On Display December 15, 2022 – January 31, 2023

Awards were announced January 8, 2023 at 5 PM

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Introducing Light and Shadow

Where there’s light, there must be shadow. Whether an artist knows it or not, light and shadow are essential to all forms of art, either as the subject of the piece, or the material being used to create it. From the dramatic chiaroscuros of the European Renaissance to the interactive and immersive experiences of Mary Corse and Yayoi Kusama, light and shadow continuously fascinate artists. Pieces that play with this dynamic were eligible for MFA’s 5th annual Light and Shadow exhibition. Entry was open to all artists residing internationally. All original 2D or 3D artwork in any media was eligible for this online show. Works selected by the juror will be on display in MFA’s online gallery, Curve Gallery, from December 15, 2022 – January 31, 2023. Exhibition Chairs: Richard Niewerth and Wil Scott. 

 Click this icon to view and print the downloadable prospectus.

 Click this icon to view and print the downloadable catalog.

Juror: Deborah Buck, Artist, Author, Entrepreneur, and Designer

Artist, author, entrepreneur, and designer Deborah Buck maintains that painting informs all her endeavors. Originally from Baltimore, Buck credits her early artistic and intellectual development to her encounters with the legendary Abstract Expressionist painter Clyfford Still, who mentored her as a young artist and sponsored her residency at The Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in Skowhegan, ME. After graduating with honors from Trinity College in Hartford, CT, Buck accepted a position with a subsidiary of Walt Disney Productions, where she designed animated displays for installation throughout the US and Canada. Exhibiting professionally since the 1980s, Deborah moved to New York City, where she was selected to be an Artist In The Marketplace (AIM) by The Bronx Museum, which honored her in Feb 2017 for her support of The Bronx Museum as an AIM alumni. Buck maintains an active exhibition schedule, showing recently in the Hamptons, Hartford, CT, and New York City. Deborah’s most recent works on paper reveal her fluid use of ink, pastel, and acrylic paint. She continues to explore the interplay of surrealism and abstraction in her work, where her long held interests in absurdity, romanticism, and the darker side of fairy tales lend a strong narrative sense to her practice. Visit deborahbuck.com to learn more and see her work.

Juror’s Statement

 I want to thank The Maryland Federation of Art for the opportunity to spend time getting to know this rich and strong mosaic of images. While there were many fantastic works, I used the discipline of the title to narrow down what best represented the stated objective of the exhibition.

Our visual world is constructed of a myriad of phenomena, light, shadow, form, line, and color being just a few. In this exhibition, we are focused on just 2 of these things, light and shadow.  I chose images that would not work without the context of how the artist had used the qualities of light and shadow to create a narrative.  When one composes, they zero in on what has caught the eye as interesting. It may be a contrast, a repetition or simply a moment in time which cannot be repeated. I found in my selection process that the less color was involved the stronger the interpretation of light and shadow became.

 I found myself drawn repeatedly to photographic images versus the painted and drawn to exemplify the focus of the exhibition’s objective. The painted images were quite strong, and I am a painter, but as a medium it does not provide for the almost surgical interpretation of light, contrast, and shadow that the camera provides.  I found in making these selections that photography allows the artist, because of the realism of the lens, to dissect an image, zoom in and take just a part of it to convey to the viewer what it is that the artists eye has landed on that is so provocative.

Awards

Juror’s Choice

  • PROWESS, photography, Irene Victoria Martinelli
  • Early Morning Bikes, photography, Wayne Guenther
  • Alana Seated, photography, Grace McCoy
  • Wall Rack , photography, Denis Sivack
  • Rabbit Eyes, photography, Leslie S. Kiefer

Honorable Mentions

  • Snowbound, photography, Brendan Connelly
  • Ridden Into Winter, oil on canvas, Robert Steinem
  • Nancy Series/ Ear and Leg, pen and ink on illustration board, Michael Gouker
  • Squares in Squares, photography, Judy Guenther
  • Capture, Fire Spirit Trap I (Phantasm Series), mixed media light sculpture, William Terry Stinson

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

Information for Accepted Artists

Exhibition Schedule

Exhibition Schedule:

  • Sept 7 Online entry open for submissions
  • Nov 2 Entry deadline
  • Nov 30 Notification @ 5 PM
  • Dec 15 First day of the exhibition
  • Jan 8 Awards Announced @ 5 PM
  • Jan 31 Last Day of Online 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. 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 info@mdfedart.org. Contact Circle Gallery if you do not receive notice by 5 PM on the day of notification.