BGAV invites Virginia Baptists to lend your creativity to Art for the Not Yet—a collaborative arts project celebrating the creative heartbeat of the Church.

Inspired by our 2026 Annual Meeting theme, Heart for the Not Yet, this project gathers original works of visual art, music, poetry, spoken word, and digital expression from across our congregations—illuminating God’s heart for the world that has not yet heard, not yet believed, and not yet been transformed.

Selected works will be featured in two ways:

1. On-site Gallery Exhibition:
   A curated physical gallery at the Virginia Beach Convention Center featuring original works of art—paintings, photography, mixed media, and sculpture that can be safely hung or displayed.
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2. Digital “Graffiti” Experience:
   A dynamic, immersive projection space showcasing digital art, photography, video, and music in motion—transforming the convention center walls into a living expression of faith, beauty, and hope.

Pieces will also appear in the digital BGAV Mixtape: Heart for the Not Yet and across the BGAV website, the print newspaper Faith & Field, and Annual Meeting worship sessions.

What We’re Looking For

Original works that:

• Reflect the theme Heart for the Not Yet—exploring God’s compassion for people, places, and possibilities still waiting to be reached.
• Express creativity through visual art, music, sculpture, spoken word, video, or digital media.
• Uplift, challenge, and inspire the Church toward mission, imagination, and hope.
• Are suitable for print, projection, or physical display in a gallery or digital format.

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Submission Guidelines

Formats accepted:

• Written Poetry / Prose: up to 400 words
• Spoken Word / Storytelling: up to 3 minutes (MP3 or MP4)
• Music / Songwriting: up to 3 minutes (MP3 or MP4)
• Visual Art: painting, drawing, photography, or mixed media (must be hangable)
• Sculpture: freestanding or tabletop (please include dimensions and display needs)
• Digital Art / Video: up to 2 minutes (MP4, MOV, or animated formats)

File Types: MP3, MP4, MOV, JPEG, PNG, or PDF
Original work only. Please do not submit copyrighted or AI-generated content.

How to Submit

• Deadline: April 15, 2026
• Submit Online
  
  • For physical art (painting, sculpture, or mixed media), submit high-quality photos of your work and note if it can be shipped or delivered for display.
  • Include:
    
    • Your name, church, and contact information
    • A short artist statement (2–3 sentences) explaining how your work connects to the theme

Selection and Exhibition

Submissions will be curated by a panel of BGAV appointed by BGAV’s Program Committee.

Selected works will be:

• Displayed in the Art for the Not Yet Gallery at the 2026 BGAV Annual Meeting (Virginia Beach Convention Center, November 9–11)
• Projected as part of a digital “living graffiti” installation throughout the convention center
• Featured online through BGAV.org, Faith & Field, and social media platforms
• Included in the digital BGAV Mixtape: Heart for the Not Yet
• Live performances will be delivered at “Heart for the Not Yet” November 9-11 as a part of BGAV’s annual meeting proceedings.

Creative Prompts

Reflect, pray, sing, sculpt, or create around one or more of these ideas:

The Waiting Heart

• A prayer for the one who hasn’t yet come home.
• The heartbeat of God that waits, listens, and loves long before one responds.
• What it feels like to hold faith for someone still searching.

The Edge of Belief

• The sound of faith before belief—the murmur, the longing, the almost.
• The space between doubt and trust, where God still meets us.
• When someone else’s faith carried you until you could believe.

The Church Becoming

• A congregation learning to see its neighbors again.
• The “not yet” of revival, rebirth, or reconciliation.
• How your church is still being formed—like clay in the potter’s hands.

The Work Before the Harvest

• The plow before the planting. The planting before the praise.
• A reflection on small, faithful beginnings that are yet unseen.
• The quiet labor of love that prepares the soil for the fruit of future generations.

The Mission Still Unfolding‍

• The person, community, or calling you can’t stop thinking about—what is your “not yet?”
• The gospel’s unfinished story in your town, state, country, or world.
• What it means or how it feels to have a heart big enough for the world God still loves into being.

The Creative Heart of God

• How art, music, or written words can open doors where sermons can’t.
• The rhythm of creation—“Let there be…”—echoing through your own craft.
• A reimagining of God’s heart for the next generation of dreamers, artists, and builders.