On Display January 18 – April 10, 2023

Virtual Awards Ceremony will be January 29, 2023 from 4 – 5 PM via Zoom

Notification was made December 13, 2022

View Sales Gallery     Join the Virtual Awards Ceremony Jan 29

Introducing Lowe House

Maryland Federation of Art (MFA) has been invited to exhibit artwork at the Lowe House Building in Annapolis, MD, the office building for the Maryland State Delegates. Entry is open to MFA Members or artists residing in Anne Arundel County. Original 2D work created through any media and following entry guidelines are eligible for entry. Works selected by the Juror will be exhibited at the Lowe House of Delegates Office Building (6 Bladen Street, Annapolis, MD, 21401) from January 18 – April 11, 2023.

Click this icon to view and print the downloadable prospectus.

Juror: Laura Pasquini, Artist, Museum Educator, and Visual Arts Success Coach

Laura Pasquini is an artist, museum educator, and visual arts success coach living near Annapolis, MD. She received a BA in Art History and Theory from University of Maryland Baltimore County and a Masters of Arts in Teaching and Certificate in Drawing + Painting from the Corcoran College of Art + Design at George Washington University. She has traveled to her father’s home country of Italy several times to study and work abroad in both Florence and Venice. During that time, she frequented museums, while painting and studying from the drawings of Renaissance masters.

She has over 20 years of experience as a visual arts educator for museums, including the Corcoran Gallery of Art, where she held the position of Director of Community Outreach, Youth + Family Programs. She has also worked as an educator for the National Gallery of Art’s Art Around the Corner Program and is currently the Visual Arts Program Navigator at Anne Arundel Community College. “Museums and universities have always been active members in civic engagement. I have been fortunate to collaborate in these spaces with faculty curators, artists, and community members to bring high-quality and personally engaging art programs to traditionally underserved populations.”

Juror’s Statement

It has been an honor to serve as a juror for this year’s MFA Lowe House Exhibition and review submissions from such a talented pool of artists. I am incredibly grateful to MFA for extending exhibition opportunities into vital public spaces such as the Lowe House – an impressive building dedicated to our state’s evolving legislation.

The call was open to all MFA Members and/or residents of Anne Arundel County and included 254 submissions with a dazzling array of mediums and subject matter. As you can imagine, it was a challenge to narrow my selections down to the 45 works in the show. I let my instincts regarding style, composition, content, and innovation guide my process. I also considered works that engaged the viewer in concept and technical merit with representation from various mediums.

 All art tells a story, and this collection, bookended by the rise and fall of the pandemic, recollects numerous shared experiences in imagery and spirit. Isolated figures, the natural world, dwellings, and identity take on a context inextricably linked to this time in our history. In addition, recognizable landscapes that define Maryland’s unique geography can be spotted in waterscapes along the Anacostia River, Eastern shore, and the Chesapeake Bay. Last but not least, yellow appears as the star across all mediums – a collective symbol of joy and renewal?

Please enjoy, as I did, visiting this stunning display in person. I extend my sincere gratitude to Laura Carty, Exhibitions Manager, Ann Cole, Executive Director, and all the artists in this show for sharing their unique vision and gift with us.

Awards

Juror’s Choice

  • Bridge Walk, watercolor, Elizabeth Burin
  • Cape Cod 3, oil on panel, Mike McSorley
  • Metro Test, silkscreen, Jim EARL
  • “We were caught in a storm…or something of that sort.”, acrylic on clayboard, Marisa Evangelista
  • Along the River, oil, David Diaz

Honorable Mentions

  • Seafood Packing House-Left Vacant, oil, Nancy Fine 
  • Winter Driveway, acrylic on paper on canvas panel, Katie Rickman
  • Helios, photo print on metallic paper, Petra Maria Bernstein
  • Mixed Messages, digital photo on fine art paper, Marilyn Lowney Johnson
  • Density, woodcut relief print, Lisa Trevino

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

Information for Accepted Artists

Exhibition Schedule

Exhibition Schedule:

  • Oct 12 Online Entry Opens for Submissions
  • Nov 16 Entry Deadline
  • Dec 13 Notification @ 5 PM
  • Jan 11 – 15 Accepted and Shipped Work Must Arrive at MFA Circle Gallery
  • Jan 18 Exhibition Opens
  • Jan 29 Virtual Awards Ceremony from 4 – 5 PM via Zoom
  • Apr 10 Last Day of the Exhibition
  • Apr 11 –  12 Pick-up Hand-Delivered Work from 11 AM – 4 PM
  • Apr 17 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.

Delivery and Shipping

Delivery

  • All work delivered to the gallery must have the following information affixed to the non-viewing side of the 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 inkjet print, not photography or digital print; oil pastel on paper, not pastel; etc.)
  • Work must arrive on scheduled dates.
  • Paintings must be dry.
  • Measure to ensure work meets size limitations before delivery, include outer edges of frames. Work not in compliance with the exhibition guidelines and MFA’s General Guidelines will not be exhibited. No exceptions. Work delivered must correspond with the images submitted to the juror.
  • 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 the 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 6:00 PM on the closing day of the exhibit.
  • Unless previous arrangements have been made, work placed in storage after announced pickup dates will be subject to a fine of $10 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 the 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.
  • Artists will retain 70% from sales (75% for MFA Members). MFA will retain 30% commission (25% 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.
  • Sold artwork requiring shipment will be handled by MFA with costs collected from the 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 be sent notice by email. 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. A list of accepted artists and artwork will also be posted on MFA’s website. Please set your email account to recognize notification@mdfedart.org and info@mdfedart.org. Contact Circle Gallery if you do not receive notice by 5 PM on the day of notification.