Calling all composters and artists, and artists that compost!

We’re excited to announce an open call for visual art submissions to Gathering Ground: A celebration of compost art and culture! This is a 3-day art exhibition taking place in Sacramento, CA from February 1-3, 2026 alongside the upcoming Institute for Local Self Reliance’s “Cultivating Community Composting” forum.

The art exhibition will explore how compost, soil health, and regenerative agriculture shape more resilient communities. Through visual art, installations, and thought-provoking dialogue, Gathering Ground is meant to bring together and celebrate science, sustainability, and creativity in one participatory space.

We’re inviting artists and creatives to submit original completed artwork that speaks to these themes. If you’re interested, please fill out this short submission form by November 30, 2025. It only takes a few minutes! 

Some notes about participating: 

• You can be an amateur artist. We are looking for a range of submissions from people of all backgrounds and experience. If you make something creative that you love, we’re interested in hearing from you! 
• We are open to submissions of all genres of visual art, including painting and drawings, photography, videography, sculpture, conceptual work, textiles and fashion, graphic designs for screen printing, and whatever visual stimulation you can dream up! 
• You can be an artist from anywhere in the United States.  We have some limited resources to accommodate shipping and storage of non-local works. You can let us know in your submission proposal if you would require help getting your finished artwork to/from Sacramento, and we will do our best to assist. 
• The application process is meant to be simple and accessible. Have fun with it! 

Our goal is to represent a diverse array of art projects and people, and maximize our art curation within the constraints of our limited gallery space at Sol Collective. Selected pieces to be displayed as part of the exhibition will be notified by Friday, December 19, 2025.   

Our focus is on uplifting local voices, while also welcoming perspectives from beyond Sacramento and California to create meaningful exchange across the country. We want this show to reflect the diversity of ways people are engaging with compost, soil and climate today: from rural and urban contexts, personal and collective experiences, scientific and imaginative approaches.

We are intending to compensate selected artists for their participation, and we will determine the final offer based on the total number of art pieces we are able to curate. All artists may also choose to offer their pieces for sale at the exhibition.

We hope you’ll join us in celebrating the power of soil, compost, and community, and in imagining the regenerative future that they collectively make possible.

Happy creating!  

Natalí, Cass, and Kourtnii

The Art Team at the California Alliance for Community Composting

Questions?  Please email us at californiasoilstewards@gmail.com