Banner Detail: DC Street Scene, acrylic, Ruth Lozner for MFA’s After Dark 2025

Notification will be made 

Will be on display in MFA’s Virtual Gallery from October 15 – December 14, 2026

Awards will be announced on May 1 at 5 PM.

Introducing After Dark

After Dark is a captivating art exhibition that explores the quiet, mysterious, and evocative world that emerges when the sun goes down. Whether it’s the gentle flicker of a single lamp in an open window or the vast, starlit silence of a rural field, After Dark reveals how night transforms the way we see, feel, and imagine. The exhibition invites visitors to slow down and attune to the subtleties of light and shadow, of sound and silence the work seeks offer a sensory experience that is both immersive and deeply reflective.

MFA invites artists to use limited palettes, subtle contrasts, and softened forms to express the stillness and introspection that twilight and night inspire. This exhibition is a meditation on the nocturnal, a celebration of the unseen, and a tribute to the artistry that arises when the world grows quiet and the light begins to fade. Through a curated collection of paintings, photographs, installations, and mixed media works, After Dark will lure viewers into a realm where light fades, shadows stretch, and the ordinary becomes infused with mood, ambiguity, and atmosphere.

Maryland Federation of Art’s (MFA) exhibitions are blind juried by professional and credentialed art experts. Entry is open to all artists from around the world, with exception of sanctioned countries. Any original 2D or 3D work that follows our exhibition guidelines will be considered. Works selected by the juror will be exhibited in MFA’s After Dark exhibition through our Virtual Gallery from October 15 – December 14, 2026.

Click this icon to view and print the downloadable prospectus.

Juror: Kevin Murphy, Eugénie Prendergast Senior Curator of American and European Art, Williams College Museum of Art

Kevin M. Murphy is the Eugénie Prendergast Senior Curator of American and European art at the Williams College Museum of Art (WCMA), as well as Affiliate Faculty in the department of American Studies and the Graduate Program in the History of Art. Since joining WCMA in 2013, Murphy has organized numerous exhibitions, often with an interdisciplinary focus. He also co-teaches a popular course on the art market, “Acquiring Art,” in which students propose art work for WCMA to purchase. Most recently, he leads collections and exhibitions projects related to WCMA’s construction of a new museum building, scheduled to open in late 2027. Prior to joining WCMA, Murphy was a founding curator of the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas and associate curator of American art at the Huntington Library, Museum, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, California. He earned his PhD in art history from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a BA in art history from Pitzer College, Claremont, California.

Juror’s Statement

To be published with the awards on May 1, 2026 at 5 PM.

Awards

Awards designated by the juror total $500.

Information for Accepted Artists

Exhibition Schedule

Exhibition Schedule

  • June 23 Online Entry Opens for Submissions
  • August 26 Entry Deadline @ 11:59 PM
  • September 24 Notification @ 5 PM
  • October 15 Exhibition Opens
  • November 2 Awards Announced @ 5 PM
  • December 14 Last Day of the Exhibition

Liability

Liability

MFA shall not be liable for any special or consequential damages that result from the use of, or inability to use, MFA’s virtual exhibition gallery.

Sales

Sales

  • MFA’s Virtual Sales Gallery is provided to North American artists to sell their work. Only artists in the 48 contiguous United States may set a price. MFA will reimburse up to $35 in shipping costs to those artists for online sales shipments if a receipt is provided. All other artists must enter Price on Request (POR) and purchase inquiries will be referred by MFA to the artist.
  • Artists will retain 80% from sales (85% for MFA Members). MFA will retain 20% commission (15% for MFA Members) on any work sold through MFA. The sale of artwork is taxable, and all sales tax processing will be handled by MFA. Artists will be responsible for fulfillment of sales.
  • MFA asks that artists donate 20% from any sale made through a direct referral from MFA within three months. All donations are used to help defray operating costs of Maryland Federation of Art and are tax-deductible by the artists to the full extent of the law.

Notification

All entrants will receive notification by email. Accepted artists will also be posted on MFA’s website. Artists who have unsubscribed from MFA emails will not receive notification. The notice to accepted artists will include specific details and could vary from the prospectus. Please set your email account to recognize eleanor@mdfedart.org and info@mdfedart.org. Contact Circle Gallery if you do not receive notice by 6 PM on the day of notification.