On Display @ Calvert Marine Museum April 1st – May 15th

Notification was made on February 16th

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Introducing Flora or Fauna

Still life with roses, fields of hay, owls in a tree, and humans being human— these are just a few from thousands of possibilities for artistic exploration in MFA’s themed Flora or Fauna exhibition. Any original fine art 2-D and 3-D work depicting the broad range of animal and plant life are the possibilities for juror consideration. Entries are open to all artists residing in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, and Mexico. This MFA-organized exhibition will display the selected works at the Calvert Marine Museum (CMM) from April 1 through May 15, 2021.

At the Calvert Marine Museum pre-history, natural history, and maritime heritage come together to tell a unique story of the Chesapeake Bay. This is a family-friendly museum that offers live animals, fossils, interactive exhibits, daily activities, and a furnished cottage-style lighthouse – something for every age. See what events and activities they have available over on their website. 

 Click this icon to view and print the downloadable prospectus.

 Click this icon to view and print the downloadable catalog.

Juror: Jack Rasmussen, Director and Curator of the American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center

Jack Rasmussen earned his MFA in Painting, MA in Arts Management, and his MA and PhD in Anthropology at American University. He worked at the National Gallery of Art before becoming the assistant director of the Washington Project for the Arts when it opened in 1975. He opened the Jack Rasmussen Gallery, one of the first commercial galleries to move to downtown Washington, and then helped launch Rockville Arts Place (now VisArts). He served for ten years as the executive director of Maryland Art Place in Baltimore and three years as executive director of di Rosa, a contemporary art museum and sculpture garden in Napa, California. Rasmussen has been director and curator of the American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center since it opened in 2005. He also currently serves on the Maryland State Arts Council.

Juror’s Statement

Jurying Flora or Fauna 2021 for the MFA Circle Gallery brought me welcome relief from the pandemic and the cold, dark winter days of February. The 574 entries were full of life and light, a celebration of nature that led me to believe that spring would be coming, grass will be growing, and baseball was around the corner.

During the jurying process, I encountered works of art exhibiting great technical prowess, emotional intelligence, and clear-eyed observations of internal and external reality. The thirty artworks I selected for the show all have these three qualities in abundance, representing real artistic achievement.

I can’t wait to see this show in person. Making decisions based on digital representations of the actual entries always makes for surprises when the exhibition opens. I hope these will be happy surprises, and that you will enjoy seeing the show as much as I enjoyed making my choices!

Awards

Juror’s Choice

  • Mitch Eckert, Kew, View No. 1, archival pigment print
  • Eileen Kennedy, Spring: Girls with Snowdrops and Robins, egg tempera on panel
  • Sandra Emme, Almost, oil / cold wax
  • Rhonda Ford, Standing Tall, oil on canvas
  • Megan Velvet Kunst, Taken, oil on panel

Honorable Mention

  • David Diaz, Along the River, oil
  • Susannah Hartshorn Lynch, Pine Top II, oil on canvas
  • Al Neyman, Back of the Hog, archival digital photo print
  • Jennifer E. Kish, Mist in the Forest, oil on canvas

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

Information for Accepted Artists

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. Please mark your calendar for notification. This may include specific information that varies from the prospectus.

Exhibition Schedule

Exhibition Schedule:

  • Nov. 23 Online entry open for submissions.
  • Jan. 21 Deadline for entries.
  • By Feb. 16 All artists notified by email. Check mdfedart.com or contact MFA if you do not receive notice.
  • Mar. 11-14 Shipped work must arrive at Calvert Marine Museum (CMM), 14200 Solomons Island Rd. S, Solomons, MD 20688. Check notification letter to confirm any delivery changes.
  • Mar. 11-14 11-4pm. Hand-delivered work must arrive at CMM. Masks required.
    Note: Any artwork transported by MFA to CMM is $20 each way.
  • Apr. 1 First day of exhibition 10-5 pm daily. Exhibiting artists receive complimentary entry.
  • Apr. 11 Digital reception on Zoom, 4 pm.
  • May 15 Last day of exhibition.
  • May 16-18, 11 am -4 pm. Pick up hand-delivered work at CMM: There is a $20 fee to transport work to Annapolis. Check notification letter to confirm any changes about pick up.
  • May 19 – 18 Pick up at MFA Circle Gallery; $10 fine for late pickup.
  • By May. 19 Shipped work will be sent

Delivery and Shipping

Delivery

  • All work delivered to the exhibition space must have the following information affixed to the non-viewing side of artwork:
    • Artist Name
    • Address, phone number and email
    • Title of the work, medium and price. Be specific with medium descriptions (e.g., oil on hardboard or canvas, not oil; chromogenic print or archival ink jet print, not photography or digital print; oil pastel on paper, not pastel; etc.)
  • Work must arrive on scheduled dates.
    • Mar. 11-14 Shipped work must arrive at Calvert Marine Museum (CMM), 14200 Solomons Island Rd. S, Solomons, MD 20688. Check notification letter to confirm any delivery changes.
    • Mar. 11-14 11-4pm. Hand-delivered work must arrive at CMM. Masks required.
  • Note: Any artwork transported by MFA to CMM is $20 each way.
  • Paintings must be dry.
  • Measure to ensure work meets size limitations before delivery, include outer edges of frames. Work not in compliance will not be exhibited. No exceptions.
  • All shipped work must include a bar-coded shipping label. Do not send by United States Postal Service (USPS). We prefer UPS but accept FedEx. No shipping peanuts allowed.
  • Please affix packing/repacking instructions to OUTSIDE of shipping box.
  • Tips on shipping can be viewed on the RedDotBlog

Pickup and Storage

Pickup and Storage

  • When the exhibit ends, unless specified otherwise, you may pick up your work no earlier than 3:00 pm on the closing day of the exhibit.
  • You must pick up your work within 48 hours of the closing day of the exhibit, or notify the gallery if you will be late. Please read the prospectus for exact dates of pickup.
    • May 16-18, 11 am -4 pm. Pick up hand-delivered work at CMM: There is a $20 fee to transport work to Annapolis. Check notification letter to confirm any changes about pick up.
    • May 19 – 18 Pick up at MFA Circle Gallery.
  • Unless previous arrangements have been made, work placed in storage after announced pickup dates will be subject to a fine of $10.00 per piece, per week. Work left in storage longer than two (2) weeks shall become MFA property and may be disposed of, or used for fundraising purposes. There are no exceptions.

Liability

Liability

All work will be handled with all possible care, but pieces submitted for exhibition are at the artist’s risk. In the event of damage or theft, MFA will not be held liable. If insurance is desired, the artist must carry it.

Sales

Sales

  • All work entered into any exhibition must be for sale unless prior agreements are made, and marked either with a price or POR for Price On Request.
  • Artist members will retain 75% from sales; non-member will retain 70%.
  • Sale of artwork is taxable and all sales tax processing will be handled by MFA.
  • Sold artwork requiring shipment will be handled by MFA with costs collected from buyer. Buyers will be asked if the work may be retained until the exhibit ends. If the buyer disagrees, the Gallery will let the work go, and the artist will be informed.
  • 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.