Art of the African Diaspora 2027: Artist Guidelines and Registration

Art of the African Diaspora 2027

PROGRAMS AT RICHMOND ART CENTER:
Exhibition: January 20 – March 20, 2027 | Learn more…
Opening Reception: Saturday, January 23, 2027, 1pm-3pm
Artistic Achievement Awardees Talk: Saturday, January 23, 2027, 11am-12:30pm
Guest Speaker Event: Saturday, February 20, 2027, 12pm-1:30pm
Artist Vending Event: Saturday, March 13, 2027, 11am-3pm
Closing Reception: Saturday, March 20, 2027, 2pm-4pm

PROGRAMS AROUND THE BAY AREA:
Open Studios: Saturday & Sunday, March 6–7, 13–14, and 20–21
Satellite Exhibitions: Throughout January, February, March and April

Art Of The African Diaspora is a non-juried group exhibition featuring artwork by artists of African descent. The showcase exhibition is held at Richmond Art Center and is accompanied by self-guided open studio tours and satellite exhibitions throughout the Bay Area.

Questions? Email aotadexhibition@gmail.com

Artist Registration

Registration Deadline: Tuesday, October 20, 2026, 11:59pm

Note: The Richmond Art Center exhibition is limited to 120 artists, and spaces may fill before the deadline. Register early to be included. We will update this webpage when the exhibition reaches capacity. Registration will remain open for artists interested in participating in satellite exhibition opportunities.

Registration Fee: $85

Eligibility: Participation is open to all artists of African descent, who are 16 years or older, and who reside/work within the nine counties of the Bay Area (Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, Sonoma).

Registration Includes:

Opportunity to exhibit one artwork at Richmond Art Center (space permitting)
Artist listing in the Art of the African Diaspora catalogue
Artist listing in the online artist gallery (CLICK HERE to view the online gallery from 2026.)
Opportunities to participate in open studios and satellite exhibitions

Richmond Art Center Exhibition Requirements

Media: All visual art media considered

Artwork: Each registered artist may exhibit one original artwork. The artwork must have been created in 2024 or later and must not have been previously exhibited at Richmond Art Center.

Maximum size:

Wall-hanging artwork: 40 inches high × 40 inches wide, including the frame
Three-dimensional artwork: 40 inches in any dimension

Artwork must be ready for installation and:

Labeled with the artist’s full name
Equipped with appropriate hanging hardware, if applicable
Framed if the work is on paper

Important Dates for Artists

Infomation Session (Zoom): Tuesday, September 15, 2026, 7pm start

Information Session (In-Person at Richmond Art Center): Saturday, October 3, 2026, 11am-12pm

Deadline for Standard Registration: Tuesday, October 20, 2026, 11:59pm

Artwork Drop Off at Richmond Art Center: Friday, January 8, 2027, 11am-4pm OR Saturday, January 9, 2027, 11am-4pm

Artwork Pick Up at Richmond Art Center: Saturday, March 20, 2027, 4pm-5:30pm OR Tuesday, March 23, 2027, 11am-4pm

*OPTIONAL* Advertise in the Art of the African Diaspora Print Catalog

During registration, artists may purchase a discounted advertisement in the Art of the African Diaspora print catalog. Total catalog circulation: 3,000

Deadline to Purchase Ads: Friday, November 13, 2026, 11:59pm

Artist Ad Rates:

1/4 page ad $60 – 4 ¾” H x 3 ½ W
1/2 page ad $100 – 4 ¾” H x 7 ¾” W
Full page ad $200 – 10 ¾” H x 7 ¾” W

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Submit Ads: Email print-ready PDF or EPS files (full color, 300 dpi) with payment receipt to aotadexhibition@gmail.com by the deadline.

Terms: Artists must be registered to participate in AOTAD 2027 to qualify for a discounted ad; The Steering Committee reserves the right to assign ad space; All sales are final.

100% of ad funds (less any online processing fees) go to the Art of the African Diaspora Steering Committee, who is solely responsible for producing and publishing the catalog.

Artwork Delivery and Pick-Up

Artwork Drop Off Location: Richmond Art Center is located at 2540 Barrett Avenue, Richmond, CA 94804. Parking is available in the parking lot on 25th Street across the street from the art center.

Artist Bio/CV and Statement (optional): When you drop off your artwork you may bring in a printed artist bio/CV (1 page) and artist statement (1 page) for the artist info binder.

