Compete MFA Call for Artists – Transformed 2025
Opportunity Description
International Deadline: September 3, 2025 – Transformed is a thought-provoking art exhibition that explores the beauty and potential of repurposed materials, showcasing the ingenuity of artists who breathe new life into the discarded and forgotten. Through a series of sculptural works, installations, and mixed media pieces, this exhibition invites visitors to reconsider the objects that surround us, things we often overlook or cast aside and reframe them as sources of inspiration, narrative, and artistic expression.
From industrial scraps to everyday household items, each artwork in Transformed is a testament to the idea that art doesn’t always come from new materials, but from reimagining what already exists. The exhibition features works that take seemingly mundane, used, and unwanted objects, such as old tools, broken electronics, recycled fabrics, and even trash, and repurpose them into stunning, thought-provoking compositions. Each piece in the show highlights the power of creativity to not only alter the physical form of these materials but to also shift their cultural and emotional significance.
In Transformed, the artists challenge us to think about sustainability, consumption, and waste in a world increasingly aware of its environmental footprint. The works in this exhibition reflect a commitment to the belief that through art, something as simple as a discarded object can tell a new, rich story, providing insight into the connections we have with the objects we use and the lives they have lived before finding their way into the artist’s hands. This exhibition is a celebration of resourcefulness, creativity, and the ever-present potential for renewal in our fast-paced, throwaway culture. As you walk through the gallery, you’ll discover how objects once considered obsolete or meaningless can be transformed into pieces of art that speak to our collective past, present, and future.
Works selected by the juror will be exhibited in MFA’s Circle Gallery from October 31 – November 22, 2025.
ELIGIBILITY
Entry is open to artists residing in the any of the states or territories of the United States, Canada, and Mexico. All original 2D or 3D work following entry guidelines will be considered. Work previously exhibited in Circle Gallery within the past three years 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).
JUROR
Jaynie Gillman Crimmins, a New York City based artist, creates alternative narratives by recycling quotidian materials. Her work has been shown at ART on PAPER NYC; and exhibited at the Sharjah Museum of Art during the Islamic Arts Festival in the United Arab Emirates; SPRING/BREAK Art Show, NYC; Governor’s Island Art Fair, NYC; the National Museum of Romanian Literature in addition to museums throughout the United States including the Muscarelle Museum of Art at the College of William and Mary, VA; The Hudson Valley Museum of Contemporary Art [HVMOCA], Peekskill, NY; Hunterdon Art Museum, NJ; Zuckerman Museum of Art... see more
AWARDS
Awards designated by the juror total $1,000.
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.
APPLY ONLINE
Visit us online for complete details.
A maximum of 6 original works created within the past 3 years may be
entered.
SALES
Work must be for sale. Artists will retain 70% from sales (75% for MFA Members). MFA will retain 30% commission (25% for MFA Members at the time of the sale) on any
DATES
- Sep 3 Entry Deadline @ 11:59 PM
- Oct 2 Notification @ 5 PM
- Oct 21 – 25 Accepted and Shipped Work Must Arrive at MFA Circle Gallery 11 AM – 4 PM
- Oct 31 Exhibition Opens
- Nov 2 Virtual Awards Ceremony from 4 – 5 PM via Zoom
- Nov 22 Last Day of the Exhibition; Closing Reception at MFA Circle Gallery from 4 – 6 PM
- Nov 23 – 24 Pick-up Hand-Delivered Work 11 AM – 4 PM
- Dec 4 Shipped Work Will Be Sent
About:
The MFA incorporated as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization in 1968 and, through the hard work of a growing and enthusiastic membership, opened the Circle Gallery located at 18 State Circle, just steps away from the State House in Annapolis. The gallery is located in a restored loft space in the heart of the Annapolis Historic District and has been operating continuously since opening its doors. The MFA has also reached out beyond its doors through its Alternate Space efforts, often bringing art to unexpected places.
Maryland Federation of Art
18 State Circle
Annapolis, MD 21401
t: 410 268 4566
