CALL FOR ART for TORN | A Virtual Collage Exhibition with Guest Juror David Carson

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TORN CALL FOR ART | Collage Virtual Art Exhibition with Guest Juror David Carson

Worcester, MA – [May 5, 2026]

Juniper Rag Presents TORN: A Global Virtual Exhibition with Guest Juror, David Carson. A call for art is launching on Friday May 8th, to coincide with World Collage Day, Saturday, May 9, 2026. the deadline to submit is June 8, 2026.

Worcester, MA — Juniper Rag announces TORN, a dynamic virtual exhibition, with a call for art opening May 8. Known for creating new pathways for artists to exhibit their work, expand networks, and connect with collectors, Juniper Rag continues to challenge traditional art world structures with this bold, globally accessible show. Our call for art is now live with a deadline of June, 8, 2026 on juniperrag.com. All collage work made any where in the world is acceptable, analog and digital. This is a virtual exhibition. Juniper Rag is uniquely positioned to host a collage exhibition juried by David Carson because both challenge traditional hierarchies, prioritizing raw expression, experimentation, and new pathways for artists to be seen. Carson’s legacy of redefining visual language aligns seamlessly with Juniper Rag’s mission to disrupt convention.

TORN explores fragmentation, reconstruction and also the charged poetics of chaos and composition—concepts that feel increasingly urgent in today’s cultural landscape. We will be featuring a diverse international roster of artists, the exhibition highlights collage not just as a medium, but as a methodology, one that disrupts, recontextualizes and ultimately rebuilds meaning. Collage has long existed in a charged space between homage and appropriation, raising ongoing questions about authorship, ownership and transformation. By recontextualizing existing imagery, artists challenge the boundaries of originality—sparking debate while revealing how meaning can be reshaped, disrupted and made entirely new.

Our collage exhibition is juried by legendary graphic designer and artist David Carson, widely regarded as one of the most influential visual communicators of the modern era. Carson rose to prominence as the art director of Ray Gun magazine, where he shattered conventions of typography and layout, redefining how design could function as expressive, emotional language. His groundbreaking work for brands such as Nike, Pepsi, Apple and most recently, Macallan along with his iconic experimental publications, positioned him as a pioneer of grunge typography and deconstructive design. Carson, has quite a cult-like following in the graphic design world, of which, Co-Founders Michelle May and Payal Thiffault have worked in for 25 years. “David Carson is pure legend and we are thrilled to bring this opportunity to artists creating collage work. We could not find a more fitting juror for TORN”, says Michelle May.

In recent years, David Carson has continued to evolve beyond commercial design into a more fluid, experimental art practice centered on collage and mixed media. David’s newer work, especially in projects like nu collage.001 moves a way from client-driven constraints, embracing instinct, fragmentation, and layered visual language that blurs the line between fine art and graphic design. Alongside this shift, Carson remains active globally through lectures, workshops and select commissions, producing posters, magazine covers, and identity concepts while simultaneously developing more personal, expressive bodies of work. Carson’s approach and the reason why he was chosen as a guest juror is his clear instinctual, rule-breaking and deeply human design language, which makes him an inimitable choice to jury TORN, a show rooted in disruption and reinvention.

With TORN, Juniper Rag continues its mission to foster meaningful connections between artists and collectors while cultivating a global, forward-thinking and accessible creative community. The virtual format ensures accessibility and reach, allowing viewers from around the world to engage deeply with the work and the ideas behind it. All visual artists creating collage work are encouraged to submit work to TORN. Information for the call for art exhibition launches May 9 at juniperrag.com.

About Juniper Rag

Juniper Rag is an innovative digital platform dedicated to reimagining how artists share their work and build sustainable careers. Through virtual exhibitions, collaborative opportunities and direct collector engagement, Juniper Rag empowers artists to grow beyond traditional gatekeeping structures and connect with audiences in impactful, lasting ways.

“Juniper Rag curated a standout exhibit in the Worcester PopUp at the Jean McDonough Arts Center, where both the selected works and the gallery layout were of remarkable quality. Michelle and Payal demonstrated a clear and compelling curatorial vision. The cross-promotion with The Hanover Theatre Rep’s Edgar Allan Poe Double Header was also fruitful, creating a cohesive and mutually reinforcing artistic partnership.”— Livy Scanlon (She/They) Artistic Director, THT Rep, The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts

Atelier ID Global / Juniper Rag

A women-owned creative agency co-founded by Payal Thiffault and Michelle May with 40+ combined years of experience. We craft captivating brands, build websites and market small to medium-sized businesses. Co-founders of Juniper Rag, an extension of our agency that empowers and showcases artists and creatives, creative organizations and events.

ART: DAVID CARSON