Nature Quest Arts Contest

Calling all youth ARTIST!

Prince George's County residents 18 years old and under. You are cordially invited to enter this year’s Nature Quest Art Contest. Explore your backyard, a local park, or other outdoor environments. Tell your nature story by drawing, painting, photography, mixed media, or through poetry.

DEADLINE for Submission: Friday, December 8, 2023, at 11:59 pm.

Finalists must bring their original artwork during the drop-off dates provided under the Important Dates & Deadlines section of this document. If the original artwork is no longer available, please reach out to Eric Smith at eric.smith@pgparks.com.
 

Awardees are expected to participate in the opening reception taking place on Saturday, January 20 2024, at the Harmony Hall Arts Center (10701 Livingston Road, Fort Washington, MD 20744).


 

Eligibility Requirements:

  • This contest is open to Prince George's County residents that are 18 years old and under. No purchase is       necessary.
  • ·Entries must be inspired by nature.
  • Content of the work must be original. Use of another artist’s work is not eligible. 
  • You may enter as many categories as you want!

     

Awards

For the art, photography, and poetry categories, 4 winning entries are chosen from each of the age groups. Three cash prizes will be awarded in each category: 1st place is awarded $300, 2nd place is awarded $200, and 3rd place is awarded $100. Poetry will be recognized in a separate category with cash prizes of 1st place awarded $300, 2nd place awarded $200, and 3rd place awarded $100.

 
Elementary School: K - Grade 6
Middle School: Grades 7 – 9
High School: Grades 10 - 12

 

Important Dates & Deadlines:

· Call for Entry Posted in Submittable: By September 8, 2023 

· Submission Deadline: Friday, December 8, 2023 (received by 11:59 pm EST) 

· Jurying Period: Monday, December 11, 2023-Friday, December 15, 2023 

· Artist Notification: Friday, December 22, 2023

· Drop off Original Artwork: Thursday, January 11, 2024 at 7833 Walker Drive Ste. 200, Greenbelt, MD 20770 between the hours of 8:30 am-5:00 pm or Friday, January 12, 2024, at Harmony Hall Regional Center Center between the hours of 8:30 am-5:00 pm 

· Artwork Installation: Monday, January 15, 2024

· Exhibition Dates: Saturday, January 20, 2024-Satuday, February 3, 2024 

· Opening Reception: Saturday, January 20, 2024 Harmony Hall Regional Center


Questions?
     If you have any questions or would like additional information, please contact Eric Smith at eric.smith@pgparks.com 


The 2023 Nature Quest Art Contest is a program of The Maryland-National Capital Park & Planning Commission, Department of Parks & Recreation, Prince George’s County, Arts and Cultural Heritage Division. 


 

Large Scale Art Reproduction for Showplace Arena- 2024

ELIGIBILITY 

This call is open to all artists in the District/Maryland/Virginia Area who are 18 years of age or older. 

ABOUT SHOW PLACE ARENA & EQUESTRIAN CENTER

The Show Place Arena & Equestrian Center is located at 14900 Pennsylvania Ave., Upper Marlboro, MD 20772. The Show Place Arena is a 5,800-seat multi-purpose arena, which is used for sporting events, concerts, boxing and professional wrestling events, consumer shows, trade shows, religious services, graduations and other events.

MAIN CONCOURSE DESCRIPTION 

There are four, large 18’ long walls along the western concourse which have the Walker Display System installed. Because of the overall monumental scale of the Arena’s concourse walls, it makes sense to provide large scale works to compliment the building. This is traditionally a rental facility where average event attendance may range from 3500 to 5000 people and the concourse can become extremely congested with people leaning or being pressed up against the walls. Many rentals typically have used the concourse for vendor booths and food service areas. The risk of damage to original artwork is potentially elevated, regardless of safety measures put in place, and it is important to minimize this risk while allowing the normal event setup requirements to take place.

EXHIBIT DESCRIPTION 

As has been implemented at local airports and other large-scale locations, we are seeking artists to submit 2D work samples that would be re-printed to around a 4 x 6 feet reproduction. No original artwork will be displayed at the Show Place Arena, rather a large full color print of the piece will be displayed for a yearly rotation. The printing costs for the artwork production will be covered by M-NCPPC.

