Guidelines

Entry Requirements

Eligibility

• For national open juried exhibitions, only residents of the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada are eligible to enter.

Entries and Submission Fees

• Fees and size requirements are announced by our call for entry system and are stated in each show prospectus.

• Entries for National Juried Exhibitions must be submitted online; most juried and non-juried member exhibitions require work to be dropped off at the Circle Gallery.

• Images must be in JPEG files less than 2MB in size, with the recommended longest pixel dimension between 1600 and 2000 pixels.

• Images of accepted works may be used at the sole discretion of MFA for promotional purposes including but not limited to the invitation, catalog, web site or on a subsequent year’s prospectus. Image will include attribution whenever possible.

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.

• The MFA will retain 30% from all sales

• Sale of artwork is taxable and all sales tax processing will be handled by the MFA.

• Sold artwork requiring shipment will be handled by the MFA with costs collected from 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.

• The MFA asks that artists donate 20% from any sale made through a direct referral from the 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.

Work

• A maximum of 6 original works created within the past three years may be entered, unless otherwise specified for a particular exhibit.

• Works previously exhibited in a juried show at Circle Gallery are not eligible.

• Completed works may not exceed 72 inches in any one direction, including the frame. Sizes specific to an exhibition are shown in the entry application.

• Work must be original in concept and design and created by the artist. No commercially produced or reproduced artwork will be accepted.

• Photographic prints not made directly by the artist, shall have been analog or digitally processed by the artist and shall be in control of any adjustments such as cropping, color balance, contrast, etc., through to the final printing.

• No works produced in multiple quantities are accepted, unless produced from the original means by the artist’s hand and doesn’t exist in another medium. The Gallery strongly suggests that editions are signed and numbered. As of 2014, signing and numbering will be required.

DELIVERY, INSTALLATION AND PRESENTATION

Delivery

• All work delivered to the gallery must have the following information affixed to the non-viewing side of 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 ink jet 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 shipping box.

• Tips on shipping can be viewed on the RedDotBlog

Installation of Artwork

Member and National Juried Shows: Placement of works is the responsibility of the Exhibitions Committee and its chosen jurors.

Solo/Small Group Exhibitions: Artists are encouraged to work with the gallery staff to install their exhibition as part of the professional development process. The Gallery has final say on presentation. Once a work is selected for exhibition, the artist cannot remove it from the gallery unless unusual circumstances require an exception.

Presentation Guidelines

The MFA strives to provide a professional exhibition space and asks artists to present their artwork professionally as well. The work must conform to the following standards unless otherwise stated for a particular exhibition. Artwork will not be installed if improperly presented or misrepresented.

• Two-dimensional work must be suitably framed (clip frames not allowed) and under glass or Plexiglas when appropriate (Plexiglas must be on work over 24”x30”).

• Artwork that is intentionally unframed, such as stretched canvas, must have well finished painted edges. Edges cannot be taped. Mats, if used, must be well cut and clean.

• All work must be equipped for safe installation; gallery personnel will determine safety.

• Works considered as being too fragile for handling by gallery personnel will not be accepted.

• All wall and suspended work must be equipped with a secure wire hanging system. The MFA does not supply framing, hardware or wire.

• Coordination with the Gallery is required for installation work.

  • Artwork or display materials to be directly affixed to the wall must have gallery approval and artist must provide own hardware.
  • Works requiring electrical outlets or other special considerations should consult with gallery prior to application.
  • The Gallery has limited numbers of display materials for 3-D work – discuss with the gallery prior to application.

• The artist is responsible for special security of artwork, such as jewelry.

• When two or three-dimensional work is unusually heavy or difficult to handle, timely assistance may be required of the artist. Prior notice is required for any three-dimensional works exceeding 50 pounds, and two-dimensional work exceeding 20 pounds to ensure gallery floor or wall can bear weight load. Three-dimensional work must fit through a standard single door.

• Bin art, when allowed, must be firmly backed and shrink-wrapped or enclosed in an art quality plastic sleeve, with a label attached to the non-viewing side that includes name, title, medium and price. No tape on closures.

Pickup and Storage

• When the exhibit ends, unless specified otherwise, you may pick up your work no earlier than 3:00 pm on the closing day of the exhibit.

• You must pick up your work within 48 hours of the closing day of the exhibit, or notify the gallery if you will be late.

• Unless previous arrangements have been made, work placed in storage after announced pickup dates will be subject to a fine of $10.00 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

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.

Revised June 2012

MFA General Exhibit Guidelines (pdf)

Holley Gallery Guidelines

The Maryland Federation of Art (MFA) reserves the right to refuse artwork not meeting standard exhibition guidelines. Exhibition Guidelines are posted on MFA website www.mdfedart.org. Please call Circle Gallery for submissions schedule.

