Maryland Federation of Art (MFA) and the Asian Arts & Culture Center at Towson University (AA&CC) invites APIMEDA (Asian, Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern, and Desi American) artists to share works that express their cultural heritage, reflect cross-cultural influences, and/or convey/incorporate their unique American experiences. Any original 2D and 3D artwork in any media will be considered. Works selected by the juror will be exhibited in MFA’s Circle Gallery in Annapolis from June 26 – July 26, 2025. The acronym APIMEDA was coined by the Coalition for Critical Asian American Studies (CCAAS) at the University of California – San Diego, and has been adopted by academic institutions and other organizations to be a more inclusive and intersectional alternative to the umbrella term of “Asian American.” While reflecting a diverse range of ethnic, cultural and national backgrounds, APIMEDA also acknowledges the common experiences and overlapping identities shared within this diaspora. Born in Baltimore to Filipino immigrants, Nerissa Paglinauan is in her 13th year as Program Manager of the Asian Arts & Culture Center at Towson University where she engages audiences through diverse exhibitions and programs. During that time, she has curated or co-curated 12 group exhibitions, including the annual Asia North exhibition held in Baltimore’s Station North Arts District, all with the focus of centering underrepresented APIMEDA cultures, stories and experiences. Through these group shows, the AA&CC has developed a deep and diverse network of APIMEDA artists based in the Greater Baltimore and DMV region. In 2013, she helped organize Art Filipino: Works by Master Artists, AA&CC’s first exhibition featuring all Filipino artists, with works on loan from the collection of the Philippine Center New York, and from local collectors in the DMV. Paglinauan holds B.A. degrees in Music and Child Development from Tufts University.
I am honored to serve as juror for Interwoven Worlds and deeply grateful to the MFA for inviting Towson University’s Asian Arts & Culture Center (AA&CC) to collaborate on this meaningful project. As the MFA’s first exhibition dedicated to showcasing artists from APIMEDA (Asian Pacific Islander Middle Eastern Desi American) diasporas, this show continues the AA&CC’s mission to center underrepresented APIMEDA stories and experiences. The selected works span a wide range of media, themes, and aesthetics. Some engage deeply with the artists’ cultural and historical roots—at times exploring layers of intersectionality—while others focus on subjects not explicitly tied to identity. I was particularly drawn to works that demonstrated a bold command of their medium: pieces that were traditionally beautiful, those that provoked discomfort or raised questions prompting return viewings, and those that resonated with me emotionally as someone who comes from an immigrant background. This exhibition does not attempt to define a singular community. Rather, it illuminates both the diversity of individual experiences and the common threads that bind them. It invites viewers to move beyond reductive labels, to engage with each work on its own terms, and to celebrate the richness of artistic voices that flourish at the intersections of culture, geography, and imagination. Juror’s Choice Honorable Mention
*Award contributors and recipients will also be listed in the exhibition catalog.
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.
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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.
Introducing Interwoven Worlds: Art of APIMEDA Diasporas
Juror: Nerissa Paglinauan: Program Manager, Asian Arts & Culture Center at Towson University
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