Surreal Salon, the annual international exhibition celebrating the Pop-surrealism/Lowbrow movement, is returning to Baton Rouge Gallery – center for contemporary art (BRG) for its 18th year. Held in partnership with Louisiana State University (LSU)’s School of Art, the show will be open to all at no cost from January 2 to 25, 2026, in Louisiana’s capital city.
This year’s multimedia edition features more than 60 artists from the U.S. and abroad, with pieces hand-picked by the show’s Special Guest Juror, Swoon, from a pool of nearly 800 works via a blind jurying process.
Every year, Surreal Salon celebrates the ever-evolving Pop-surrealist/Lowbrow art movement by inviting artists across the globe to submit works for consideration. The resulting selection always features paintings, photography, ceramics, textiles, mixed media works, and more.
Kristin Meyers, “Silenced,” mixed media and found objects, 25 x 16 x 11 inches
Over the years, Surreal Salon has enlisted internationally renowned artists such as Ron English, Camille Rose Garcia, Marco Mazzoni, Beth Cavener, Greg “Craola” Simkins, and many others to serve as jurors and curate engaging, dynamic collections of work for the show. That tradition was renewed in 2026 as Swoon (a.k.a. Caledonia Curry) stepped into this role.
Curry is a Brooklyn-based street artist who, drawing on both realistic and fantastical elements, has created immersive installations, wheatpaste portraits, and community-based social justice projects for two decades. Her work has adorned the walls of institutions like New York’s Museum of Modern Art, the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston, and Tate Modern, while also appearing on the façades of built environments around the world.
Swoon will give a talk on Monday, January 26, hosted by LSU’s School of Art in conjunction with Surreal Salon 18. Free and open to all, the talk will touch on her career, her work, and her experience selecting the art for this show.
Before the exhibition’s closure, BRG will welcome hundreds of guests to channel their own pop-surrealist visions into elaborate costumes at The Surreal Salon Soiree on Saturday, January 24. The night will celebrate the show with live music from the band Bon Bon Vivant, two different DJ sets, food trucks, and several surprises. Tickets are on sale now, starting at just $40.
To learn more and to preview the works included in this year’s exhibition, visit batonrougegallery.org.
Paige DeVries, “Shadow Boxer,” oil on canvas, 60 x 40 inches
Peyton Pickenpaugh, “Medusa,” fabric, foam, pins, 57 x 46 x 18 inches
Primary graphic for Surreal Salon 18 created by artist Marco Mazzoni
