Life is full of little things that can make a big impact. The little details come together to form a bigger picture, or in this case, an exhibition of small but wonderful works. This show is for artists who dream big but work small. Work is limited to under 11 inches in all directions, but there’s no limit on creativity or media. Maryland Federation of Art (MFA) invites all artists residing in any of the states or territories of the US, Canada, or Mexico to enter our 21st annual Small Wonders exhibition. All original 2D or 3D work under 11 inches in all directions (including the frame and display!) and following exhibition guidelines will be considered. Works selected by the juror will be exhibited in MFA’s Circle Gallery from November 27 – December 21, 2024. Click this icon to view and print the downloadable prospectus.
Tatiana Flores is a scholar of the visual culture of the hemispheric Americas, specializing in modern and contemporary Latin American, Caribbean and Latinx art. She is the author of the award-winning monograph Mexico’s Revolutionary Avant-Gardes: From Estridentismo to ¡30-30! (Yale University Press, 2013). Committed to public-facing work, she has been active as an independent curator for over two decades. She curated the critically acclaimed Relational Undercurrents: Contemporary Art of the Caribbean Archipelago for the Getty Foundation’s Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA initiative in 2017. A major survey exhibition described as having “seismic importance,” it featured over eighty contemporary artists with roots in the insular Caribbean. Through the framework of the archipelago, Relational Undercurrents located thematic continuities in a region that has long been regarded as fragmented and incomprehensible. A 2017-18 Getty Scholar, Flores received the 2016 Arts Writers book prize from the Andy Warhol Foundation and was the 2007-2008 Cisneros Visiting Scholar at the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies at Harvard University. She previously served as president of the Association for the Study of the Arts of the Present (ASAP) and was chair of the editorial board of Art Journal. Flores is a senior editor and founding editorial board member of ASAP/Journal. Her co-edited volume The Routledge Companion to Decolonizing Art History is forthcoming. Through her research, teaching and service, Flores advocates on behalf of disenfranchised and marginalized communities, artists and historical actors. This fall, she will be teaching the art history colloquium “Caribbean Aesthetics.” My father is a collector of miniatures, so I grew up around small wonders. I have always loved works that are intricate and intimate, that impart their wisdom quietly, as though they were sharing a secret. I am a lover and scholar of art but not an artist myself. Because I know that artists have skills and abilities that I lack, I am generous in my appreciation and connection to many types of objects. While certain art historians specialize in one or another medium, such as photography or sculpture, my interests in art are expansive. Walking into the 2024 edition of “Small Wonders” was indeed a wondrous experience for the ingenuity, diversity, skill, whimsy, and imagination gathered there. I had never been the sole juror of a competition, and it was both stressful and exciting. The quality was so high that I found it impossible to select a “best in show.” I opted to recognize works that achieve the highest level of technical skill across artistic media combined with arresting and memorable compositions. I commend all the artists for their contributions and dedication to their craft. Art brings joy and connects communities, and your artistic visions help us find common ground in divisive and challenging times. Honorable Mention 1 or 2 entries $45 (MFA Members $30). Up to 4 additional entries $6.75 each (MFA Members $4.50). Entry fees are non-refundable. 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.
Introducing Small Wonders
Juror: Tatiana Flores, Jefferson Scholars Foundation Edgar F. Shannon Professor of Art History
Juror Statement
Liability
Awards
Juror’s Choice
Entry Requirements
Entry Fee
Work
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Exhibition Schedule:
A Rollicking Good Time, collage of artist painted papers, by Cheryl Goodberg