Bellwethers is a regional juried exhibition of collegiate student art held annually by the University of Tennessee at Martin’s Department of Visual and Theatre Arts in collaboration with the West Tennessee Regional Art Center in Humboldt, Tennessee. Originally known as Artists of the 21st Century, this event was created by UT Martin Professor of Graphic Design Lane Last in 2000 as a way for college art students in the region to see how they measure up against students from other programs under the professional review of an outside juror. In 2018, Artists of the 21st Century was rebranded as Bellwethers. The word bellwether, derived from a Middle English word that referred to a lead sheep in a flock with a bell around its neck, is often used to designate a leader or indicator of trends within a geographic region. In 2024, the UT Martin faculty created the Lane Last Award for Best in Show to honor Professor Last’s many years of support of the department and this exhibition. In 2025, programming for the exhibition was assumed by the newly formed Center for Southern Art, an academic center located in the Department of Visual and Theatre Arts on the UT Martin campus that is devoted to the cultivation of excellence in the visual art of the Southern United States.
Juror
Jed Jackson received his MFA from Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, 1980 and his BFA from Memphis College of Art in Tennessee, 1977, and was awarded a residency at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in Maine, 1974. He has taught Painting, Art History, Art Theory and Critical Thinking and Humanities courses at the University and College level for 42 years. Jackson has held teaching positions at New York University (1986-90) and Southern Illinois University at Carbondale (1990-1999). Jackson has held the position of Professor of Painting at The University of Memphis since 1999. He served as Chair of the Art Department there from 1999-2006. As a senior accreditation evaluator, Jackson has served the National Association of Schools of Art and Design since 2004. Jackson is the author of the book Art: A Comparative Study, first published in 1994.
Jackson's beautifully rendered landscape and figurative oil paintings embody realism with a distinctive twist. Gleaning inspiration from illustration publications, Cinema, Literature, Music and a plethora of other twentieth century cultural sources, Jackson incorporates these images and ideas with a keen sense of color and composition to create paintings that are simultaneously rich in content and aesthetically dynamic. Jackson's paintings have been shown in over 200 national and international exhibitions, gaining wide critical acclaim in published articles and reviews. His work has been supported by numerous Grants and fellowships from the NEA, ArtsMidwest, Tennessee Arts Commission, Arts Memphis, FedEX Forum and many other arts support agencies.
Calendar
September 19 - Entry Deadline
October 3 - Notification of Acceptance
October 14 - Deadline of Delivery for Accepted Works
October 19 - Exhibition Opens
November 13 - Closing Reception and Awards (5 PM to 7 PM; Awards at 6:30 PM). Pickup of work immediately following close of reception.
November 23-27 - Return of shipped work
Show Prizes
The Lane Last Award for Best in Show - $200
2-D
1st Place - $125
2nd Place - $75
3rd Place - $50
3-D
1st Place - $125
2nd Place - $75
3rd Place - $50
Eligibility
The Bellwethers 2026 exhibition is open to all undergraduate art students enrolled in a visual arts program at two-year or four-year institutions in the following states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia. Students who have graduated from one of these programs within the past 6 months are also eligible to submit. Work entered must have been produced during the student’s undergraduate enrollment period, must have been created solely by the artist, and must have been finished within the last two years. Master copies are not eligible for submission. Media may include painting, drawing, sculpture, glass, ceramics, photography, printmaking, digital art, fibers, mixed media, and jewelry. Video art or works requiring electricity and/or technology may be submitted, but any computer or display/projection technology must be provided by the artist and left for the duration of the exhibit. Large sculptures or objects with complicated installations must be self-installed by the artist. Any work requiring additional hanging structures or equipment should not be submitted and cannot be exhibited. In accordance with the policies of the West Tennessee Regional Art Center, works portraying nudity or graphic violence of any kind will not be permitted to be displayed in the exhibition. All works must remain for the duration of the exhibition and closing reception.
Presentation
Two-dimensional works should be framed or prepared for professional exhibition. Frames must be wired to be installed on the gallery’s hanging system. No nails or screws may be driven into the gallery walls. The gallery has a few typically sized pedestals to be used for three-dimensional works, but any works requiring specifically sized pedestals should be provided by the artist. Works that arrive unprepared for hanging will not be installed. Any questions about framing for display can be sent to Clay Palmer, Director of the Center for Southern Art, at jpalme36@utm.edu.
Entries and Delivery of Accepted Work
Online entries can be completed at the following site: https://forms.gle/CMjb3XSio222X1CX7
Each student may submit up to 3 entries for $25. Online entry forms, fees, and digital files must be received in completion by 11:59 PM, September 19th, 2026, to be considered for jurying. All selected artists will be notified by October 3rd, 2026, with specific exhibiting and shipping information. Works juried into the exhibition that are either shipped or hand-delivered to the West Tennessee Regional Art Center in Humboldt, TN, must arrive by 4 PM on October 14th, 2026. All work should be labeled on the back with the artist’s full name, title, dimensions, medium, college/program/state, and year created. Works that arrive damaged or in poor condition may not be eligible for display.
Return of Accepted Work
For those attending the closing reception, work may be picked up immediately following the end of the event. Shipped works must include a prepaid return shipping label. Works with return shipping labels will be repacked and shipped during the dates of November 23rd through the 27th, 2026.
Liability
All reasonable care will be given to objects in the possession of the West Tennessee Regional Art Center (WTRAC) and the UT Martin Department of Visual and Theatre Arts. Works are not insured while on exhibition at the Center, and the Department of Visual and Theatre Arts, the Center for Southern Art, and WTRAC cannot assume responsibility for damage incurred before, after, or during the exhibition, or for possible loss in transit. Artists are strongly encouraged to insure artwork, especially during shipping.