Student Surrealist Art Exhibit
“The Surreal Self”
Initiated in 1985, this annual juried art exhibition presents work by Florida middle and high school students that explores ideas and visions inspired by the work of Salvador Dalí and the Surrealists. Students are asked to experiment with surrealist techniques such as visual transformation, dislocation and symbolism to create their works. This year’s theme is “The Surreal Self: Personal Symbols, Stories and Portraits.”
This exhibit is comprised of three distinct student shows featured at The Dalí Museum in 2026:
Pinellas County: Jan 10–Feb 25
Hillsborough County: Mar 14–Apr 26
Statewide: May 9–Aug 2
As an artist, Dalí had the ability to construct versions of himself that would be shared with others. In Dalí’s work, it is common to see personal symbols derived from his lived experiences, like his melting watches which represent how he perceived the passage of time. Dalí also referenced physical locations with personal meaning, particularly the rocky forms of the Catalan coastline where he grew up, in his creation of surreal landscapes.
The self-portraits Dalí created throughout his career explore different sides of his identity, portraying himself at various stages of life. In Self-Portrait (Figueres), teenage Dalí depicts an older version of himself shrouded in darkness, while in The Hallucinogenic Toreador he appears in his favorite blue sailor outfit from childhood, and in The Discovery of America by Christopher Columbus he emphasizes his revitalized religious devotion later in life.
With this theme, students are challenged to represent themselves with the techniques used by Dalí to shape and present his own version of self. The Dalí Museum invites students to portray themselves through personal symbols, stories and portraits, founded in reality or the otherwise fluid methods of Salvador Dalí.
The Museum’s juried student exhibitions and receptions are funded by a generous gift from an anonymous donor and in part from a program endowment fund established by the Craig and Jan Sher Philanthropic Fund. Additional support for this educational program comes from our Museum corporate partner, Bloomin’ Brands.
This exhibit is held in the Raymond James Community Room on the ground floor of the Museum. Access to the Museum’s ground floor is free and open to the public. The Raymond James Community Room occasionally closes for private events, in which case, the exhibit will not be accessible.