WELCOME TO JUNIPER RAG | an Art Advocacy Project of Atelier ID Global
Contemporary art to elevate + enrich our spaces—
Juniper Rag strategically blends editorial, exhibition, community, collaborations and artist development into one ecosystem.
Michelle May and Payal Thiffault bring a rare combination of art world excellence and marketing strategy. Founded and led by both of us--working artists, each with over two decades of experience in design, curation and cultural programming. We understand both the creative and business sides of art. Juniper Rag bridges two major elements—bringing thoughtful curation, real artist networks and strategic visibility. Our virtual exhibitions create new pathways and open logistical and financial barriers to all artists globally.
Our programming, exhibitions and partnerships emerge from real artistic networks and community engagement and strategic planning of collaborations, that capitalize on timing--ensuring that every project reflects lived creative experience rather than purely commercial or institutional priorities, which we are not beholden to as independent advocates.
Juniper Rag sits at the intersection of: exhibition platform, cultural network + marketplace.
Juniper Rag is backed by our marketing agency, Atelier ID Global, also co-founded by us— We understand the art market landscape, the needs of artists and strategic business collaborations that widen your network. We also provide artist services, branding, website builds and manage collaborative events.
Juniper Rag has built a strong reputation in presenting high-caliber art in all media by some of the best emerging and mid-career artists, and proudly we have juried and curated some of the highest attending shows for our creative partners. Locally, we are active in many Massachusetts artist communities, which gives all of our talented artists strategic footing in New England.
Visit our new location: 138 Green Street, Worcester, MA | Studio 201
Learn more and sign up for our occasional newsletter at juniperrag.com
BASIC SUBMISSION DETAILS:
- Eligibility: All international artists are welcome to apply to all virtual shows with works in any medium. Each in-person exhibitions have specific logistical guidelines to follow.
- Requirements: Artists may submit up to the specific limit of art for each call, which may vary. In some cases you can submit more for a small fee. High-quality, cropped to edge of art, unframed images, a well-written bio and a statement (300 words each) are required
- Optional marketing items can be submitted as well. Include a headshot, + an optional short video of a studio or process shot or comparable
- As a rule, we do not like to show art on student grade .5 inch canvas. Please use 1+ inch professional grade canvas.
- If you are submitting photography, we prefer not to sell photos printed on canvas. Metal and other substrates present well, but canvas is not acceptable.
- All photo series should be mentioned in descriptions (Limited Series, 1/6 for example) so buyers know what the value/rarity of each piece will be.
- Juried calls mean that not all art or artists may be selected.
REQUIREMENTS
- Submission Fee: $35 USD (non-refundable)
- Limit of Submitted Artworks: 3 for $35 and up to 6, Depending on call requirements, please read each call.
- Bio Word Limit: 300
- Statement Word Limit: 300
COMMISSIONS
- Virtual Exhibitions: 35% USD on retail price of artwork
- In-Person/Hybrid Exhibitions: 40% USD on retail price of artwork
CONNECT WITH OUR ONLINE COMMUNITY
Magic happens because of your network. Use your network. Build a bigger network. Invest in your followers & contacts.
- @juniperrag on all channels. Follow us so we can tag your account.
COPYRIGHT & USAGE AGREEMENT
By submitting your work, you attest that it your submission is your own original work. Artist retains full copyright of the work and will be credited. By submitting you give permission to Juniper Rag to use your images by JUNIPER RAG or affiliated partners on our websites, print and digital, advertising, interviews and of course, social media posts. We do reserve the right and hope to use your content again at a later time.
By submitting your work, you attest that it is your original artwork, 100% and if you are creating digital art you have diligently checked all copyright information. Any questionable submissions that we ethically cannot support may be omitted.
Thank you for sharing your work with Juniper Rag.
Michelle May and Payal Thiffault
VELVET | OUR ANNUAL DARK EXHIBITION
Juniper Rag Contemporary
138 Green Street, Studio 201 in Worcester
Visitors are welcome. Hours: wed-fri + sun 11-5, sat 11-6.
Juried by Michelle May and Payal Thiffault
DEADLINE SEPT 26, 2026
NOTIFICATIONS expedited- by SEPT 28
There are works of art that whisper. There are works that nudge softly and stay with you for years.
