Artist Opportunities

  • City Lights Gallery seeks art inspired by the Bridgeport power plant smoke stack, to produce a farewell exhibit for the iconic structure. Please send paintings, photographs, sculptures, clothing, apparel , graphic designs and memorabilia inspired by the industrial candy cane, the visual metaphor for Bridgeport’s unique grit and creativity. Regretfully it will be demolished this fall.

  • SEND SUBMISSIONS IN JPEG FORMAT, (no more than 6 images), 72 DPI, DUE BY AUGUST 9, 2025 to: clgallerybpt@gmail.com

    Notification will be sent by email on August 11, 2025.

    Chosen work can be dropped off at City Lights 265 Golden Hill St, Bridgeport CT, during gallery hours, from 12-4 pm on Weds-Sat August 13-16. Exhibit reception Saturday August 23, 2025, 3:30-6 pm. Exhibit runs August 20 - September 12, 2025.

  • Entries can be submitted here.

  • From curator Helen Kauder:

    Hello! I am inviting you to participate in an upcoming exhibition focused on analog collage-making in Connecticut in the current moment. The exhibition will take place at Ursa Gallery in Bridgeport. This is a low/no-budget exhibition, but the Gallery carries insurance, is staffed during its regular open hours, and its staff--experienced in exhibition-making--will hang and light the show. If you are interested, please fill out the google form no later than August 15, 2025 and I'll be in touch by September 1 with next steps. Please share your links and if you wish, up to 5 images of recent (2025 ideally) analog works. Thank you.

  • Click here to submit through Google Forms.

  • City Lights Gallery seeks submissions of masks or mask related art for consideration for  the exhibit Mascera. The deadline for submission is August 23, 2025. Work will be on display Sept 19 - Oct 18.

  • PLEASE SEND SUBMISSIONS IN JPEG FORMAT, (no more than 8 images), 72 DPI, DUE BY  AUGUST 23, 2025, to: clgallerybpt@gmail.com

    Use “MASCERA Submission” in the subject title. 

    Notification will be sent by email on August 30, 2025. 

    Work will be on display Sept 19 - Oct 18.

    Chosen work can be dropped off at City Lights 265 Golden Hill St, Bridgeport CT, during gallery hours, from 12-4 pm on Fri/Sat September 5,6 and W-F, September 10-12. 

    NECESSARY INFO TO INCLUDE WITH SUBMISSION: Brief artists statement, itemized list of  art submitted should include title, size, medium, price of work, Works not for sale should  include a value rather than a price. Also include artist’s contact info: name, email, phone  (evening and daytime numbers), mailing address and website if available. 

    City Lights is a nonprofit arts organization located in downtown Bridgeport CT. that serves  the community through art, easily accessible by Metro-North, Port Jeff Ferry, I-95 and the  Merritt Parkway via Route 25 Connector. There is no size limit to the dimension of art submitted, however larger works, over 60″ will be subject to space limitations.

  • City Lights seeks submissions from  artists who work with plastic or interpret the theme “Becoming Plastic”. All interpretations of the theme plastic are welcome for consideration, such as the plastic arts, plastic as a state of being pliable or reshaped, or in reference to the environmental impact that plastic is making on the planet and all living things.

    Art has the ability to change attitudes, behaviors, influence policy, inspire creative solutions, inventions, and innovation. Lead guest artists for this exhibit collect and transform plastic trash, making art to raise awareness, prompt good stewardship of the planet and encourage responsible behaviors regarding our use and consumption of plastic. Yes consumption, some studies show that  through the ubiquitous use of plastic, plastic trash, plastic-based 'forever chemicals' and microplastics, humans ingest and breathe in a credit card worth of plastic a week.

    Plastic is a polymeric material that has the capability of being molded or shaped, typically through the application of heat and pressure. Plastics are strong, long-lasting, and lightweight, making them resistant to damage from water, heat, chemicals, and electricity.

    It has taken approximately a century for the condition of plastic to metastasize, initially regarded as common modern convenience, now it is a threat to the planet.  Here is some inspiration from a segment of vintage film, from a time when the pernicious effects of plastic were not realized, from The Graduate, "One Word: Plastics"

  • SEND SUBMISSIONS IN JPEG FORMAT, (no more than 6 images), 72 DPI, DUE BY SEPTEMBER 27, 2025 to: clgallerybpt@gmail.com  Notification will be sent by email on October 5, 2025.

    Chosen work can be dropped off at City Lights 265 Golden Hill St, Bridgeport CT, during gallery hours, from 12-4 pm on Weds-Sat OCTOBER 8-11, 2025. The artists’ reception opens the exhibit for the Bridgeport Art Trail weekend on Thursday, November 6, 2025, 5:30-8 pm. Exhibit runs November 6 – January 17, 2025.

  • More about Danile Lanzilotta:

    Daniel has collected (harvests) debris, trash, garbage, rubbish, and plastic waste for the past twenty­ five years.

    He is an award-winning environmental artist, activist, and lecturer who's stood in the forefront of plastics pollution for nearly 30 years.  A self-proclaimed plastician and non-extractive artist, Lanzilotta creates sculptures and jewelry from ocean and street debris plastic waste, handcrafted into beads and unique pieces that convey a message about the pervasive impact of plastic consumption on our environment.

    He completed leadership training as a member of Al Gore's Climate Reality Project. He is also an advisor at The BxArts Factory, a participant in NYC Trash Academy,  and an invited attendee at conferences such as Climate Action Week at Harvard University.