Chemers Gallery Opens Fleur-ish Juried Show Celebrating Hudson Valley Artists

Cash prizes are on the line for Orange County artists competing in "Fleur-ish," Chemers Gallery's newest all-media juried show at its Tustin location. The exhibition runs May 2 through May 16, with an opening reception and awards ceremony at the Enderle Center on Saturday, May 2.

The gallery posted the call this week, inviting submissions across painting, photography, ceramics, glass, fiber, jewelry and mixed media, with floral imagery, botanical growth and seasonal renewal as the thematic requirement for all accepted work.

For competing artists, the financial stakes are direct, but the professional value of acceptance runs deeper. Juried placement at a gallery that has operated out of the Enderle Center since 1978 is the kind of credential that appears in grant applications and residency portfolios. The show connects to the Tustin Area Council for Fine Arts and Laguna College of Art and Design, partnerships that extend the professional reach for any artist who makes the cut.

Chemers Gallery has hosted juried exhibitions for more than 17 consecutive years. Its heART of Orange County competition drew more than 80 artists in recent iterations, a figure that illustrates the competitive volume an open call at this gallery can generate. A focused thematic show like "Fleur-ish" runs that same pool through a narrower filter, making acceptance a meaningful distinction.

The case for the show extends beyond the artists. Opening receptions at the 17th Street gallery pull weekend visitors into the Enderle Center, driving foot traffic to surrounding restaurants and shops. A two-week run with a dedicated awards night makes "Fleur-ish" a discrete economic event for Tustin's commercial corridor, the kind of scheduled cultural programming that downtown merchants rely on to fill out a spring calendar.

The gallery is at 17300 17th Street, Suite G in the Enderle Center, open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.