Call for Artists: Illustrate the Village Through the Years at the Salmagundi Club

How has the Village changed over the years? Artists are invited to tell that story through illustration in an upcoming exhibition at the historic Salmagundi Club.

From horse-drawn carriages and Victorian fashions to political demonstrations, cultural movements, and the ever-changing rhythms of city life, Greenwich Village and its surrounding neighborhoods have long been places where New York’s history unfolds on the streets. This December, artists are invited to capture that history in Illustration: The Village Through the Years, an illustration exhibition at the Salmagundi Club.

Following last year’s Illustration: Then & Now, the exhibition invites artists to choose their own approach to the Village’s past and present. Participants may depict a single scene of Village life, a memorable event, a moment of social change, or another aspect of the neighborhood’s distinctive history and culture.

A Historic Art Club with Deep Roots in Illustration

Founded in 1871, the Salmagundi Club began with a gathering of illustrators who came together to critique their work and share their paintings. Over the decades, its membership has included celebrated American artists and illustrators such as William Hicok Low, Howard Pyle, N.C. Wyeth, and Norman Rockwell.

In 1917, the Club established its permanent home at 47 Fifth Avenue, in an 1852 mansion built when Fifth Avenue was emerging as one of New York’s most fashionable addresses. Today, the historic clubhouse continues to serve as a gathering place for artists and art enthusiasts, connecting generations of creative work.

The Club’s history makes it a fitting setting for an exhibition exploring the Village through art. The surrounding neighborhoods have witnessed extraordinary changes in architecture, fashion, transportation, politics, and cultural life. Yet they remain places where artists, writers, performers, activists, and other creative voices have helped shape the city’s identity.

Illustrating a Neighborhood in Constant Change

The Village’s history can be told through countless individual scenes: a crowded street during a parade, a neighborhood gathering, a storefront that has disappeared, a moment of protest, or the everyday interactions that give a place its character.

Artists are encouraged to interpret the theme broadly and work in the medium best suited to their vision. Whether depicting a recognizable historical event or an evocative scene of daily life, each illustration can offer a different perspective on the people, places, and experiences that have shaped the Village.

By bringing these interpretations together, The Village Through the Years will celebrate the neighborhood’s rich history and the enduring power of illustration to preserve and reinterpret the past.

Exhibition and Submission Information

If you or someone you know is interested in submitting artwork, visit the Salmagundi Club’s online exhibition submission page through ShowSubmit. The Deadline is October 22nd!

Exhibition: The Village Through the Years: An Illustration Show
Venue: The Moran Gallery, Salmagundi Club, 47 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10003
Exhibition dates: December 8–31, 2026
Submission deadline: October 22, 2026
Acceptance notifications: November 3, 2026
Reception: December 15, 2026

The Village has inspired generations of artists with its distinctive streets, creative communities, and history of change. The Village Through the Years offers artists an opportunity to add their own perspective to that ongoing story.