VELVET is an exhibition about lingering in the shadows, the dark minds, dark spaces and nocturnal beauty. There is a strange elegance that lives just beneath the surface of what we fear, dream and what humans feel when the weight of the world is upon them. We are seeking visual art that understands darkness not as emptiness, but as ethereal atmosphere. Work that radiates the call of midnight from within. Work that lingers like perfume on a jacket in the misty early morning.
JUNIPER RAG invites visual artists of all mediums to submit to our most anticipated exhibition of the year, VELVET. We are interested in artists unafraid of emotional depth, cinematic mood, unconventional beauty and visual storytelling that pulls us all closer instead of explaining itself away.
Following the magnetic response to last year’s DELIRIUM and recent JUNIPER RAG exhibitions featuring guest jurors Jess Klay and legendary designer David Carson, VELVET continues our commitment to showcasing artists whose work carries presence, originality and or course, cultural pulse. We are especially drawn to artists creating work that feels tactile, raw, intimate, dangerous, edgy, inviting and timeless.
Think dim hotel corridors, with flickering neon. Layered shadows into night sky. Heavy chiaroscuro florals. Tenebristic drama. Velvet curtains. Spiritual iconography. Smoke. Film grain. Decadence. Static. Desire. Ghosts in the machine. The beauty of things slightly undone.
Interpretation is wide open.
At JUNIPER RAG, we believe powerful exhibitions create a place viewers can step into. VELVET is an invitation into that world. Whether emerging or established, we welcome artists whose work leaves fingerprints on the imagination.
Selected artists will receive exhibition placement, promotional features through JUNIPER RAG platforms and inclusion in a curated international dialogue surrounding contemporary visual culture.
We are looking for atmosphere, intrigue and art that honors the thinning of the veil.
🏆 3 Curator's Choice Awards for VELVET will be chosen.
👁️ Selection Criteria:
Works will be evaluated for conceptual strength, originality, and alignment with the theme’s psychological and aesthetic depth. We will consider how effectively each piece evokes atmosphere, engages the viewer’s senses, and lingers in the imagination. Technical skill, material choice, and overall presentation will factor into the selection, but equal weight will be given to emotional resonance and narrative impact. The final curation will reflect a balance of mediums, perspectives, and voices, creating an exhibition that captures the fevered beauty and unsettling allure at the heart of VELVET.
PRO TIPS: Check out the vibe of our past exhibitions, NIGHT, VEIL, DARKNESS & DELIRIUM. We are not looking for grotesque or gore or anything “on-the-nose of the candy holiday”. Check out the vibe there.
IMPORTANT DATES for accepted work:
LOCATION: Juniper Rag Contemporary, 138 Green Street, Studio 201 Crompton Building, Worcester.
CONTACT: Michelle, info (at) Juniperrag.com
DROP OFF: Wed, Sept. 30 11-5p and Thurs, October, 1 from 11-5 pm
Open Sunday, Sept 27, 10-5p, if you get notified and want to drop that day.
We are getting used to the new flow of drops at the gallery. Please bare with us. ; )
SHOW RUNS: Oct 3 - Nov 1
OPENING RECEPTION: Saturday, October 10, reception from 6-9 pm. FESTIVE BLACK ATTIRE suggested, of course.
PICK UP: Sunday, November 4, 3 - 7 pm. Please try--All art must be picked up by this date. No storage.
DEADLINE: 9/26/26 at 11:59pm
COMMISSION: 60% to artist, 40% to Atelier ID Global/Juniper Rag
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THE HOLIDAY EDIT will be installed on November 2. Call live on est. Sept. 28.
ART will be available in the gallery and online.
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ELEVATOR: available. We are in the city, so for a quick drop, having a second person in the car to loop around the block would be fast and easy or you can park and walk up for a visit.
PARKING: Metered on-street spots and lots are also available in front and behind building.
We’re already dreaming about the VELVET vibes we know our artists will rock—psychological, ethereal, mystical energy, shadowy beauty, and a bit of magic filling our new gallery. We can’t wait to bring this evocative exhibition to life and welcome you into the atmosphere.
Michelle and Payal