Founded in 1987, the Oklahoma State University’s Cimarron National Works on Paper is a juried exhibition that has been held biennially in the Department of Art, Graphic Design, and Art History’s Gardiner Gallery of Art from 1987 to 1995, with resurgences in 2019 and 2021.

2025 marks the first year the exhibition will be hosted by the Oklahoma State University Museum of Art. The Cimarron National Works on Paper is a testament to the history of printmaking at OSU, our current educational initiatives, the diverse holdings of works on paper in the OSU Museum of Art’s collection, and an expression of OSU's enduring commitment to works on paper and contemporary practice.

The exhibition will be on display in the Oklahoma State University Museum of Art. On view from August 19 to December 19, 2025, with a reception on Thursday, October 16, 2025.

About the Museum Collection
The museum has a significant collection of works on paper, including a large suite of works by master printmakers Dole Reed and J. Jay McVicker. A major gift in 1985, from OSU alumnus Bill Goldston, of prints published by Universal Limited Art Editions were a foundational collection for the university. A recent gift of over 700 works on paper by Leon Polk Smith, one of the founders of the hard-edge style of minimal abstraction, is also housed in the museum's collection and serves as a major research archive.

This year’s juror is Amanda Lee, Assistant Professor of Printmaking and Drawing, Digital Emphasis, at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. A multidisciplinary artist, Lee specializes in printmaking, book arts, and photography: exploring Indigenous knowledge systems through her work.

Lee earned an MFA from Indiana University, Bloomington, and has held notable positions, including the Virginia A. Myers Visiting Professorship at the University of Iowa. Her accolades include a Huntington Library Fellowship, collaborative projects with Self Help Graphics in Los Angeles, and exhibitions in Scotland, Hong Kong, and Italy. She has also led workshops at Kent State, Loyola Marymount, and Penland School of Crafts, earning awards like an Adolph and Esther Gottlieb Foundation grant and a City of Seattle public art commission.

Call to Artists

Artists are invited to submit works through CaFÉ. $2,000 will be available for purchase awards. Purchased works will be added to the OSU Museum of Art collection. Submissions are due by May 1, 2025. https://artist.callforentry.org/festivals_unique_info.php?ID=14623

Application Requirements

Mediums Accepted

• Works on paper, including photography, bookarts, and paper-based multi-media work.

• All work must be original and executed within the past three years.

• Original (no giclée’s or reproductions).

Images & Submission

• 1 to 3 images. (Digital submissions only.)

• Images must be clearly labeled with the artist’s name, title, date, medium, and size.

• 350 word artist statement.

• Eligible to submit a total of three artwork entries.

Presentation

• Framed work must be under plexiglass (no glass).

• Ready to hang with wire or d-rings.

• Unframed work must be ready for display, needing minimal support.

• Artwork that is complicated to install must be accompanied by clear instructions.

Eligibility

• All artists residing in the United States.

• Open to artists 18 years and above.

• Work must not be part of a class.

• Only selected artwork will be included in the exhibition. No substitutions are allowed.

Catalogue

A catalog of this exhibition will be mailed to all those accepted. Oklahoma State University Museum of Art reserves the right to reproduce accepted entries for the catalog and publicity.

Shipping

• Incoming shipment to include typed return address label/s.

• Accepted work must be sent prepaid in sturdy, reusable crates or cartons. No packing peanuts.

• The size of the shipping container must conform to UPS and United States Postal Service size restrictions.

• Damaged or improperly packed crates will be returned at the owner’s expense.

• Work must be received by July 28, 2025.

Return of Entries

• Accepted work will be returned via UPS or FedEx. Will not ship to a P.O. Box.

• Oklahoma State University Museum of Art will pay up to $150 of return shipping costs, the balance will be the responsibility of the artist.

Learn more and apply: https://museum.okstate.edu/art/cimarron-national-2025.html