Now Open for Entry

Deadline to Enter is August 14, 2024

Online Entry System

Please click the button above to enter this show on ArtCall.org. You will need to create a free account to enter your work.

We are using a new entry platform, that uses different terminology than you might be used to seeing. In ArtCall:

  • You will be asked to pay for the number of artworks you’ll be uploading in advance. You can add more later.

  • The word “application” means artwork, so one application is one work of art.

  • “Attachments” means images of the artwork, you can upload up to 2 images. You do not need to pay extra for attachments.

For first time users, we recommend the following resources:

  • The video tutorial linked on the call for entry page.
  • Our blog post that walks you through the entry process step-by-step.
  • Our FAQ section.

Introducing After Dark

After Dark is an immersive art exhibit that invites you to explore the enigmatic beauty that unfolds when the sun sets. Delve into a world where shadows dance, colors transform, and creativity takes on a mesmerizing nocturnal allure. Maryland Federation of Art (MFA) invites all artists residing in any of the states or territories of the US, Canada, and Mexico to enter our After Dark Show 2024. Any original 2D or 3D work will be considered. Works selected by the juror will be exhibited in MFA’s Circle Gallery from October 31 – November 23, 2024.

Click this icon to view and print the downloadable prospectus.

Juror: Crista Pisano: Profession Artist and Plein Air Painter

Born and raised in northern New Jersey, Crista began painting in oils in 1989 under the instruction of John Phillip Osborne at the Ridgewood Art Institute in Ridgewood, NJ. She graduated from the Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts in 2000, receiving a Bachelors Degree of fine arts painting, and in 2003, received a Masters Degree of Fine arts Painting from the New York Academy Graduate School of Figurative Art.

Crista paints landscapes mostly en plein air as well as in her studio in Nyack, NY, and is known for painting on a small scale. Influenced by the Hudson River School, she also loves the Macchiaioli, a group of Italian Painters active in Tuscany in the second half of the Nineteenth Century. Some of her favorite artists are George Inness, Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot, Martin Johnson Heade, and Edward Lear.

Aside from participating in various plein air events throughout the year, she exhibits throughout New England and New York. She has received numerous awards and honors, including “Best in Show” at the Adirondack Plein Air Festival in both 2012 and 2014. Crista also won “Honorable Mention” at Plein Air Easton in 2015, 2016, and 2021 as well as “Best Nocturne” in 2019 and 2021. She won three awards in 2019 at Plein Air Annapolis including second place overall and the “Stobart Foundation Award” at The Mystic Seaport International Marine Exhibition 2019. In 2021 Crista won the “Petit Plein Air Artists Choice” at the Olmsted Plein Air Invitational. Plein Air Magazine included Crista as one of their featured artists in their December/January 2016 issue.

Terms of Entry

  • Entry is open to artists residing in the any of the states or territories of the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
  • Entering this exhibition indicates understanding and agreement on the part of the artist with the conditions stated herein and with (a) MFA’s approved Statement of Equity and Diversity and (b) MFA’s General Guidelines. Work must meet exhibition guidelines to be included in the event. MFA may determine work ineligible if entry guidelines are not followed. Work delivered must correspond with the image(s) submitted to the juror.
  • Images of accepted works may be used at the sole discretion of MFA for promotional purposes including, but not limited to: the invitation, catalog, website, social media, or a subsequent year’s prospectus. Images will include attribution wherever possible.
  • Work cannot be withdrawn before the end of the event.

Liability

  • Artwork will be handled with all possible care. MFA will not be responsible or liable for loss or damage from any cause whatsoever. Insurance, if desired, must be carried by the artist.

Awards

  • Cash awards total $1000

Entry Requirements

  • All work must be entered by uploading JPEG images through MFA’s online entry system. Set pixel dimension to between 1,500 and 3,000 pixels on the longest side. File size may be no more than 5 MB.
  • For video submissions: upload a still frame from your video, and in the “media” section, put the media and then include a public YouTube or Vimeo link to the video. For accepted video submissions, the artist will be expected to deliver the file to MFA on a thumbdrive.
  • To enter online, you will need an MFA account that includes an email address and a password. There is no charge to create an MFA account.

Entry Fee

  • 1 or 2 entries $45 (MFA Members $30). Up to 4 additional entries $6.75 each (MFA Members $4.50). Entry fees are non-refundable.

Work

  • Images for the juror must correspond with the actual work.
  • All entries must be original and completed solely by the artist’s hand. A maximum of 6 original works created within the past 3 years may be entered.
  • Work previously exhibited at MFA Circle Gallery is not eligible for re-entry.
  • Maximum size of work, including edges of artwork or frame, cannot exceed 72″ in any direction. Artists may be asked to assist with the installation of oversized work (greater than 60″ or over 40 lbs.).

Sales

  • Artists will retain 70% from sales (75% for MFA Members). MFA will retain 30% commission (25% for MFA Members at the time of the sale) on and work sold through MFA.
  • Work must be for sale. Work may be set to Price on Request (POR).

Exhibition Schedule:

  • Jun 17 Online Entry Opens for Submissions
  • Aug 14 Entry Deadline
  • Sept 11 Notification @ 5 PM
  • Oct 20 – 26 Accepted and Shipped Work Must Arrive at MFA Circle Gallery from 11 AM – 4 PM
  • Oct 31 Exhibition Opens
  • Nov 3 Virtual Awards Ceremony from 4 – 5 PM via Zoom
  • Nov 23 Last Day of the Exhibition; Closing Reception at MFA Circle Gallery from 4 – 6 PM
  • Nov 24 – 25 Pick-up Hand-Delivered Work from 11 AM – 4 PM
  • Dec 4 Shipped Work Will Be Sent

NOTE: Should Circle Gallery or any other exhibition space be closed for reasons beyond our control, MFA reserves the right to move a planned physical exhibit to our online gallery.