Call for artists: County Museum invites submissions for Hispanic Heritage Month exhibition

Graphic of woman in a wallpaper paper cut style. Text: Hispanic Heritage Month 2025. Exhibition open Sept. 13 through Dec. 14. — Call for artists for Hispanic Heritage Month exhibition, Expectations: A Better World Through Art, Music, and Respect, scheduled to run from Sept. 13 through Dec. 14 at San Bernardino County Museum in partnership with Inland Empire Latino Art Association.

The San Bernardino County Museum (SBCM), in partnership with the Inland Empire Latino Art Association (IELAA), is proud to announce a regional call for artists to participate in an upcoming exhibition celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month. With the theme Expectations: A Better World Through Art, Music, and Respect, the exhibition invites creatives across the Inland Empire and beyond to explore the powerful role that cultural expression plays in envisioning and building a more just and inspired future.

Opening Saturday, Sept. 13, the exhibition will highlight a broad spectrum of artistic voices—from emerging to established artists—who celebrate the vibrancy, resilience and diversity of Hispanic and Latinx communities. Artists are encouraged to submit works in all mediums, including painting, printmaking/graphic design, drawing, mixed media, textile, photography, sculpture, video, and performance that explore how expectations have shaped them as individuals, isolated them, or bring everyone together as a community.

“This year’s theme is a call on what role expectations have in forming who we are and how we view the world,” said Curator of Art and Exhibits Dr. Casey Lee. “Expectations fill us with hope and inspire us to push our limits, but at their darkest, they can make us feel inadequate or make us targets of prejudice and violence. We’re inviting artists to reflect on how culture and community can shape the world we all hope to live in—one grounded in mutual understanding, beauty, and expression.”

Submissions are open through Aug. 8, and selected works will be exhibited from Sept. 13 through Dec. 14 at SBCM.

Eligibility: Artists of all backgrounds and residing in San Bernardino County and surrounding regions.

Artist Submission Requirements:

Artwork will be accepted at the sole discretion of the exhibit committee. Only accepted artworks will be displayed.
If the artwork is not accepted, you will receive an email notification before the opening date of the exhibition.
Artists will deliver and remove artwork from the gallery by appointment during designated museum hours.
All work must be well-crafted, framed, wired and ready to hang or display.
All works must be original works by the submitting artist. No artificial intelligence (AI) renderings or creations will be accepted.
All works submitted should be of a recent date. Works previously exhibited at SBCM will not be accepted.
Artwork must be removed and collected no later than one week after the exhibition has ended, or as designated.
By submitting artwork to this exhibition online, you permit SBCM and IELAA to use the images of your artwork for marketing, publication, and advertising purposes.

Please review our entry form for full submission guidelines.

As the event approaches, we will provide more information regarding a community celebration and artist reception that will be held on Sept. 13 to kick off the exhibition’s opening.

The San Bernardino County Museum is located at 2024 Orange Tree Lane, at the California Street exit from Interstate 10 in Redlands. The museum is open Tuesdays through Sundays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. General admission is $10 (adult), $8 (military or senior), $7 (student), and $5 (child ages 6 to 12). Children five and under and members are admitted free. Parking is free and the museum is accessible to people with disabilities. For more information, visit museum.sbcounty.gov or follow us on Facebook or Instagram.

About Inland Empire Latino Art Association of San Bernardino: Established in 1985, the Inland Empire Latino Art Association of San Bernardino’s objective is to unite individual artists to reach some common goals: peer support in resolving art related problems, exhibiting artwork to enhance image, and most important of all, to provide a positive role model for all young people of the Inland Empire and beyond. For more information, visit their page on Facebook or contact IELLA Chairman, Rudy Ramirez at trampramirez@yahoo.com.

About San Bernardino County Museum: San Bernardino County Museum’s exhibits of regional, cultural, and natural history and the Museum’s other exciting events and programs reflect the effort by the Board of Supervisors to achieve the Countywide Vision by celebrating arts, culture, and education in the county, creating quality of life for residents and visitors.

Additional County Update News – July 31, 2025