A BEAUTIFUL & BIZARRE TAXIDERMY SHOWCASE - ONE NIGHT ONLY

---

Artists! Are you interested in showing off your wildest works and winning fabulous prizes? We are looking forward to a spectacular evening full of curious delights. Though this is a showcase and competition, we are not here to judge your style of taxidermy-we are here to celebrate your artistic execution and creative vision, and hope to showcase a diverse range of talent. Please read the rules and form carefully, and make your submissions. This show is open to everyone from anywhere, regardless of experience! 

In order to create an unforgettable audience experience, our showcase will be curated to a limited number of participants. Please submit your entries using our ENTRY FORM 

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES 

Though this is a showcase and competition, we are not here to judge your style of taxidermy-we are here to celebrate your artistic execution and creative vision, and showcase a diverse variety of work.  

DEADLINE- All entry forms must be received by 11:59pm on 10/1/2024. NO EXCEPTIONS. Acceptances will be sent by 11:59pm on 10/5/2022. 

The show takes place at The Bell House in Brooklyn on 10/23/2025 at 7pm EST.

In order to create an unforgettable experience, this showcase will be curated to a limited number of participants. Anyone and everyone from anywhere is free to submit work for consideration! 

PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR WORK ONLY IF YOU WILL BE ABLE TO PRESENT IT IN NYC (or make arrangements to have someone present it on your behalf. In the spirit of equity, entries like this are reserved for people who don’t have the resources or ability to travel, and in the spirit of self determination, we do not ask artists to qualify their abilities. Please do note, this is a stage show, and the magic happens when there is in-person, real time interaction between the artist, judges, audience, and hosts-so the majority of works are going to be from artists who are able to travel to the show.)
We are a handful of unpaid volunteers working hard to curate the show, and having a no-show means re-organizing the lineup, and taking opportunities away from other artists. Please be mindful! 

Please submit your entries using our Google form. Email entries will not be accepted unless there are extenuating circumstances.

Please do not bring pieces in addition to your submission. If you need to edit or add to your submission, you should be able to using the form, please email us if you have issues! 

If accepted, you will drop off your pieces earlier on the day of show, or ship them to one of our volunteers. 

PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL! ADD US TO YOUR CONTACT LIST SO IT DOES NOT GO TO SPAM! We will be sending important information about day of show logistics, prize info, and more.

SPIRIT OF COMPETITION- Wunderkammer is a friendly competition in the spirit of creating more art, to use the collective to help people reach, and exceed, their artistic goals. Winning is nice, but the larger point of the show is to present that taxidermy, and the surrounding community, contains multitudes. About 300+ members of the public attend our show, cheer for our artists, with uplift and validation regardless of awards. The biggest prizes are the connections made with each other!

REPLIES- Due to the large volume of entries, our small team may not be able to send letters to those who were not accepted, but please know we appreciate your time and efforts. Our show is curated to reflect a variety of different styles and skills, and is in no way a personal judgement. We thank you for understanding! 
NUMBER OF ENTRIES- Contestants can submit more than one piece in as many categories as they would like. however, you may not enter the same piece in multiple categories. Best of Show and Runners Up will be judged from ALL entries in ALL categories.

QUALITY STANDARDS- All pieces must be clean and properly preserved. We strongly encourage beginners and nontraditional artists to enter, however we will not show any work that is rotting, odorous, has an active insect infestation, or otherwise improperly preserved. Out of respect for your fellow artists and judges!

ORIGINAL WORKS- All pieces must be original works by YOU that use preserved animal parts. Please notify us if you are presenting on someone else’s behalf, or would like to submit a historic piece.  

SPECIMENS- All specimens must be legal. If any paperwork or permits are necessary, please have them on hand. We are passionate about conservation and have a zero tolerance policy for illegal wildlife trade. Wunderkammer and hosts are not liable for your illegal behavior or damages that result from it. We do not allow human remains at our show, unless they have verifiable provenance (your own hair or a friends teeth are ok, a vintage human skull is not). 

DAY OF SHOW- Contestants will come to the stage to present their pieces. Please be prepared to talk about your piece for 1-2 minutes, and answer any questions from the judges and hosts. You will be speaking into a mic, the tone is conversational. You will need to carry your piece onto the stage safely. We do allow friends to help carry your piece, and have volunteers who can help you too. Please let us know ahead of time if you have a particularly large piece. There is also a designated area for artists and their works on and near the stage to make this easier, and volunteers stationed there to keep watch. If you have stage fright, its ok! The whole point of the show is to shine a positive spotlight on you and your work-we are there to support you! Come as you are, we are here for YOU. Remember that this is a space filled with people that love the beautiful and bizarre. Its all about giving taxidermy the spotlight it deserves! Please notify us if you will need any assistance, we are happy to accommodate you as much as possible.  

MOUNTS AND DISPLAY STANDS - All pieces are carried onto stage, some very large pieces may be stored on stage.  In any case, artists must have a way for their pieces to stand, when being shown on stage. Aside from the show table and storage table, we do not provide display stands, podiums, easels, frames, or any other mounts.

