The Sharp Museum at Southern Illinois University Carbondale announced on May 13 that it is seeking artist submissions for a national juried exhibition focused on cryptids and legendary creatures. The exhibition, titled “Spooks or Spoofs,” will be held from Aug. 11 through Dec. 21 and will feature up to 50 entries across all media, except artificial intelligence-generated images.
The museum invites artists to explore the theme of hidden or unknown animals, often featured in urban legends and folklore. This exhibition offers an opportunity for artists nationwide to share their interpretations of creatures such as Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, and others both real and imagined.
T. Lance, curator of exhibits at the museum, said: “There are several legends of wild things lurking in the dark woods of the Shawnee Forest and remote regions of Illinois, such as Bigfoot, the freaky Farmer City Monster, a creepy thing called cohomo (Cole Hollow Monster), the Big Muddy Monster, and the Enfield horror. There is also the man-eating Piasa bird, terrifying thunderbirds over Illinois, creatures of the watery deep, kangaroos on the loose, and albino squirrels of Olney.” Lance added that submissions do not need to focus solely on Illinois-based cryptids.
Jeremy Efroymson will serve as juror for this exhibition. Efroymson is described as an artist with experience in photography and sculpture who has academic backgrounds in film studies and creative writing.
The deadline for submission is July 1; jury results will be posted by July 14. Artwork drop-off must occur by Aug. 11 ahead of a planned reception on Oct. 23. The museum emphasized that all exhibited artwork represents only its creators’ viewpoints—not those of SIU—and stated compliance with state ethics laws.
For more information about submission guidelines or visiting hours—which resume June 9 after an intersession closure—interested parties are encouraged to contact T. Lance or visit museum.siu.edu.