We are seeking works that could benefit from being re-sized at a large scale without being affected by pixilation or textures. Smaller works may not be suitable.

SUBMISSION CRITERIA 

All proposals must be submitted online at m-ncppc.submittable.com. No other forms of application will be accepted. All proposals for art must be family friendly in nature and must be suitable for viewing by all ages.

All proposals must include:

  • Contact information for the artist applicant
  • A brief artist statement, 100-200 words total
  • Up to 8 image samples of a cohesive body of work, 2-Dimensional media only
  • An image list including titles, media, size, and year created for all artworks in the proposal

EVALUATION 

Proposal review will be led by M-NCPPC/ACHD employees and may include ad hoc community advisers. Selected artwork proposals will be scheduled according to space and time availability with a goal of presenting diverse forms of artwork of the highest quality, and of engaging a broad range of audiences.

NOTIFICATION 

Reviewing of proposals and scheduling of exhibitions will proceed on an ongoing basis throughout the year. Artists will receive notification of selected proposals as exhibition dates become available. Artists selected will receive an honorarium of $100 for usage rights for the exhibition time and must register, if they have not already done so, in the M-NCPPC vendor system to receive payment. 

If selected, the work may need to be taken into MNCPPC’s possession for a short time. Arrangements will be made for selected works to brought to a location and to be photographed by a professional photographer to allow for the best resolution to have re-sized large. 

INSTALLATION 

The art print reproductions will be installed and dismantled by M-NCPPC staff.

SALES & INSURANCE 

The large-scale reproduction prints will not be for sale, as the artist will retain the original work. The M-NCPPC insures all consigned artworks for up to 75% of their value while they are in our custody.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 

If you have any questions or would like additional information, please contact: 

Stuart Diekmeyer 

Visual Arts Specialist 

301-446-3251 

stuart.diekmeyer@pgparks.com

 

The Show Place Arena & Equestrian Center is a facility of The Maryland-National Capital Park & Planning Commission, Department of Parks & Recreation, Prince George’s County, Arts and Cultural Heritage Division. 

 

The Prince George’s County Juried exhibition is sponsored by The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), Department of Parks and Recreation, Prince George’s County, Arts and Cultural Heritage Division. The exhibition will be on display at Brentwood Arts Exchange from November 2, 2023, through January 6, 2024. 


 

Life in Layers: 

The 35th Annual Prince George’s County Exhibition

Artists convey aspects of life and the current times through their work. Each moment layers on the previous ones and they create narratives and meaning through all media forms. This exhibition, Life in Layers, seeks a broad interpretation of the concept, as each artist brings their unique background to the idea. The 35th Annual Prince George’s County Juried exhibition draws on the vast core of visual artists that live, work, or maintain a studio in Prince George’s County and fosters an inclusive spirit among the participating artists as well as showcasing their talents, skills, and diverse use of media.  

 

JUROR – Philip Hutinet

Phil Hutinet, a third generation Capitol Hill resident, is the publisher of East City Art, DC's Visual Arts publication of record, which he began in 2010. In 2012-2013, his work east of the river at ARCH Development led to the founding of the Anacostia Playhouse and the Anacostia Arts Center, the relocation of Craig Kraft's studios and the production of the 2012-2013 LUMEN8ANACOSTIA festival. From 2015-2019 he helped coordinate the annual Gateway Open Studio Tour in Prince George's County. From 2013-2018, he also produced EMULSION, East City Art's annual regional juried show. Currently, he produces the Capital Art Book Fair, an East City Art project held at Eastern Market's North Hall. Hutinet has curated or produced over 150 group and solo exhibitions in his career. Hutinet’s reviews, profiles and features are published regularly in both East City Art and Hill Rag. A sought-after speaker and moderator, Hutinet makes regular appearances at regional panel discussions and artist talks. He is often interviewed by national and international media such as the BBC, Capital Community News, Euronews, Washingtonian Magazine, Washington City Paper, The Washington Post, WAMU, WJLA ABC News Channel 7/Channel 8 and WTOP.

 

ABOUT BRENTWOOD ARTS EXCHANGE

The Brentwood Arts Exchange is The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission’s component of the public-private partnership with Gateway Arts Center, serving as an anchor for Prince George’s County Gateway Arts District. We focus on connecting audiences to diverse forms and ideas within contemporary art through visual arts exhibitions, live musical performances, curated film screenings, and classes. We also operate a retail store, selling functional art by local artists. 

