The El Paso Museum of Art (EPMA) and the Museo de Arte de Ciudad Juárez (MACJ) jointly announce the 2026 Border Biennial / Bienal Fronteriza 2026 Call for Entries.
Throughout its editions, the Border Biennial has established itself as a space to explore, recognize, and highlight artistic production from the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2026 Border Biennial / Bienal Fronteriza 2026 call for entries encourages artists to address the theme “Imagining the Border.”
Applicants must live and work within a radius of 300 miles (482 km) of the cities of El Paso, Texas and Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua. From the open call, 30 artists will be selected to present one work in El Paso, and the other in Juárez. For artists collectives, at least one member must live or work in this geographic area and must be the applicant and point of contact for the collective.
Artists selected for the Biennial may be asked to exhibit submitted artworks, other existing artworks, or newly commissioned works.
A virtual information session open to the public will be held on Wednesday, April 1, 2026. Biennial organizers will be available to answer questions about the call for entries submission process. Information session registration details will be posted via social media.
For the 2026 Border Biennial, each organizing institution will select a Guest Curator with international curatorial experience and roots in the Borderlands.
The 2026 Border Biennial / Bienal Fronteriza 2026 is organized by the City of El Paso Museums and Cultural Affairs Department and by the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes y Literatura (INBAL). Biennial organizers invite artists, collectives to apply at the website: Click here to apply.
For complete Application Guidelines and Information:
Notice to applicants from Mexico:
Visit https://museodeartejuarez.inba.gob.mx/bienal-fronteriza-2026.html for additional required forms.
Application deadline is May 1, 2026 at 11:59 pm MST.
Support for the 2026 Border Biennial is provided by the Mellon Foundation. Additional support is provided by the Texas Commission on the Arts, the El Paso Museum of Art Foundation, and the City of El Paso Museums and Cultural Affairs Department.
Haga clic aquí para obtener la información en español: https://museodeartejuarez.inba.gob.mx/bienal-fronteriza-2026.html
For questions: EPMACuratorial@elpasotexas.gov