Guidelines for MFA member two-week solo exhibitions:

Application fee is $10 non-refundable. Exhibition fee is $250 per two-week exhibition.

The application is a two-step process:

1. For preliminary review of materials by the Exhibitions Committee send application materials to MFA Circle Gallery, 18 State Circle, Annapolis MD 21401. Each application must include the following:
   • A listing of artistic highlights and a brief statement saying why you want an exhibition, and what type of exhibition you are planning. Be specific about what type of work you wish to show—Is there a theme or particular focus such as landscapes or still life? The gallery space is small; please consider the greater impact of a focused, well presented body of work.
   • A minimum of 5 digital images representative of work you intend to exhibit. Digital images must be in good quality jpeg format. Three-dimensional artists shall present a minimum of two, preferably three views of each work. All image files are to be numbered to correspond to the artist's image list and include artist's last name (e.g. 01Smith.jpeg). The CD cover and disc must have artist's name. Do not use labels on the disc—use a black permanent marker, printing directly on face of disc. The Committee strongly urges digital submissions but slides will be accepted, though not in combination. Slide mounts must be standard thickness, with title, name, address, dimensions on viewing side of mount with a large dot on lower left side to indicate bottom of image. Number mounts to correspond with inventory list.
   • A hard-copy image list to show date of application, artist's name, address, telephone and email address, followed by a numerical listing of the work's title, medium, dimensions, and file name of each jpeg or slide.
2. The committee will make provisional acceptances based upon the above submissions. On scheduled dates, artists who receive provisional acceptance must bring 3 examples or more of their actual work to the gallery or other location for final review of the work, which must be framed and/or matted when appropriate to the work. Accepted artists will be offered available dates.

Exhibition:

An exhibition timeline will be provided to the artist.

1. Prior to installation, artists are required to submit title and price information to the gallery for the printing of the wall tags and price list. Artists shall be responsible for the installation of artwork on specified date(s) and times, and for any patching, paint touch-up required for display areas prior to opening date (materials will be provided). Artists may request assistance with installation. Artwork must be for sale unless prior agreement is made.
2. MFA will publicize the exhibit as it normally does with press releases and on its web site. If a postcard invitation or email announcement is desired, they must be coordinated in a timely way with the Gallery Administrator. Postcard costs are the responsibility of the artist. The gallery will provide signage directing visitors' attention to your exhibit
3. Receptions (food, drink, set up, clean up) are the responsibility of the artist and shall be coordinated with the gallery during normal hours.
4. On final day of exhibition, artists shall be responsible for prompt removal of their work and installation materials; patching and paint touch up shall be completed before leaving.

Holly Guidelines (pdf)

Video Submission Guidelines

1. Movies must be six minutes or less and may be of any genre.
2. Movies may be submitted as a Vimeo or YouTube link in an e-mail sent to video@mdfedart.org. Please put your name and the word "Entry" in the subject line of the e-mail. Submissions must be accompanied with your name, mailing address, and phone number; as well as a brief bio, artist statement, and title of the film. Entrants are encouraged to join MFA, but this is not a requirement for entry. At this time there is no entry fee.
3. To be considered for selection for the upcoming month, entries must be submitted by the 15th of the current month.
4. Movies will be selected on the basis of their artistic merit. Our judge for this month's competition is Assistant Professor of Visual Arts in the School of Arts and Sciences at the Anne Arundel Community College, Dawn C. Bond.
5. Winning movies for the "Video of the Month" page will be posted on the first day of each month. Selected artists will be notified by e-mail. Movies not selected may remain in the pool of eligible movies for at least three months or may dropped from consideration. Please limit your entries to one video per month; do not re-submit previous entries.
6. By submitting, artists agree that MFA may exhibit their work on our website and galleries and may use them for our publicity purposes. Entry and acceptance to the MFA Video of the Month is not considered to in any way limit the artists' right to exhibit the work elsewhere. We reserve the right to not post any video that the gallery deems not suitable to our general arts community.
7. These guidelines are subject to change.

Please submit thoughts, ideas, or questions to John Jensen.

Digital Image Requirements

• JPEG images only
• Set image width to a maximum of 2000 pixels
• Set image quality to 80%
• Maximum file size limited to 2 MB

Frequently Asked Questions

• Do the images downloaded directly from my camera meet the above criteria?
• I have a 3.0 megapixel camera. Is that adequate and how big an image does that produce?
• What is an image editor?
• Why do I need an image editor?
• How do I photograph my artwork to make the best impression on the juror?