On Display August 27 – September 20, 2025

Closing Reception will be September 20 from 4 – 6 PM at Circle Gallery

Work on Display   Artists on Display   Watch The Virtual Awards Ceremony

Introducing The Changing Americas  

From wind-sculpted coastlines to cloud-piercing mountain ranges, the Americas offer some of the planet’s most powerful and varied terrains. Yet these environments are forever in motion—reshaped by urban growth, ecological restoration, natural disasters, and a warming climate. The Changing Americas invites artists to explore this continual transformation, celebrating landscapes’ beauty, complexity, and vulnerability across North America, Hawai‘i, Central America, the Caribbean, and South America. Let your work reveal the places that anchor your life, the changes you welcome, and the unintended consequences you witness. 

We are looking for visionaries eager to transcend postcard-perfect scenery and craft bold, evocative pieces that rethink what a “landscape” can be. Whether through abstract imagery, mixed-media installations, sculptural forms, data-driven visuals, or inventive uses of color and texture, show us how natural and human forces collide, converge, and coexist.

Any original 2D and 3D artwork in any media that follows exhibitions guidelines will be considered. Works selected by the juror will be exhibited in MFA’s Circle Gallery from August 27 – September 20.

Click this icon to view and print the downloadable prospectus.

Juror: Mitchell Joachim: Co-Founder of Terreform ONE and Professor of Practice at NYU

Mitchell Joachim, PhD, is a co-founder of Terreform ONE, a nonprofit architecture and urban design research group in New York. Equally, he is a Full Professor of Practice at NYU and is Co-Director of Global Design NYU. He previously upheld the noteworthy leadership role as a University Senator and full-time faculty roles within the NYU Tisch School of the Arts and the NYU Tandon School of Engineering. Formerly, he worked as an architect at the professional offices of Frank Gehry in Los Angeles, Moshe Safdie in Somerville, MA, and I.M. Pei in New York. Currently, he is Program Chair at the Norman Foster Foundation.

Mitchell has won many honors including: National Endowment for the Arts Grant, Fulbright Scholarship, LafargeHolcim Acknowledgement Prize, Ove Arup Foundation Grant, Architect R+D Award, AIA New York Urban Design Merit Award, Victor Papanek Social Design Award, Best of the Best Red Dot Award, 1st Place International Architecture Award, Zumtobel Award for Sustainability, Architizer A+ Award, History Channel Infiniti Award for City of the Future, and Time Magazine Best Invention with MIT Smart Cities. He is a TED Senior Fellow and has been awarded fellowships with Safdie Architects and the Martin Society for Sustainability at MIT. He was featured in numerous articles: “The 100 People Who Are Changing America” in Rolling Stone, “The Smart List: 15 People the Next President Should Listen To” in Wired, “50 Under 50 Innovators of the 21st Century” by Images Publishing Group, “The NOW 99” in Dwell, and “Future of The Environment” in Popular Science.

Mitchell co-authored four books: Global Design: Elsewhere Envisioned (Prestel, 2014), XXL-XS: New Directions in Ecological Design (Actar 2016), Design with Life: Biotech Architecture and Resilient Cities (Actar 2019), and Super Cells: Building with Biology (TED Books and in process for 2nd revised edition). His design work has been exhibited in numerous locations including MoMA in New York, DOX Center for Contemporary Art in Prague, MASS MoCA in North Adams, The Building Centre in London, DAZ in Berlin, OCAD in Toronto, NAI in Rotterdam, Seoul Biennale, and Venice Biennale. Previously, he was faculty at Pratt, Columbia, Syracuse, Rensselaer, Washington (St. Louis), Cornell, Parsons, and EGS. He earned a PhD at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a MAUD at Harvard University, an M.Arch at Columbia University, and a BPS, with honors, at the University of Buffalo.

Juror’s Statement

It was a privilege to serve as a juror for this exhibition. The breadth and depth of work submitted was genuinely impressive — a testament to the creative energy and critical thinking alive in the community. Each piece brought something unique to the table, whether in concept, craft, or emotional resonance. Choosing among them was no easy task; the level of talent and vision on display made for a deeply engaging and thought-provoking experience. I’m honored to have participated in celebrating these artists, all of whom contributed meaningfully to a strong and compelling show.

Awards

Awards designated by the juror total $1,000.

Juror’s Choice

  • Tanks for the Memories – A Tide Point Moment by Steve Ember
  • “City of Dis” by Christopher Lonegan
  • screen capture 07 by Andrew Martin
  • Quiet Witness by Michael Kotarba
  • The Last Resort by Charise Whitaker

Honorable Mention

  • Dust Bowl by Rich Isaacman
  • Santa Ana River by Jane Mann
  • Abandoned Farm by Jane Mann
  • Life Cycles by Celia Slater

Information for Accepted Artists

Exhibition Schedule

Exhibition Schedule:

  • Apr 30 Online Entry Opens for Submissions
  • Jul 2 Entry Deadline @ 11:59 PM
  • Jul 31 Notification @ 5 PM
  • Aug 20 – Aug 24 Accepted and Shipped Work Must Arrive at MFA Circle Gallery 11 AM – 4 PM
  • Aug 27 Exhibition Opens
  • Aug 31 Virtual Awards Ceremony from 4 – 5 PM via Zoom
  • Sep 20 Last Day of the Exhibition; Closing Reception at MFA Circle Gallery from 4 – 6 PM
  • Sep 21 –  Sep 22 Pick-up Hand-Delivered Work 11 AM – 4 PM
  • Sep 25 Shipped Work Will Be Sent

NOTE: Should Circle Gallery 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

  • Work may not be removed from the exhibition early for any reason. Artists may pick up their work on the specified dates, or at 6 PM after the Closing Reception.
  • 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 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 amani@mdfedart.org and info@mdfedart.org. Contact Circle Gallery if you do not receive notice by 6 PM on the day of notification.