Vanguard Showcase

Vanguard Showcase and Eric Fischl Vanguard Award 

Guidelines 2026

SUMMARY

  • ALL STUDENTS currently enrolled in the PC Art Program for academic year 2025-2026 are invited to submit artwork for the Vanguard Showcase!!!
  • Students may submit up to THREE artworks in any media (see specifics below)
  • The submission dates for physical artwork are April 1-3, 2026 (see below for more detail)
  • Artwork submissions MUST be accompanied by a completed google form submission (see below for link). The form can be submitted NOW thru April 3, 2026

DETAILS

BACKGROUND: The Vanguard Showcase is a juried showcase of Phoenix College’s best student artwork. It is also an opportunity for student artists to practice submitting and exhibiting their artwork. Selected artwork will be exhibited in the Eric Fischl Gallery.

ELIGIBILITY & COST: If you are a current Phoenix College student or were enrolled at Phoenix College in Fall 2025, then you can submit artwork to the exhibition. Your artwork must have been completed within the current academic school year (25/26) and never before submitted for the Vanguard Showcase. Submission is free. ⭐ In regards to the Vanguard Award, only students without a bachelor's or higher degree in fine arts are eligible for the Vanguard Award. Also, past recipients of the Vanguard Award are ineligible to apply and once again receive the award. 

CATEGORIES & AWARDS: You can submit artwork in the following categories:

  • Two-dimensional media including drawing, painting, printmaking, and mixed-media.
  • Three-dimensional media including ceramics, sculpture, jewelry, and mixed-media. 
  • Photography including black and white, color, digital, hand-painted, and alternative and/or manipulated photographic images.
  • Media Arts including graphic design, illustration, web design, animation, and comic/sequential art.



    Digital works that cannot exist in hardcopy should be submitted on a thumb drive in a ziplock bag and be clearly labeled with the artist’s name, email address, phone number, title of work, file type, and display requirements.

ERIC FISCHL VANGUARD AWARD: The Eric Fischl Vanguard Award is a $2,500 best in show prize juried by artist Eric Fischl. The Eric Fischl Vanguard Award winners’ artworks (along with all 1st, 2nd, 3rd place winners) are displayed at the Phoenix Art Museum during the annual Artist Reception/Student Art Exhibition and Fischl Lecture on Wednesday, April 8 beginning at 5:00 pm. The Eric Fischl Vanguard Award will also be presented to the Eric Fischl Vanguard Award winners at this time.
 

SUBMISSION, ARTWORK PREPARATIONS, and DROP OFF INSTRUCTIONS:
 

  • Submit Google Form: LINK 
  • Google Form QR Code: [INSERT QR Code]
  • When submitting through the link only one form is required for all entries. IMPORTANT: Please keep the digital receipt of your submission. This form will be necessary for retrieval of artworks, along with photo ID. 
  • ALL art work must be brought to the Eric Fischl Gallery, second floor of the Art Building, Wednesday-Friday, April 1-3 from 10:00am to 6:00pm. The Google Form can be submitted NOW thru April 3. 
  • You may submit up to three (3) artworks.
  • Make sure your two-dimensional artwork and photography are completely dry, matted, and framed with secure hanging wire or hanging tab on the back of the frame. You can submit artwork on stretched canvas if your artwork has hanging wire or a hanging tab on the back. 

     

NOTIFICATION: You will receive an email notification on April 7th about the status of each artwork submitted. Vanguard Award winners will be notified by email and phone on April 7th.
 

  • ARTWORK NOT SELECTED: PLEASE PICK it up at the Eric Fischl Gallery on Thursday, April 9 from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, or make an appointment to pick up your artwork with Dana Belmonte [email protected] if you cannot come at that time. 
  • SELECTED ARTWORK: will be exhibited in the Eric Fischl Gallery from April 13 to May 7, 2026. An opening reception will be held on Monday, April 13, 5:30-8 p.m. (gallery closed until 5:30 p.m.).
  • PICK UP OF SELECTED ARTWORK AFTER EXHIBITION: After close of exhibition: artwork will be available for pick-up on Monday & Tuesday, May 11 & 12 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. in Eric Fischl Gallery.⚡Artwork not claimed by May 15, 2026 or for which pick up arrangements have not been made will be disposed of or become the property of PC Art Dept. 

LIABILITY & RESPONSIBILITY: 💥The Eric Fischl Art Gallery will exercise care in the handling of your artwork, but the gallery DOES NOT have insurance for loss, theft, or damage of the artworks in the exhibition. If you want insurance, you must make your own arrangements for it. 

ARTWORK SALES: If you select to have your artwork for sale, the gallery takes a 25% commission that goes back to help support the gallery. All gallery sales must take place through the gallery. The gallery will not ship your artwork. If shipping is needed, it will be the responsibility of the artist to package and ship the artwork and get it to the intended recipient. 

CONTACT: If you have questions, contact Tiffany Bailey at [email protected]