 

GALLERY DESCRIPTIONS 

The Main Gallery is approximately 2,500 sq. ft. with 1,800 sq. ft. of exhibition space. It features 14 ft. ceilings, LED track lighting, three ceiling-mounted high lumens projectors, acoustic baffling, and white walls. 

 

ELIGIBILITY 

This call is open to all artists who are 18 years of age or older who live, work, study, or have a studio in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Artists may submit a maximum of 3 artworks for consideration.

 

EXHIBITION TIMELINE

Deadline to apply online:

Sunday, October 13, 2023, 11:59 pm

Artists notified:

Thursday, October 19, 2023

Artists drop off work at Brentwood Arts Exchange:

Sunday, October 29, 2023, 10am-4pm

Exhibition start date: 

Thursday, November 2, 2023 

Reception date and curator talk:

Saturday, November 18, 2023, 5-8 pm

Last day of exhibit:

Saturday, January 6, 2024

Artists pick up work from Brentwood Arts Exchange:

Saturday, January 13, 2024

 

SUBMISSION CRITERIA

Artists may submit a maximum of 3 artworks for consideration, including 3-Dimensional or video work. All works must be original (no reproductions). Images of works should be high quality and with enough resolution to see significant details. Due to gallery wall sizes, works must be 36" wide or less. 

All works submitted must not have been displayed in a county Juried exhibit previously.

A bio, artist statement with current contact info and a list of the works submitted with titles, media, date, dimensions, and price listed are also required with submission.

Applications must be submitted online at: m-ncppc.submittable.com

 

GALLERY LOCATION & HOURS 

Brentwood Arts Exchange

3901 Rhode Island Ave

Brentwood, MD 20722

(301) 277-2863

arts.pgparks.com

Hours: M-F 10 am – 7pm, Saturday 10 am – 4 pm, Sundays closed

 

PURCHASE AWARDS & ARTIST COMPENSATION 

On the recommendation of the Juror, the Arts and Cultural Heritage Division may purchase select works of art for inclusion in its collection. Furthermore, each artist selected to participate in the exhibition will receive a $100 compensation in appreciation of his/her participation. Registration as a vendor with the M-NCPPC is required in order to receive payment. Payments are typically paid near the end of the exhibition. 

 

DELIVERY & INSTALLATION 

Artists are responsible for transporting work to and from the gallery. Artwork must be delivered ready to hang and appropriately presented. Art works that differ significantly from the images submitted for judging or are not ready for gallery installation may be rejected. If you need to ship the work, please call to let us know what arrangements you have made. The exhibition will be installed and de-installed by Arts and Cultural Heritage Division and Brentwood Arts Exchange staff. All work accepted for exhibition will remain on display for the duration of the exhibition.

A loading dock is not available. Work must fit through an entryway measuring 120”H x 84” L x 80”W. Some pedestals are available on a first-come, first-served basis. If the gallery does not have a pedestal to meet the needs of a selected work, it will be the artist’s responsibility to supply the pedestal. Arrangements for installation should be made in advance. Brentwood Arts Exchange staff will contact selected artists to establish details. 

 

INSURANCE & SALES 

The M-NCPPC insures all consigned artworks under The M-NCPPC self-insurance fund as specified on the loan agreement. The M-NCPPC will insure all consigned artwork in the custody of Brentwood Arts Exchange for 75% of its sale value, from the time they are received by delivery, until the pickup date only. The M-NCPPC will retain a 25% commission on all art works sold during the exhibition.

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 

If you have any questions or would like additional information, please contact: 

Stuart Diekmeyer, Visual Arts Specialist, 301-446-3251, Stuart.Diekmeyer@pgparks.com

Sara Caporaletti, Visual Arts Assistant, sara.caporaletti@pgparks.com

 

Participation implies agreement with all aforementioned conditions.

Life in Layers is presented by The Maryland-National Capital Parks and Planning Commission, Department of Parks and Recreation, Prince George’s County, Arts and Cultural Heritage Division. 

General Exhibitions call for entry- 2024 season

We are seeking proposals from artists to present exhibitions for the 2024 season. Solo and group exhibitions are welcome. 


