On Display May 3 – 27, 2023

Virtual Awards Ceremony will be May 7, 2023 from 4 – 5 PM via Zoom

In-Person Closing Reception will be May 27, 2023 from 4 – 6 PM at Circle Gallery

View Sales Gallery       Join the Virtual Awards Ceremony

Introducing the Spring Member Show

Maryland Federation of Art (MFA) invited all MFA Members residing in any of the states or territories of the US, Canada, and Mexico to enter our Spring Member Show 2023. Any original 2D or 3D work was considered. Works selected by the juror will be exhibited in MFA’s Circle Gallery from May 3 – 27, 2023.

Click this icon to view and print the downloadable prospectus.

Click this icon to view and print the downloadable catalog.

Juror: David Carter, Associate Professor of Art at Montgomery College

In 1991, David Carter began teaching for The Art League School of Alexandria and was an adjunct professor of art at Montgomery College (MC) in Germantown, MD. In 2001, he became a full-time professor of Art at MC, where he also served as department chair from 2008-2014, and continues as Associate Professor. At MC, Carter typically teaches courses in drawing, design, color theory, painting, and art history, and also continues to teach a variety of courses for The Art League. His work, primarily oil painting and drawing, has been exhibited in solo and group shows on the east coast and across the country. He has completed numerous public and private mural commissions in different parts of the US and worked intermittently as an illustrator, photographer, and graphic designer. Carter received his BFA from James Madison University in 1981 and his MFA from American University in 1988. His work can be viewed at dbcarterart.com.

Juror’s Statement

In choosing the works selected for this exhibit I was advised to consider “stickiness.”  It’s an excellent word, and comes surprisingly close to naming that ineffable quality you’ve noticed when a work of art – after hours, days, or even weeks – seems to linger and come provocatively back to mind. In other words, it has stuck with you.  With or without a rationale, with or without a justification in “art-speak,” it made an enduring impression on you. This is what you came for.  And it’s what I looked for in my selections.  It can show right away, or take time and repeated views before it comes into focus. It’s often found, shining in a peculiar, unexpected way, in a piece you find many other reasons for not liking.  As I viewed, reviewed, and then re-reviewed the submissions for this show I saw familiar “types” and time-honored visual strategies I recognize from decades of looking at art.  I saw a range of technical finesse and craftsmanship, and I saw stylistic diversity in both 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional media.  None of these characteristics, by themselves, were the determining factor.  I was in search of stickiness.  And I found it in the 65 pieces in this exhibit. That may sound like a lot, but it’s a relatively small percentage of the total work submitted, and the artists represented by these selections have my admiration.  Of course what MUST be understood is the fact these works are the ones that stuck to me.  I trusted whatever wisdom my interest and experience provided me in making many difficult choices. Nothing more, nothing less.

 

To ALL the MFA artists: thank you for your interest, effort, and enthusiasm.  And STICK with it!!

Awards

Juror’s Choice

  • Maeve, ceramics, Phil Taylor
  • Wilderness 40 Days, oil on canvas, M.C. Pratt
  • Mesoamerica II, wood with paint, Gordon LYON
  • The egg came first, charcoal on paper, Georgi
  • Ikat Memories, acrylic, Eleanor Glattly

Honorable Mentions

  • As I Lay Awake, oil on canvas, Amanda Sanders
  • Taj Mahal, photography, Kathryn Mohrman
  • The Thread, mixed media with found materials on wood panel, Angela Petruncio
  • Moon Shoal of Cape Cod, acrylic, Victoria Ali
  • EXPLORATION OF SOLID GEOMETRY 56 – TRIANGULAR BIPYRAMID VOID 4, polished and painted mild steel, Gil Ugiansky

Conley Award

  • Maeve, ceramics, Phil Taylor

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

Information for Accepted Artists

Exhibition Schedule

Exhibition Schedule:

  • Feb 1 Online Entry Opens for Submissions
  • Mar 1 Entry Deadline
  • Mar 28 Notification @ 5 PM
  • Apr 26 – 30 Accepted and Shipped Work Must Arrive at MFA Circle Gallery from 11 AM – 4 PM
  • May 3 Exhibition Opens
  • May 7 Virtual Awards Ceremony from 4 – 5 PM via Zoom
  • May 27 Last Day of the Exhibition; Closing Reception at MFA Circle Gallery from 4 – 6 PM
  • May 28 Pick-up Hand-Delivered Work from 11 AM – 4 PM
  • May 29 Pick up Hand-Delivered Work from 11 AM – 1 PM for Memorial Day
  • May 30 Pick-up Hand-Delivered Work from 11 AM – 4 PM
  • May 31 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 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 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 75% from sales. MFA will retain 25% commission 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. If you have unsubscribed from MFA emails, you 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 this address: notification@mdfedart.org. Contact Circle Gallery if you do not receive notice.