About ArtNow: NUMU’s Annual Juried High School Exhibition

ArtNow is an award-winning annual juried Santa Clara County high school art exhibition and educational program, presented by New Museum Los Gatos (NUMU). ArtNow offers opportunities for high school student artists, from Palo Alto to Gilroy, to gain real-world experience by participating in a juried museum exhibition. Each year, a new theme is chosen for the exhibition and students are asked to submit works based on that theme. Look for #artnowatnumu on social media.

Questions? Email artnow@numulosgatos.org


ArtNow 2025: Dreamscapes 

New Museum Los Gatos (NUMU) invites high school students across Santa Clara County to submit a work of art responding to the theme Dreamscapes. How can art reflect our dreams, and how do our dreams reflect our hopes, fears, values, environment, and aspirations? 

Dreaming is a fascinating aspect of the human condition. From daydreams to our deepest ambitions, whether fantasies or nightmares, we are all connected by this shared phenomenon. Dreams don’t only happen when we sleep, they can take place on any scale, from personal goals to collective movements that inspire change. 

Throughout history, scientists, storytellers, artists, and mystics have tried to understand why dreaming happens and what it means for humanity. Dreams can be fun or whimsical, but they can also be uncomfortable, grotesque, or downright confusing. In each case, they have the power to evoke strong emotions and inspire profound creative expression. 

What do you dream of?


Important Dates

October 2024 Toolkit released
Friday, November 1, 2024 Submissions open
Sunday, February 2, 2025, 11:59 PM
Submissions close
Friday, February 28, 2025
Exhibiting artists announced
Friday-Sunday, March 14-16 & 21-23, 2025, 10 AM-4 PM
Artwork drop-off
Friday, April 4, 2025
Exhibition opens
Saturday, May 3, 2025 People’s Choice voting closes
Saturday, May 3, 2025 Awards Ceremony
Sunday, July 20, 2025
Exhibition closes
Thursday-Sunday, July 24-27 & July 31- August 3, 2025 Artwork pick-up

ArtNow Teen Council

For the first time ever, New Museum Los Gatos (NUMU) has launched an ArtNow Teen Council composed of 6 high school interns who are helping to elevate the ArtNow program to be more widely accessible and more relevant to teenagers living across Santa Clara County. Through establishing the ArtNow Teen Council, NUMU hopes to build a stronger partnership with student artists so that they aren’t just the recipients of the ArtNow program, but the architects.


Toolkits & Resources

Toolkits

Click below to download toolkit PDFs. Toolkits are co-created with the ArtNow Teen Council. Browsing the toolkits can help students prepare to submit to ArtNow. Students should make sure to check out the newest toolkit for the year of ArtNow that they plan to submit to!

In these thematic toolkits, you‘ll find art examples, compiled by the Teen Council, for each of the 8 medium categories. The examples relate back to the theme of the year. For each artistic example, we have identified key themes explored by the artists and discussion questions. We have also included a list of quotes for further inspiration. You will also find detailed information about how to submit your artwork.

Art Supply Donation

Support high school artists! We are asking our community to donate new art supplies which the museum will offer to high school students, free of charge, no questions asked*. This effort is in hopes of decreasing barriers to ArtNow, our annual juried high school art exhibition, and opening up doors to new creative outlets! If you’re feeling generous, items can be brought to the museum, or ordered from our Amazon wishlist. Please note, these students are creative, emerging professionals, they will benefit most from adult art supplies, though all donations are appreciated.

Suggested donations:

  • Sketchbooks

  • Canvases

  • Watercolor paper

  • Paint (Watercolor, acrylic, oil, etc.)

  • Paintbrushes

  • Pencils

  • Pens (Micron, etc.)

  • Markers (Copic, etc.)

  • Colored Pencils (Prismacolor, etc.)

  • Mod Podge

  • Clay


*Limit per student to be determined based on donation response. Supplies will be available in the museum during open hours, at certain ArtNow events, and through select teachers as we pilot this program.

ArtNow on NUMU’s Blog

Explore a variety of blog posts that dive deeper into the ArtNow program. Hear directly from Best in Show scholarship recipients, meet the judges, meet Teen Council members, and get inspired!


Explore the ArtNow Archive

Browse the ArtNow Archive to explore past exhibition themes, catalogs, toolkits, programs, videos, “Best in Show” artworks, and blog posts. We encourage interested students to look through past exhibition catalogs to get inspired as they prepare their ArtNow submissions.

Explore Past ArtNow Exhibitions:


Press & Recognition

Excellence in Museum Education, Superintendent's Award

The California Association of Museums (CAM)
Superintendent’s Award for Excellence in Museum Education

We are excited to announce that NUMU has been awarded the 2023 Superintendent's Award for Excellence in Museum Education for ArtNow! The Superintendent’s Award for Excellence in Museum Education competition recognizes the outstanding achievements in California museum programs that serve K-12 students and/or educators. The competition is a joint project of the sponsors, the California Association of Museums (CAM) and the California Department of Education (CDE). Since 2012, the competition has recognized 66 programs, presented by a diverse range of institutions that demonstrate the vibrant contributions museums make to California’s K-12 educational system. In 2023, CAM and the CDE recognized 6 outstanding programs that took place in 2022.

TESTIMONIALS

Read testimonials from teachers, students, and interns!

“ArtNow offers students the real-life experience of what an artist goes through to get their work exhibited in a museum. The experience fosters self-confidence, critical thinking skills, creative expression, as well as teaching students the intrinsic value of art. ArtNow is one of the rare programs that rewards students for the inherent value of art.”


Thank you to our 2024 Sponsors

Major Support for the ArtNow 2024 exhibition and programs is provided by:

 
 
 
 

With additional support from The Flick Family, The Linda Smythe Young Artists Fund, Saratoga Rotary, Florence & Al Cheung, Deb & Bob Shaw, The Waitte Foundation, Heritage Bank of Commerce, Deborah & Marty Johnson, Elaine Cardinale, Lizabeth Yee & Scott Lefaver, Assemblymember Gail Pellerin, and County of Santa Clara, Supervisor Joe Simitian. In-kind support provided by University Art, Centerpiece LG, and KCAT TV 15.


Support ArtNow! Donate to the Program