On Display February 15th – March 31st

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Introducing Street Scenes

Show us what resonates with you in towns and cities, large and small; the people, shops, traffic – anything at all that evokes a distinctive sense of a place. Streets, lanes, and country roads tell the stories of communities and what we see there defines a place in our memories. Entries are open internationally for MFA’s (Maryland Federation of Art) online-only exhibition. Following exhibition guidelines, any 2-D or 3-D work is eligible for entry. The selected artworks may be viewed on MFA’s Online Sales Gallery from February 15th through March 31st, 2021. Exhibition Chairs: Richard Niewerth, Wil Scott.

Click this icon to view and print the downloadable prospectus. 

Click this icon to view and print the downloadable catalogue. 

Juror: Daniel M. Finch, Professor of Painting and Drawing at Messiah University, Mechanicsburg, PA

Daniel M. Finch was born in 1971 in Orlando Florida, the same year that Disney World opened its doors. Childhood was spent in various states including Virginia and Maryland before settling in Augusta, Georgia. The son of a sculptor, Finch attended Augusta State University to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts. He later earned his MFA in Painting and Drawing from the University of Georgia in Athens. He currently resides in a suburb of Harrisburg, PA, with his wife, and their two children, Mira and Dominic. His work has been exhibited extensively across the country as well as internationally. Many of his commissioned, public murals can be seen across Central Pennsylvania, and he has been featured numerous times in the national publication, New American Paintings. Daniel Finch is currently Professor of Painting and Drawing at Messiah University in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. His website is danielfinch.com

Juror’s Statement

Streets, highways, trails, and sidewalks (among other linear passageways) are at once both powerful and peculiar structures. They consist of both the concrete, stoic forms that make up their substance, as well as the transient, embodied characters who traverse their spans through time and space. The silent but directing pathway becomes both a facilitator and a collector of narratives for those willing to see, listen, and perhaps participate in this journey. This beautiful tension between the permanent and the ephemeral was captured in a myriad of ways by the 57 images that I was privileged to curate into Street Scenes, 2021.

As someone who has been quite often on the other side of the jurying process, I found the act of viewing and sorting through the 371 images to be a genuine pleasure, punctuated with far too many moments of internal conflict and debate within my own mind. The sheer volume of quality work, in a multitude of media, could’ve conceivably generated 3 or 4 different shows, all of which would have been fascinating to curate and visit. My own lifelong experience with, and allegiance to, painting was tested, challenged and broadened as I had the incredible privilege of viewing a superbly rich abundance of photographic and digital imagery. Ultimately, my 57 picks achieved a number of distinctions. In particular, they were able to transcend their medium and give the viewer an experience greater than the sum of their parts. In the end, the most important criteria was that the imagery had to be BEAUTIFUL, even if the content dealt with difficult, mundane or obscure truths. Beauty, and its uncanny ability to speak truth directly to the soul, was my prime, guiding factor.

The street has historically existed as a metaphor for our collective and individual pilgrimage through life. I trust that these thoughtful images will speak to you in a multitude of unexpected ways as you take this moment to pause and reflect upon your own journey.

Awards

Juror’s Choice

  • Rebecca Doran, Moving Towards Change, photography
  • Morgan Dwyer, Stay the Course, photography
  • Richard Kenneth Begbie, Into the Shadows, archival print on fine art paper

Honorable Mentions

  • Emil Petruncio, St Augustine Intersection, manipulated digital photograph
  • Nancy Keene Fishel, 5th Ave., digital painting
  • Christopher Fowler,  Seventh Avenue,  film photography
  • George Sass, Bubble Boy, photography

*Award contributors and recipients will also be listed in the exhibition catalog.

Information for Accepted Artists

Exhibition Schedule

Exhibition Schedule:

  • Nov. 10 Online entry opens for submissions.
  • Jan. 10 Deadline for entries.
  • Jan. 29 All entrants notified by email. Check MFA website or contact MFA if you do not receive notice.
  • Feb. 15 First day of exhibition.
  • March. 31 Last day of 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 online exhibition gallery.

Sales

Sales

  • MFA’s Online Sales Gallery is provided to North American artists to sell their work. Artists in other regions may submit work for jurying – but work should be marked POR and any request will be forwarded from MFA to the artist.
  • MFA retains 20% commission (15% for members) on any work sold through MFA.
  • Artists will be responsible for fulfillment of sales. MFA will reimburse appropriate shipping costs.
  • Sale of artwork is taxable and all sales tax processing will be handled by MFA.
  • 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 the Maryland Federation of Art and are tax-deductible by the artists to the full extent of the law.

Notification

All entrants will receive notice by email. The notice to accepted artists will include specific details and could vary from prospectus. A list of accepted artists and artwork will also be posted on MFA’s website. Please set your email account to recognize this address: info@mdfedart.org. Contact Circle Gallery if you do not receive notice.