Cultural Center Opens Call for Artists for 2026 Annual All-City High School Art Show

People in a museum looking at artwork hung on the walls.

The Branigan Cultural Center invites high school students from the Las Cruces region to apply for the Annual All-City High School Art Show, featuring a new format in 2026.

Applications are open to all juniors and seniors currently enrolled in a Las Cruces public, private, or charter high school, or homeschooled students residing in Las Cruces. Enrollment in an art class is not required. All qualified submissions will be considered, with a limited number juried for display in the exhibition, on view March 6 through April 18, 2026, at the Branigan Cultural Center. Accepted artists will be eligible for Best in Show, First Place, and Second Place awards with monetary prizes across four categories. Submissions will be accepted November 10, 2025, through January 23, 2026.

Students may submit one art piece in any artistic medium, including (but not limited to) painting, drawing, ceramics, photography, digital art, and mixed media. All submitted artwork must be a completed original piece created while the student is in high school and must not infringe on copyrights or include AI-generated components. Accepted students will have the opportunity to participate in a free framing workshop hosted by the Las Cruces Museums to help prepare their artwork for display.

Proposals must be submitted via SurveyMonkey. Beginning November 10, the application form will be available on the Las Cruces Museums website. Applications must include the student’s contact information, a parent/guardian or teacher contact, artwork details, and three to five images of the submitted piece. A parent/guardian or teacher certification is required. Incomplete or late applications will not be accepted.

The deadline for submissions is January 23, 2026, at 6 p.m. Mountain Time. For more information, email Analisa Torres, Exhibit Curator, at [email protected].

The Branigan Cultural Center is located at 501 N. Main St. and is open Tuesday through Friday from 10am to 4:30pm and Saturday 9am to 4:30pm. There is no admission charge. The museum is accessible from Roadrunner Transit Route 1 Stop 1.

For additional information, visit the Las Cruces Museums website or call (575) 541-2221/TTY 711.