East Baton Rouge – Baton Rouge Gallery – Center for Contemporary Art (“BRG”) is proud to host the 18th annual Surreal Salon, an international juried exhibition celebrating pop-surrealist and lowbrow art.
This year’s exhibition features 64 artists from three countries and 18 U.S. states, selected by internationally acclaimed artist SWOON (Caledonia Curry) through a blind jury process, culled from more than 800 submissions.
The exhibition will be on view January 2–25, 2026, and is free and open to the public Tuesday–Sunday (12–6 p.m.). Exhibiting artists will compete for more than $2,000 in cash prizes and an online feature in Juxtapoz.
Now in its 18th year, Surreal Salon continues to engage audiences with an immersive art experience unlike any other in the region, highlighting the growing popularity and exceptional quality of the pop-surrealist/lowbrow movement.
It all builds up to the Surreal Salon Soiree on January 24 (7–11 p.m.), when the gallery becomes a living extension of the artwork as hundreds of creatively costumed guests bring the exhibition to life. The Soiree features live music by Bon Bon Vivant, DJ sets from MONOBLACK and M3OWM1X, food trucks, and a preview of ELLEmnop.art’s upcoming exhibition, The Monsters We Sometimes Become.
Tickets start at $40 and are available at batonrougegallery.org.
Baton Rouge Gallery extends its thanks to this year’s sponsors: Lynne Petit Pisto, John G. Turner & Jerry Fischer, Louisiana Blue, BREC, and longtime presenting partner LSU School of Art.
For full details on Surreal Salon 18 and the Surreal Salon Soiree, visit batonrougegallery.org/surreal-salon.
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BRG is supported in part by its partner of more than 30 years, BREC. It also receives generous support from John G. Turner and Jerry G. Fischer, its Community Members, 89.3 WRKF, and the late Paula Manship. BRG is also supported by a grant from the Louisiana Division of the Arts, Office of Cultural Development, Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, in cooperation with the Louisiana State Arts Council. Additional funding has been provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.