BANNED Call for Submissions

• Intent to submit opens: September 30, 2026
• Intent to submit closes: January 31, 2027
• Submissions open: February 1, 2027
• Submission deadline: June 30, 2027
• Work must arrive by: June 30, 2027

BANNED is open to work in the book arts that responds to the theme of banned and challenged books, censorship, and the freedom to read.

• Fine and design bindings
• Artist's books and altered books
• Broadsides and printed matter
• Boxes, enclosures, and paper-based work

Max of 2 entries per participant.
Size limits: see Size Limitations below.
Work that does not fit the touring crates cannot be accepted.

• Books and boxes: the protective enclosure may be no larger than 22 in × 22 in × 12 in.
• Flat and two-dimensional work: no larger than 24 in × 24 in, framed and housed in its protective enclosure.
• Sizes are restricted to fit the Guild's shipping containers.
• The Exhibitions Committee may disqualify work that is too fragile, too difficult to display, or too heavy to handle safely. Work that requires electricity cannot be accepted.

• All work must be the participant's own and completed after October 1st, 2026.
• Any part of the work made by another person (printing, box making, text) must be disclosed on the submission form.
• Selected work must remain with the exhibition for the full tour, approximately eighteen months, and may not be withdrawn or sold during that time.
• Every submission must arrive in a sturdy, custom-fitted enclosure. See Protective Enclosure below.
• Work that is too fragile to travel, or that does not meet the requirements, may be disqualified.

• No personal information, stamp, or date that could identify the artist may appear on the finished entry. Cover any such information before submission so that jurying remains blind.

Guild members: $70 for the first entry and $30 for a second entry.

The entry fee is due when you submit your work, not when you let us know you plan to submit. It covers handling, insurance while the work is in the Guild's care, the exhibition catalog, and return shipping. Fees are non-refundable.

Open to members of the Guild of Book Workers worldwide.

If you're not certain whether your membership is active, or would like to become a member, visit guildofbookworkers.org/membership.

• Entrants must be members in good standing at the time of submission and carry a current membership for the entire duration of the exhibition. Membership is verified during jury review.
• Work must not have been shown previously in a Guild of Book Workers exhibition.
• Work must meet the limits in Size Limitations and the requirements in General Guidelines.
• Each submission must be accompanied by a completed online submission form and housed in a custom-fitted enclosure.
• Work must arrive by the deadline in the Timeline. Late or oversized work will not be juried.

1. Let us know you plan to submit (optional). Enter your name and email on this page. No fee is due.
2. Make the work.
3. Submit. When submissions open we will email you. Complete the online submission form (title, medium, dimensions, weight, description, and optional photos or video of the finished work) and pay the entry fee. You will receive a confirmation email; print it and place it inside the enclosure with your work.
4. Ship. Mail the work to the address under Shipping & Insurance so that it arrives by the deadline. We will email you when it arrives.
5. Jury. Every piece is reviewed in person. Decisions are emailed to every participant. Work not selected is mailed back at the Guild's expense; selected work is crated and travels with the exhibition, then returns to you after the final venue.

Three jurors review every submission in person. The jurors will be announced at a later date.

The jury evaluates artistry and craft, interpretation of the theme, and visual interest, and selects the work that will travel. The jury reserves the right to exclude work that is technically or artistically unsuitable or that does not meet the requirements. All jury decisions are final.

Jurying is blind: jurors see the work and its identification number only, never the entrant's name. Current GBW membership is verified during jury review.

Decisions are emailed to every entrant; the date is listed in the Timeline.

To keep jurying fair and blind, entrants are asked not to post their submission, in progress or finished, on social media until they have been informed of the jury's decision.

Entrants are invited, but not required, to provide documentation of the making of their entry for use in promoting the exhibition: digital photographs and short videos. Upload them in the Making-of documentation section of the submission form; up to 20 files.

• Photographs: highest resolution available; 300 dpi JPEG recommended, up to 50MB each.
• Video: MP4 or MOV, up to 500MB each. Short clips of the process are ideal.
• Making-of documentation is seen by the exhibitions committee only; it is not shown to the jury.

Selected work travels to venues across the United States for approximately eighteen months. Venues and dates will be announced on the Guild website and on this page. Selected work remains with the exhibition for the entire tour and is returned to the participant after the final venue.

Once a work has been selected it must remain in the show for the full duration.

Work in the exhibition is not offered for sale during the tour. Participants who wish to make a piece available after the tour may note a price in the description on the submission form; inquiries will be forwarded to the participant.

The Guild photographs submitted work and may use the images, together with the participant's name, description, and statement from the submission form, in the catalog, on the Guild website, and in publicity for the exhibition, now and in the future. Photos and video uploaded with a submission, including making-of documentation, may be used in the same way. By entering, participants grant this permission. Copyright in the work remains with the participant.

Every submission must arrive in a sturdy, custom-fitted enclosure, such as a clamshell box, that will protect it in the crates for the whole tour.

• A clamshell box, preferably with double walls, or a reinforced phase box is recommended. Erin Fletcher's guide to making a clamshell box: download the PDF.
• Two-dimensional work must be framed and ready to hang in a robust frame (metal preferred) with plexiglass, not glass.
• Write only the title of the work on the outside of the enclosure. An adhesive label will be placed on the outside to assist with tracking throughout the tour.
• Place a printed copy of your confirmation inside the enclosure with the work. Include nothing else.
• For unique or unusual entries, place printed packing and display instructions inside the enclosure with the work.
• Enclosures that the committee judges unlikely to hold up to continuous travel may be rejected.

• Pack the enclosure in a rigid shipping carton with at least two inches of cushioning on every side.
• Pay particular attention to the corners.
• Do not use loose fill that can shift in transit.
• We open every package on arrival, record its condition, and email you a confirmation.
• Packaging material must be reusable so the enclosure can be returned to you in it.
• The Exhibitions Committee is not responsible for damage during transport to the Guild.

The mailing address will be sent to you when submissions open, and it appears in your submission confirmation. Please do not ship work before then.

Work must arrive by the deadline in the Timeline. Work received after that date will not be juried. International participants who need help with customs declarations should contact exhibitions@guildofbookworkers.org.

Participants are responsible for shipping and insuring their work in transit to the Guild. When declaring a value, consider the cost of reproducing the work rather than its retail or sale price. Maximum declared value: $2000.

On receipt the Guild photographs each work, records its condition, and reports any damage. The Guild insures the work while it is in its care and during the tour.

• Return shipping: the Guild pays return shipping up to $60 per entry to the address you provide; any amount above that is billed to the owner.
• Insurance during the tour: each exhibition venue insures the works in its custody. Entrants must be prepared to support the value they assign in the event of a claim; assigned values should not exceed $2,000 per item.