design, and WKU Deparment of Music, and sponsored by the WKU Office of Research and Creative Activity.

Equal Temperament highlights the inclusivity of modern metalworking in a juried art show, accompanied by a variety of interpretive programming to showcase metal’s links with other artistic and historical forms. The show invites artists to submit works inspired by or including metalworking or forging that safely fit within a USPS Flat Rate Shipping Box. The works will be juried by an independent panel and showcased at the Kentucky Museum during a 10-month exhibition from July 2025 to April 2026.

Five awards will be given, named in recognition of the field's historical innovations:

• Kentucky Museum Purchase Award, $600
• Ulfberht Award for the most puzzling work, $250
• Masamune Award for the most intricate work, $250
• Yellin Award for the most functional work, $250
• Brim Award for the most humorous or fantasy-like work, $250

How to Enter

Step 1: Do you meet the following criteria?

Equal Temperament is open to artists who are:

• 18 years of age or older, and
• Living in the United States,

AND whose work:

• is inspired by or includes metalwork or forging, and
• Fits within a USPS Flat Rate Shipping box.

If yes, please proceed. 

Step 2: Review the Terms and Conditions

Each artist may submit up to THREE works for consideration. All works MUST meet the terms and conditions specified in the Prospectus.

Visit this webpage to review the full terms and conditions or 

Click here to download the PDF Prospectus.

Submission of entry is taken as agreement in full to all Terms and Conditions set forth in the Prospectus. Exhibit organizers reserve the right to disqualify work from consideration that does not meet criteria set forth herein, poses installation issues, or is deemed unsafe for the museum environment.

Step 3: Submit Entry Form

Click here to submit the entry form.

You may enter up to THREE works in the show. All works must meet the "Artwork Conditions" as stated in the Terms and Conditions of the Call. ABSOLUTELY NO CORRECTIONS OR SUBSTITUTIONS.

There is no registration fee. 

Entries must be received through the online entry form no later than 11:59pm on October 1, 2024.

Step 4: Check Your Email in January

An independent panel will judge the works submitted for consideration and make determinations on those included in the exhibition. You will be notified by email and postal mail on or around January 1, 2025, with their decision. 

If selected for inclusion in the exhibit, instructions on when and how to ship your works to the Kentucky Museum will be included in your acceptance letter.

Please, no phone calls about the status of your submission.