ELIGIBILITY

This call is open to all artists in the District/Maryland/Virginia Area who are 18 years of age or older. If an artist is already scheduled to participate in another solo exhibition during the 2023-2024 exhibition season at any Prince George’s County Parks and Recreation arts center or facility, they will not be eligible for consideration for this opportunity. Additional consideration will be given to artists who have not exhibited with any Prince George’s County Parks and Recreation arts center or facility in the past 2 years. 


GALLERY DESCRIPTIONS

We are seeking exhibition proposals for various M-NCPPC facilities including The Publick Playhouse, Watkins Nature Center, The Prince George’s Sports and Learning Complex (SPLEX), the Southern Area Aquatic & Recreation Complex (SAARC), and Snow Hill Manor. 

 

GALLERY SPECIFICATIONS

Publick Playhouse- 60 linear feet of wall space. 

Watkins Nature Center- 95 linear feet of hallway wall space that provides an intimate and up-close viewing experience. Artworks that are in the size range of 11 x 14 inches to approximately 20 x 24 inches are best suited for this space.

SPLEX- 144 linear feet of wall space. Artworks that are in the size range of 18 x 24 inches and larger would be best suited for this space.

SAARC- availability of space includes 80 linear feet of wall space for larger works up to 4x6 feet

Snow Hill Manor- new space for 2024!

 

SUBMISSION CRITERIA

All proposals must be submitted online at m-ncppc.submittable.com. No other forms of application will be accepted. 

Only two-dimensional wall-mounted works or contemporary digital media/video works can be accommodated in the various facilities that we are programming at this time.

 

All proposals must include:

  • Contact information for the artist applicant
  • An artist statement, no longer than one page.
  • A résumé or Curriculum Vitae for each artist 
  • 15-25 image samples of a cohesive body of work; OR 5 segments of audio and/or video, each no longer than five minutes in duration; OR an appropriate combination of images, video, audio and web-based work 
  • Proposals may include detail images for 2D works or stills of digital works
  • An image list including titles, media, size, and year created for all artworks in the proposal


EVALUATION

Proposal review will be led by M-NCPPC/ACHD employees and may include ad hoc community advisers. Selected artwork proposals will be scheduled according to space and time availability with a goal of presenting diverse forms of artwork of the highest quality, and of engaging a broad range of audiences.

 

NOTIFICATION

Reviewing of proposals and scheduling of exhibitions will proceed on an ongoing basis throughout the year. Artists will receive notification of selected proposals as exhibition dates become available. Proposals will be selected for the facility that the work would be best suited for, though we will take artist’s choice of facility into consideration.  

 

INSTALLATION

Exhibitions will be installed and dismantled by M-NCPPC staff unless the nature of the work requires special assistance. Exhibitions will last for 3-4 months. Selected artists will be required to transport their pieces to the facility prior to the exhibition and to pick up and transport pieces from the facility at the close of the exhibition. 

 

A video exhibit will be created by MNCPPC staff and will be shared during the time of the exhibit via Prince George’s Parks Arts social media platforms and will also be given to the exhibiting artist to share with their own art networks as well. 

Samples of previous art exhibition videos in these gallery spaces can be viewed on the ArtsPGParks social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram). 

 

ARTIST RECEPTION

A public reception for the artist be held during the exhibition if the artist desires to have one. Dates and times will be set according to facility availability, with preference to the artist’s schedule. The Arts and Cultural Heritage Division will provide light refreshments for guests.

 

SALES & INSURANCE

The M-NCPPC will retain a 25% commission on all art works sold during or as a result of the exhibition. The M-NCPPC insures all consigned artworks for up to 75% of their value while they are in our custody.

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

If you have any questions or would like additional information, please contact:

Stuart Diekmeyer

Visual Arts Specialist

301-446-3251

stuart.diekmeyer@pgparks.com


Sara Caporaletti

Visual Arts Assistant

sara.caporaletti@pgparks.com 

 

The Publick Playhouse, Watkins Nature Center, The Prince George’s Sports and Learning Complex (SPLEX), the Southern Area Aquatic & Recreation Complex (SAARC), and Snow Hill Manor are facilities of The Maryland-National Capital Park & Planning Commission, Department of Parks & Recreation, Prince George’s County, Arts and Cultural Heritage Division. 

PG Parks Arts and Cultural Heritage Division