CONDUCT-  We started this event to shine a spotlight on voices that are often overlooked. We welcome a variety of styles because we want to expand the definition of this field.  While we encourage discussion and freedom of expression, we will not condone or engage with disparaging behavior,  towards artists or anyone involved in our show. This includes inflammatory social media posts, hurtful gossip, or any type of harassment. This event is produced and managed by a team that is predominantly queer and POC. We do not tolerate racism, sexism, transphobia, homophobia, ableism, or any other discrimination. We already face adversity from the mainstream world, we certainly don’t need it from each other. If you have an issue, please contact us directly via email or DM. For day of show issues, notify Divya or The Bell House security staff. Violating this policy may result in disqualification from future shows. We want all to enjoy themselves and have a great time in this friendly showcase! 

PLEASE DIRECT ALL INQUIRIES TO OUR EMAIL nyc.wunderkammer@gmail.com.
This is the FASTEST way to get a reply as multiple people monitor this account, and will usually reply to you within 24 hours during our active season. Messaging our sponsors, hosts, etc does not guarantee a response.

COMPETITON SHOWCASE CATEGORIES-

Unnatural History
Do you conjure creatures that would make Linnaeus lose his mind? This category is for all of your mythical beasts! Hybrids, gaffs, and everything in between.

Anthropomorphic Animals
For those who painstakingly embroider rosettes on frilly rabbit undies, or craft the perfectly sized pints for your squirrels pub diorama, this is your category!

Bone Zone
No bones about it, your original skeletal and bone art belongs here.

Wearable Wunderkammer
Always dressed to impress, and ready to get wild. This category is for wearable works of bone and taxidermy art.

Wild Card
Do you have something that does not fit in any of the other categories? Surprise us! This can be a piece of taxidermy, performance art, or anything else! 

AWARDS-Awards will be given for the most outstanding piece in each category, ALL categories are eligible for Best in Show, First Runner up, Second Runner up. These awards are a reflection of our panelists opinions on how works have interpreted the themes, and are not a judgement on the validity of your work. We are not here to judge your style of taxidermy-we are here to celebrate your artistic execution and creative vision!

NOTES ON JUDGING-Artists put their entire heart, mind, soul, and body into their work, facing many challenges while creating. Making and sharing work is a very vulnerable process, especially on a stage! We do everything in our power to ensure the judging process is as equitable and unbiased as possible. We are not here to judge your style of taxidermy-we are here to celebrate your artistic execution and creative vision, and showcase a diverse variety of work. Please note-

-Judging is led with positivity, we assume good intention from all involved. Judges see artist pieces on stage at that moment, at face value. They have a list of artist names is show order to take notes that will be used in deliberations. 

-Judges are selected for their expertise-from traditional taxidermists, independent artists, wildlife educators, cultural figures, and others with various backgrounds and perspectives regarding animals and art. 

-New judges may be added or rotated each year to help keep new perspectives coming in. New perspectives mean new opportunities! 

-Hosts, performers, artists, and other sensitive parties are not present during judge’s deliberations. The interactions between these parties are all on stage, so we all hear the winners at the same time-this creates an exciting and authentic experience! 

-Hosts, organizers, and sponsors put 100% trust into the judges expertise in selecting winners. Sponsors may finance awards with monetary or tangible contributions, but agree that winners are solely selected by the judges.  

-You can learn about our judges though our posts tagging them on our social media. You may respectfully contact our judges, though each judge can set the boundaries they deem necessary and appropriate regarding contact.

-Judges will be dismissed for inappropriate behavior and harassment, including racism, sexism, transphobia, homophobia, or other discrimination or harassment 

-No matter your award, it should be noted that anyone who takes part in our show has done something truly exceptional! 

AWARDS-Awards will be given for the most outstanding piece in each category, ALL categories are eligible for Best in Show, First Runner up, Second Runner up. These awards are a reflection of our panelists opinions on how works have interpreted the themes, and are not a judgement on the validity of your work. We are not here to judge your style of taxidermy-we are here to celebrate your artistic execution and creative vision! Winning is nice, but community and artistic growth is even nicer! 

PERKS & PRIZES

All accepted artists receive free entry for one, a drink ticket, and a door gift in thanks for their participation.  

Awards will be given for the most outstanding piece in each category, ALL categories are eligible for Best in Show, First Runner up, Second Runner up. These awards are a reflection of our panelists opinions on how works have interpreted the themes, and are not a judgement on the validity of your work! 

Below are last years prizes! 

Best of Category-winners receive a one year membership to NYC Audubon OR $50 cash courtesy of Gotham Taxidermy! 

Best of Show-winner receives $300 to spend at Taxidermy Auction, and $300 cash courtesy of Gotham Taxidermy!

1st runner up -winner receives $200 to spend at Taxidermy Auction, and $200 cash courtesy of Gotham Taxidermy!

3rd place-winner receives $100 to spend at Taxidermy Auction, and $100 cash courtesy of Gotham Taxidermy!

More awards and prizes will be announced closer to our show date!