2026 SALON AT THE TRITON: 2D ART COMPETITION & EXHIBITION

A Call to California Artists!

The Triton Museum of Art is thrilled to announce the commencement of the 2026 Salon at the Triton: 2D Art Competition & Exhibition. This purpose of this competition and exhibition is to showcase the diverse talents of artists living or working in California, and to assist the Triton Museum of Art's mission in supporting and building community through diverse exhibition and art programs. Aspiring and established artists alike are encouraged to participate in this highly popular exhibition, which allows for submissions in various 2D mediums and is open to any subject. The deadline to submit artwork is March 13, 2026 at 10:00PM PST.

The full rules for entry are detailed in the link below. Please save these documents for your reference and be mindful of deadlines - extensions will not be offered. For any questions, please email us at tritonsubmissions@gmail.com. Emails will be responded to during normal weekday museum business hours: Tuesdays through Fridays between 11:00AM and 4:30PM.

Due to the high volume of emails we receive, we ask that you please be patient for a response and not send multiple emails with the same inquiries; this may delay our response to you.

Important Dates/Deadlines

January 30 - March 13

March 13 (at 10PM)

April 1 - April 3

April 4 - April 18 (the Museum will be closed April 5 in observance of the Easter Holiday)

May 2

May 16 (12PM - 2PM)

August 16

August 20 - September 4

Submission/Entry Period

Entry Deadline

Acceptance/Non-Acceptance Emails Sent

Art Drop-Off Period

Exhibition Opens

Artists Reception (Winners will be announced)

Exhibition Closes

Art Pick-Up Period

Juror Information

Mei-Ying Dell'Aquila

Mei-Ying Dell’Aquila is a Taiwanese American, award-winning artist, and art educator based in California. Working primarily in oil, her paintings have been featured in solo and juried exhibitions at museums across the United States. She holds a Master of Arts degree from San Francisco State University and is the former owner and instructor of My Art School. She currently teaches art at the Triton Museum of Art in Santa Clara, California.

As an educator, Mei-Ying encourages students to become the best versions of themselves by promoting self-empowerment, the belief that individuals can take charge and change the world for the better. This philosophy is evident in her own paintings, which depict strong, confident figures infused with energy and dynamism.

Lorraine Lawson

Lorraine Lawson is a California based fine artist whose work explores abstraction, memory, and the layered textures of lived experience. Working primarily in painting and mixed media, her practice draws on material history, intuitive mark-making, and a deep sensitivity to place and time. Her work has been exhibited at institutions and galleries including the Triton Museum of Art, Crocker Art Museum, Oceanside Museum of Art, Sanchez Art Center, Whitney Modern, and MK Contemporary Art Gallery, and is held in private and corporate collections.

In addition to her exhibition history, Lawson is actively engaged in arts advocacy, mentorship, and community-based programming, including workshops for youth and public art initiatives that connect contemporary art with broader audiences. As a juror, she brings a thoughtful and balanced perspective, valuing originality, craftsmanship, conceptual clarity, and authenticity, with particular attention to work that successfully integrates technical skill with emotional and visual resonance.

Preston Metcalf

Preston Metcalf is the Executive Director of the Triton Museum of Art. A long-time Curator of Art, he has curated more than 400 museum exhibitions of artists, both here and abroad. In addition to his 36 years with the Triton Museum, he was also a lecturer of Art History at Mission College in Santa Clara, and San Jose City College. He has lectured on art and art history both locally and abroad, has had more than 60 articles and essays published, and had his first novel, Casanova, Curator of Memories published in 2018.

Through his innovative art and education programs at the Triton Museum, thousands of our region’s children, youth, and adults have received fundamental art education and experiences, including award winning programs such as sculpture classes for the blind, hospital bedside art instruction for chronically and terminally ill children, and art/literary crossover programs such as the Triton’s immensely popular monthly Triton Book Club, which explores how both art and literature continue to shape our views. He sees art not as a static form of entertainment, but rather as world expanding experiences, bringing new views, ideas, considerations, and voices into our lives.