52 Views of Cancer

This call is open to cancer patients currently undergoing treatment for any cancer type and cancer survivors at any stage of survivorship. Artists from all backgrounds, communities, and levels of experience are welcome. Emerging creators and those with no formal art training are enthusiastically encouraged to participate. The focus is on authentic expression, not technical perfection. Artists under the age of 18 must have a parent or legal guardian complete the submission form on their behalf. Artists under the age of 13 are not eligible to participate at this time. This is a curated call for art, not a contest, sweepstakes, or lottery. All selections are made at Invenra’s sole discretion.

Theme: Open interpretation. Artwork may explore any aspect of the cancer experience that resonates with the artist’s journey. Abstract, representational, figurative, and conceptual approaches are all welcome. There is no requirement to depict illness, treatment, or medical imagery.

Accepted Media: All media are acceptable as long as the work is created by a human. No AI-generated art will be accepted. All submissions must be reproducible as a high-quality printed image on a standard playing card (approximately 2.5″ × 3.5″). Three-dimensional work (sculpture, ceramics) is welcome if it can be compellingly photographed for a 2D card format.

File Formats: Please submit all artwork in one of the following file formats:  .jpg/.jpeg, gif, .pdf, or .png. No other formats will be accepted.

Each submission must include:

1. High-resolution digital image of the artwork — Provided in .jpg/.jpeg, gif, .pdf, or .png.format, minimum 300 DPI, minimum 2400 × 3600 pixels (to ensure print quality at playing card size)
2. Artwork title and medium/materials used
3. Artist statement (500 words maximum) — Tell us about your artwork and your story. This is the statement that will appear on the companion website alongside your card. You may share whatever feels meaningful to you, whether that includes your experience with cancer, what inspired this piece, what art means to you, a message to the scientists working on cancer treatments, or anything else you would like the world to know. There are no required topics. Share what you are comfortable sharing.
4. Contact information — full name (or preferred pseudonym for publication), email address, phone number, mailing address
5. Photograph of the artist (optional) — a portrait or candid photo for the website artist profile page

Each artist may submit up to 3 artworks for consideration. There will be 55 pieces selected: 52 cards, 2 Jokers, and the Deck Back design.

Artwork will be evaluated based on:

• Emotional resonance — does the work communicate a genuine, compelling human experience?
• Visual impact — will the artwork be arresting and beautiful in a playing card format?
• Diversity of expression — the final 52 cards should represent a wide range of cancer types, artistic styles, media, perspectives, and demographics
• Connection to story — how powerfully does the artwork connect to the artist’s statement?
• Reproducibility — can the artwork be faithfully reproduced at playing card size and in print?

Technical skill is valued but not required. Authenticity and emotional power are prioritized.

Selected artists will receive a $1,000 honorarium, artist credit on an insert card in the deck, a featured profile on the companion website, and complimentary copies of the finished deck. The honorarium will be paid upon execution of the license agreement. No entry fee is required to submit.

By submitting artwork to the 52 Views of Cancer project, the artist (or the parent or legal guardian submitting on behalf of a minor artist) agrees to the following:

Review and consideration. Invenra may review, store, and evaluate all submissions for the purpose of selecting artwork for the project. Submission does not guarantee selection.

Original work. The artist represents that the submitted artwork is their original creation, does not infringe any copyright, trademark, or other intellectual property right of any third party, and was created entirely without the use of generative AI tools.

No license until selection. Submitting artwork does not grant Invenra any license to reproduce, publish, or distribute the artwork. A formal license agreement will be provided to selected artists for review and signature before any artwork is used in the project. Artists are encouraged to consult with legal counsel if desired.

Consent for story use. If selected, the artist’s statement will be published on the companion website in connection with their artwork and, where applicable, alongside information about Invenra cancer research programs. The artist is responsible for the content of their statement and should only include personal or health information they are comfortable making public. Invenra does not require the disclosure of any medical information as a condition of participation.

Content standards. Invenra reserves the right to decline any submission in its sole discretion, including submissions containing content that is offensive, defamatory, obscene, discriminatory, or otherwise inappropriate.

Non-selected submissions. Artwork not selected for the project will not be used by Invenra for any purpose. Personal information associated with non-selected submissions will be deleted within 90 days of notification.

Artist’s retained rights. Submitting artwork does not transfer any ownership or rights to Invenra. The artist retains full ownership and copyright of their work at all times, whether or not the work is selected.

Submissions by minors. Artists between the ages of 13 and 17 are welcome to participate. A parent or legal guardian must complete the submission form and agree to these Submission Terms on behalf of the minor artist. By doing so, the parent or legal guardian represents that they have the authority to submit the artwork and consent to these terms on the minor’s behalf. Artists under the age of 13 are not eligible to participate at this time.

Invenra collects the personal information provided in the submission form (name, contact details, artist statement, photograph, and artwork) solely for the purpose of administering the 52 Views of Cancer project. This information will be used to evaluate submissions, contact artists regarding their submission status, and, for selected artists, to publish the artist’s statement, artwork, and photograph on the companion website and printed card deck. Invenra will not sell, share, or disclose personal information to third parties except as necessary for the production and distribution of the card deck (for example, sharing artwork files with the printing vendor). Personal information for non-selected artists will be deleted within 90 days of notification. For questions about your information, contact 52Views@invenra.com.

Do I need to be a professional artist? No. This project celebrates authentic creative expression from cancer patients and survivors. No formal training, gallery experience, or professional credentials are required.

Can I submit more than one piece? Yes. Each artist may submit up to 3 artworks for consideration.

How many pieces will be selected? There will be 55 pieces selected: 52 cards, 2 Jokers, and the Deck Back design.

Does my artwork need to be about cancer? No. While we welcome artwork that reflects the cancer experience, your submission can be about anything. What matters is that it is a meaningful creative expression made by someone who has been touched by cancer.

Can I remain anonymous? Artists may choose to use a pseudonym on their card and website profile. Real contact information is required for the submission process and license agreement but will not be published. Because your artist statement will be published as written, do not include any information in your statement that you wish to keep private.

How will my card be paired with a research program? Our curatorial team will review each artist’s statement and, where a connection to a specific area of cancer research is evident, pair the card with a related Invenra research program on the companion website. If your statement does not reference a specific cancer type, your artwork will be featured alongside a general profile of Invenra’s cancer research mission. There is no requirement to disclose your diagnosis or medical history.

Will the deck have branding on it? The deck is designed to be art-forward. There will be no company name on the cards.

Can I share my card on social media once the deck is released? Yes. Artists are encouraged to share their card and story widely. We will provide digital assets to make sharing easy.

Can artists under 18 participate? Yes. Artists between the ages of 13 and 17 may participate, but a parent or legal guardian must complete the submission form and agree to the Submission Terms on their behalf. Artists under 13 are not eligible at this time.

Help ensure this call reaches as many cancer patients and survivors as possible. Please share this announcement with:

• Cancer treatment centers, infusion clinics, and oncology departments
• Cancer support groups and survivorship programs
• Art therapy programs at hospitals and cancer centers
• Patient advocacy organizations
• Social media communities for cancer patients and survivors
• Art schools, community art centers, and local artist networks
• Adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer organizations
• Caregiver support networks

Organizations interested in partnering to help promote this call or assist artists with submissions are encouraged to reach out at 52Views@invenra.com.