Now Open for Submissions: Cats, Dogs & Stories | A Juried Virtual Exhibition For Women Artists
The way we experience and share art is changing. Virtual exhibitions are opening doors for artists to share their work with audiences across the world, discover new creative communities, and find opportunities beyond geographical boundaries. They allow a painting created in a small home studio to be discovered by someone halfway across the world, bringing artists and art lovers together in wonderful new ways.
At Women in Arts Network, we are always looking for meaningful ways to bring artists together and create spaces where their stories can be seen and appreciated. Over the years, we have hosted 15+ virtual exhibitions, presenting the work of 800+ women artists from around the world and celebrating the many voices, perspectives, and stories that make the art world so vibrant. And our newest open call celebrates a subject that has been close to so many of our hearts for centuries: the animals who share our lives, our homes, and sometimes even our canvases.
Cats, Dogs & Stories is now open for submissions! We are inviting women and non-binary artists from around the world to share their work for our new juried virtual exhibition. Whether your inspiration comes from a beloved pet, a childhood memory, a funny everyday moment, or a story you have been waiting to tell through art, we would love to see how you interpret this theme.
If cats and dogs have ever found their way into your sketchbook, your photographs, your paintings, or your imagination, this is an opportunity to give those stories a place of their own.
A Celebration Of The Stories We Share With Animals
Some of our most meaningful memories are connected to the animals who have been part of our lives. A cat curled up beside us while we work, a dog waiting excitedly at the door, or a familiar face we still remember years later can hold a special place in our hearts. These moments may seem ordinary to someone else, but to us, they can mean everything.
Cats, Dogs & Stories brings together these personal connections through art. Hosted by Women in Arts Network, this juried virtual exhibition will celebrate the many ways cats and dogs appear in our lives, cultures, memories, and creative practices.
We are interested in the stories behind the images, the feelings behind the colours, and the little details that make each artist’s interpretation unique. Perhaps your work captures the playful personality of a pet, explores the comfort of companionship, reflects on the experience of loss, or imagines an entirely different world through the eyes of an animal.
There is no single way to approach this theme. We want artists to bring their own perspectives, experiences, and creative voices to it. Selected artworks will be presented in an online gallery, giving audiences around the world the opportunity to discover your work and the stories behind it.
Cats, Dogs & Stories: A Theme With A Long History In Art
Long before cats became our favourite studio companions and dogs found their way into family photographs, animals were already telling stories through art. Across centuries and cultures, they have appeared in paintings, sculptures, ceramics, manuscripts, and countless other forms of visual expression.
But what makes cats and dogs especially interesting is how personal their presence can be. They can be companions, symbols, characters, protectors, sources of humour, or quiet witnesses to our everyday lives. Sometimes, they take centre stage. Other times, a small animal in the corner of a painting tells us something important about the person who created it.
Women artists throughout art history have found their own ways of exploring these relationships.
Frida Kahlo frequently included animals in her paintings, drawing inspiration from the creatures she lived with and the cultural meanings they carried. In Itzcuintli Dog with Me (1938), she portrays herself alongside a small Mexican hairless dog, making the animal part of an intimate and distinctly personal image. Her work reminds us that animals can be much more than subjects; they can be connected to identity, memory, and the worlds we build around ourselves.
Georgia O’Keeffe, celebrated for her paintings of flowers and landscapes, also shared a deep affection for her dogs. Her life with her beloved Chow Chows offers another reminder that the relationship between an artist and an animal does not always need to appear directly in a painting to be part of their creative story.
These examples show us just how many directions this theme can take. An animal can be a portrait subject, a cultural reference, a symbol of belonging, or a small but meaningful part of a much larger story.
And that is what makes this open call so exciting. We are not simply looking for pictures of cats and dogs. We are inviting artists to explore what these animals mean to them, how they influence the way we see the world, and what their presence allows us to express.
Perhaps your cat has a personality that could fill an entire series of paintings. Perhaps your photographs capture the little rituals of life with a dog. Or perhaps you are drawn to the imaginative, symbolic, or unexpected ways animals can become part of a visual narrative.
Whatever your approach, we encourage you to follow it.
A Juried Virtual Exhibition: Why Take Part?
An exhibition can become an important part of an artist’s journey. It offers a chance to share work beyond the studio, connect with an audience, and add a new experience to a growing creative practice.