Artwork Loan Form: When you drop off your artwork at the center you’ll be asked to sign an artwork loan form (we will have this prepared for you).

Packing Material: We cannot store your artwork packing material for you. Please be prepared to take it with you after you drop off your artwork

Sales and Insurance

Insurance: Richmond Art Center provides fine art insurance for all artwork while it is on loan at the center. Coverage ends after the artwork’s scheduled pick-up date. Please note, this insurance does not cover artwork during transportation to or from Richmond Art Center. ABOUT ARTWORK INSURANCE

Sales: Artists may list their artwork for sale or as NFS (Not for Sale). For artwork sold through Richmond Art Center:

RAC retains a 30% commission
The artist receives 70% of the sale price

Ready to Participate? Register Below

Art of the African Diaspora 2027 - Artist Registration Form

ABOUT YOU
Artist Name*
List your name here as you would like it to appear on your listing. (For example some artists prefer to use their first name only, or leave the capitalization out of their name.)
Legal Name*
First Last
Address*
ADDRESS WILL NOT BE PUBLISHED

Street Address City State ZIP Code
Phone*
PHONE WILL NOT BE PUBLISHED
Email*
EMAIL ADDRESS WILL NOT BE PUBLISHED
Website
OPTIONAL
Social Media: Instagram or Facebook
OPTIONAL – Please provide one full account URL, as we may not be able to locate your profile using only your account name.
Artist Statement*
Tell us about your artistic practice. You may include details about your background, ideas, creative process, and overall vision. MAX 500 CHARACTERS
This is my first time participating in Art of the African Diaspora:
- Yes
- No
PARTICIPATION
By registering for Art of the African Diaspora 2027, I acknowledge and agree that:
- I meet the eligibility requirements and my artwork meets the published artwork requirements.
- Registration does not guarantee placement in the Richmond Art Center exhibition, which is limited to 120 artists.
- Richmond Art Center and Art of the African Diaspora determine artwork placement, and exhibition layout.
- I am responsible for artwork delivery and pickup during the scheduled dates.
- Artwork must remain on view for the full exhibition period unless approved by Richmond Art Center.
- Artwork sales processed through Richmond Art Center are subject to a 30% RAC commission and 70% artist share.
- Richmond Art Center and Art of the African Diaspora may photograph and use images of my artwork and participation for promotional, documentation, and fundraising purposes.
- Registration fees are non-refundable.
I agree to the terms and conditions listed above and the full AOTAD 2027 artist guidelines.*
- I agree to the terms and conditions listed above and the full AOTAD 2027 artist guidelines.
EXHIBITION AT RICHMOND ART CENTER
Complete this section with information about the artwork you will exhibit at Richmond Art Center. If needed, you can edit the information when you drop off your piece.
Artwork Title*
Artwork Year*
Must be recent work created since 2024
Artwork Medium*
Artwork Size*
H" x W" or H" x W" x D"
Wall-hanging artwork may not exceed 40 inches high and 40 inches wide (including the frame).
3D artwork may not exceed 40 inches in any direction
Artwork Price/Value*
Is the Artwork for Sale?*
If the work is for sale, its list price is the value stated above.
- Yes
- No / NFS
ONLINE LISTING
Upload an Image of Your Artwork (.jpg or .png)*
Please upload an artwork image to be included in the online gallery. It can be an image of your artwork in the exhibition OR any other image of your work you want to have represent your creative practice.
Accepted file types: jpg, jpeg, png, Max. file size: 1 MB.
Add Your Link
OPTIONAL
Share a link to direct folks to learn more about your work. Have more than 1 link you would like to include? Try using Linktree (free)
PRINT CATALOG LISTING
All participating artists are listed by name in the Art of the African Diaspora catalogue. Add here any additional information you would like included with your name:
Phone:
Only list your phone number here if you want it published in the AOTAD print catalog.
Email:
Only list your email address here if you want it published in the AOTAD print catalog.
Weblink:
Website, social media, etc. Only list your weblink here if you want it published in the AOTAD print catalog.
↓↓↓ DON'T FORGET TO CLICK SUBMIT ↓↓↓
Click 'Submit and Pay Fee' to be taken to our secure payment portal.

Art of the African Diaspora 2027: Artist Guidelines and Registration