Canvas for Change

Members of the University of Bremen—including students, staff, and alumni—are invited to submit their own artwork for a sales exhibition, thereby contributing to sustainability and community. The project is explicitly not aimed at professional artists, but rather at all members of the university who are creatively active and would like to share their artistic work—whether as a hobby, a form of expression, or a passion.

The submitted works will first be collected digitally. The majority of the works (over 80 percent) for the exhibition and auction will be selected by lottery. In addition to the lottery, individual works will be chosen based on curatorial and exhibition design considerations to ensure a diverse overall impact of the exhibition.

The selected works are scheduled to be presented at the Forum am Domshof for approximately one week in December 2026 and will be offered for sale or auctioned.

The proceeds from the sale of the artworks will benefit sustainability projects that can be initiated by members of the University of Bremen. For more information, please visit here. 

“Canvas for Change” combines artistic engagement with social responsibility. The initiative raises the profile of creative talent within the university, strengthens the dialogue between academia, the arts, and the public, and at the same time contributes to sustainable development in Bremen.

Furthermore, the project promotes a holistic view of the people at our university by highlighting their creative sides—beyond research, studies, and careers.

Who can participate?

All members of the University of Bremen are eligible to participate, including students, faculty, staff, and alumni.

What can be submitted and how?

Two-dimensional, wall-mounted works such as paintings, drawings, prints, or similar pieces may be submitted. Submissions must initially be made digitally. Each participant may submit a maximum of one artwork.

Pricing

You set the price yourself (minimum price €50). As a rough guide, the price in euros can correspond to the sum of the length and width in centimeters and may be rounded up (example: DIN A4 21 cm + 29.7 cm = €50.70 → rounded up to €55.00). Buyers have the option to voluntarily pay more to further support the sustainability cause.

Exhibition

The exhibition will be on display for about a week in December 2026 at the Forum am Domshof and will be accompanied by an opening reception with an auction as well as a closing auction. By default, your name will appear in the exhibition, along with a brief biography. However, if you prefer, you may also present your work under a pseudonym or anonymously.

General Requirements for Artworks

Please note the following guidelines for submissions:

• Type of Artwork: Paintings, drawings, prints, or other two-dimensional works may initially be submitted online. 
• Dimensions: Artworks must not be wider than 90 cm, including the frame. Wider artworks can only be considered for online display or auction.
• Artworks must be delivered ready for hanging (framed or mounted on a stretcher).
• The works remain the property of the artists during the exhibition. They are not insured during the exhibition and will be returned to the artists after the exhibition if they have not been sold.

All submitted works (maximum of 200 pieces) will be published digitally. This will create a digital gallery as part of the project’s public relations efforts. If the number of submissions exceeds 300, 200 works will be selected by lottery from the first 300 submissions for the exhibition, auction, and online gallery.

The submission deadline is September 15, 2026, via the following Link.

The project is being supervised by Dr. Katerina Vatsella and Rose Pfister. Katerina Vatsella, an art historian who earned her doctorate at the University of Bremen and has many years of experience in cultural and academic settings, is a co-founder and board member of the University of Bremen Alumni Association (since 2006) and is jointly responsible for network development, event organization, and public relations. Professionally, she works primarily as an exhibition curator, art educator, and publisher. Rose Pfister (Office for Art and Communication) is a former department head at the Bremen Senate Department of Culture responsible for visual arts, art in public spaces, art in architecture, literature, film, and artist support, and served as director of the Städtische Galerie Bremen.