At Women in Arts Network, we have presented more than 15 exhibitions featuring over 800 artists from around the world in the past two years. With Cats, Dogs & Stories, we are continuing to build a space where women and non-binary artists can share their perspectives and introduce their work to new audiences.
Artists selected for the exhibition will receive:
- A place in a curated virtual exhibition: Present your work alongside selected artists from around the world in our online gallery.
- Professional presentation: Have your artwork showcased with appropriate artist credit.
- An opportunity to reach new audiences: Let art enthusiasts, fellow artists, curators, collectors, and visitors discover your practice.
- An exhibition credit: Add the experience to your CV, website, portfolio, and exhibition history.
- A digital certificate of participation: Receive a certificate if your work is selected.
- Promotion across our digital platforms: Give your work another opportunity to be seen and shared.
- An optional artist interview: Share more about your creative journey, process, inspirations, and the story behind your artwork.
Whether you are preparing for your first exhibition or have years of experience behind you, we hope this opportunity encourages you to share work that feels meaningful to you.
Who Can Apply?
We welcome women and non-binary artists aged 18 and above from anywhere in the world.
You do not need an established exhibition history or years of professional experience to take part. Emerging artists, recent BFA and MFA graduates, first-time exhibitors, and established practitioners are all encouraged to apply.
We welcome a wide range of visual art practices, including:
- Painting and drawing
- Photography and illustration
- Sculpture and ceramics
- Printmaking and collage
- Digital art and mixed media
- Textile art
- Video art and installation
- Contemporary and experimental practices
Your work can be realistic, abstract, figurative, conceptual, expressive, symbolic, humorous, or imaginative. We are interested in the many ways artists interpret the theme, so please do not feel limited to traditional pet portraits.
The main requirement is that your submission is your own original work and responds meaningfully to Cats, Dogs & Stories.
How To Apply For Cats, Dogs & Stories
Ready to share your work with us? Applying is simple, and you can submit up to three artworks through the official application form.
Step 1: Prepare Your Artwork
Choose up to three original artworks that respond to the theme. Your work might feature a cat or dog directly, explore a memory connected to an animal, or use animals as part of a larger visual story.
Prepare clear artwork images in JPG or PNG format, with each image under 5 MB.
Step 2: Gather Your Artwork Details
For each piece, have the following information ready:
- Artwork title
- Medium
- Size
- Year of creation
You will also need your contact details, a short artist bio, a professional headshot, and your full postal address. Your website and Instagram links can be included if you have them.
Step 3: Complete The Application Form
Visit the official submission page, fill in your details, upload your artwork images, and choose your preferred participation option.
You can apply for the virtual exhibition alone or select the optional Artist Interview Feature.
Step 4: Submit Your Application
Complete the application and pay the relevant fee before the deadline. Please read the Artist Publishing Agreement carefully before submitting.
The selection panel will review applications for artistic quality, originality, technical execution, connection to the theme, and overall presentation. All applicants will be notified by email within three weeks of the deadline.
Please remember that submitting your work does not guarantee selection, and the panel’s decisions are final.
Submission Details At A Glance
Here are the important details to keep handy before applying.
The application fee is non-refundable, and payment does not guarantee selection.
For artists who choose the optional interview, the feature offers an additional opportunity to share their journey, creative process, and inspirations through a dedicated interview published on the Women in Arts Network website, with promotion across its digital platforms.
Artists retain ownership and copyright of their work. The publishing agreement grants Women in Arts Network a non-exclusive licence to display and promote selected artwork in connection with the exhibition. Please review the full agreement on the application page for all terms.
Your Story Belongs Here
Art has a beautiful way of making us notice the things we might otherwise overlook. A familiar face, a quiet afternoon, a playful moment, or the memory of an animal we once loved can become the starting point for something deeply personal.
With Cats, Dogs & Stories, we want to celebrate those connections and the many ways artists bring them to life. We hope this exhibition becomes a place for different perspectives, unexpected interpretations, tender memories, and stories that deserve to be shared.
If you have work that speaks to this theme, we would love for you to consider submitting it. Bring us your paintings, photographs, illustrations, sculptures, and experiments. Bring us the stories that make you smile, the memories that stay with you, and the little details only you would think to notice.
Submissions are now open until November 9, 2026. We look forward to seeing your work!
