Off the Wall

Now Open for Entry

Deadline to Enter is May 13, 2026

Will be on Display July 8 – August 15, 2025 at Maryland Hall’s Earl Gallery

Please click the button above to enter this show on ArtCall.org. You will need to create a free account to enter your work.

We are using a new entry platform, that uses different terminology than you might be used to seeing. In ArtCall:

• You will be asked to pay for the number of artworks you’ll be uploading in advance. You can add more later.

• The word “application” means artwork, so one application is one work of art.

• “Attachments” means images of the artwork, you can upload up to 2 images. You do not need to pay extra for attachments.

For first time users, we recommend the following resources:

• The video tutorial linked on the call for entry page.
• Our blog post that walks you through the entry process step-by-step.
• Our FAQ section.

Introducing Off the Wall

Art has spent centuries hanging politely on walls, waiting to be looked at. Off the Wall is done waiting. We’re calling for sculptures that plant themselves in the room. That commands space. That makes someone walk around it, step back from it, or get uncomfortably close to it. Work that couldn’t exist any other way, in any other form, in any other place. The only question now is whether your work is brave enough to stand alone.

MFA exhibitions are blind juried by professional and credentialed art experts. Entry is open to artists residing in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, and Mexico. Any original free-standing 3D work that follows our exhibition guidelines will be considered. Selected works will be displayed in this MFA organized exhibition at Maryland Hall’s Earl Gallery in Annapolis, MD from July 8 – August 15, 2026. Exhibition Co-Chairs: Nichole Leavy and Amani Freeman

Click this icon to view and print the downloadable prospectus.

Juror: Jim Hirshfield, Installation Artist and Professor of Sculpture at University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill

Jim Hirschfield teaches sculpture at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill where he served as Chair of the Department of Art from 2010 to 2017.  Hirschfield has received major grants and fellowships from both public and private foundations, including awards from the National Endowment for the Arts, the North Carolina Arts Council, the Graham Foundation, the Pollock-Krasner Foundation, Art Matters, and the Rockefeller Foundation.  His earliest work expressed concepts through the genre of installation where his artistic environments were explorations into ethereal spaces and light.  They were architectonic constructions that culminated in opalescence environments.  After creating an installation in a tractor trailer which then moved to various locations in and around Seattle, Washington, Hirschfield discovered the satisfaction of creating for a wider audience.  He gradually began exploring, and then whole heartedly focused his creative energies within the realm of public art.  Hirschfield has a long history in public art, having completed over 50 public art projects ranging from freestanding sculpture to sculptural environments.  He has also served on the Public Art Network Advisory Council and has authored four separate Public Art Masterplans.  Influenced by a site’s characteristics, Hirschfield’s  designs can be traced to the parameters of a site.  At the same time, he strives to create works that ensure a variety of poetic experiences by searching a theme, something about a place that inspires and directs his design.  He describes this as finding an inherent reality that lends itself to visual metaphor.  The success of his projects are a result of strong aesthetic designs that engage an audience, and once engaged, each viewer discovers layers of meaning that provide the participant with a multifaceted and profound artistic experience.

Terms of Entry

• Entry is open to artists residing in any of the states or territories of the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
• Entering this exhibition indicates understanding and agreement on the part of the artist with the conditions stated herein and with (a) MFA’s approved Statement of Equality and Diversity and (b) MFA’s General Guidelines. Work must meet exhibition guidelines to be included in the event. MFA may determine work ineligible if entry guidelines are not followed. Work delivered must correspond with the image(s) submitted to the juror.
• Images of accepted works may be used at the sole discretion of MFA for promotional purposes including, but not limited to: the invitation, catalog, website, or social media. Images will include attribution wherever possible.
• Work cannot be withdrawn before the end of the event.

Liability

•  All work is blind juried. Artists’ name and identifying information is hidden from the juror. Watermarks are discouraged to ensure blind jurying.
• All work will be handled with all possible care, but pieces submitted for exhibition are at the artist’s risk. In the event of damage or theft, the MFA will not be held liable. If insurance is desired, the artist must carry it.

Awards

• Awards designated by the juror total $1,000.

Entry Requirements

• All work must be uploaded through artcall.org. File size may be no more than 10 MB. Images for the juror must correspond with the actual work. MFA does not display watermarks; artists display at their own risk.
• For video submissions: you must put the link to the video in the Linked Web Resource field, and then upload a still frame from the video. For accepted video submissions, the artist will be expected to deliver the file to MFA on a thumbdrive.
• All entries must be original and completed solely by the artist’s hand. A maximum of 6 original works created within the past 3 years may be entered. If artwork is part of a limited edition, please state total number in the edition. Work previously exhibited at MFA Circle Gallery is not eligible for re-entry.
• Maximum size of work, including edges of artwork or frame, cannot exceed 72” in any direction. Artists may be asked to assist with the installation of oversized work (greater than 60” or over 40 lbs).

Entry Fee

• 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.

Work

• All entries must be original and completed solely by the artist’s hand. A maximum of 6 original works created within the past 3 years may be entered.
• Work previously exhibited at Maryland Hall is not eligible for re-entry.
• Maximum size of work, including edges of artwork or frame, cannot exceed 72″ in any direction. Artists may be asked to assist with the installation of oversized work (greater than 60″ or over 40 lbs.).

Sales

• 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.
• Work must be for sale. Work may be set to Price on Request (POR).

Exhibition Schedule:

• Mar 17 Online Entry Opens for Submissions
• May 13 Entry Deadline
• Jun 11 Notification @ 5 PM
• Jul 1 – 2 Accepted and Shipped Work Must Arrive at Maryland Hall from 10 AM – 2 PM
• Jul 8 Exhibition Opens
• Jul 12 Virtual Awards Ceremony from  5 – 6 PM via Zoom
• Aug 15 Last Day of the Exhibition; In-Person Reception at Maryland Hall’s Earl Gallery 5:30 – 7 PM
• Aug 17 – 18 Pick Up Hand-Delivered Work from Maryland Hall 10 AM – 2 PM
• Aug 21  Shipped Work Will Be Sent

NOTE: Should Maryland Hall be closed for reasons beyond our control, MFA reserves the right to move a planned physical exhibit to our online gallery.

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 eleanor@mdfedart.org and info@mdfedart.org. Contact Circle Gallery if you do not receive notice by 6 PM on the day of notification.