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 drawing, painting, and photography, category. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place prizes will be chosen from each age group.  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.

 *Drawing, Painting, and Photography are all in the same category.

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. 

Prince George’s: Collective Ground

Prince George’s: Collective Ground intends to demonstrate the broad range of artwork being created in our county and to foster an inclusive spirit among the artists exhibiting together in the exhibition. 

Prince George’s: Collective Ground is the 2024 annual exhibition of artwork by Prince George’s County Artists in the Prince George’s Delegation of the Lowe House Office Building, in Annapolis. It serves as a reminder to our lawmakers about the importance of the arts, and offers daily, moral support through the power of art as they work on our behalf throughout the legislative session.

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. Due to the nature of the exhibition space, only two-dimensional artworks that can be safely installed on hanging cables will be accepted.

HONORARIA

Each artist selected to participate will receive a $100 honorarium in appreciation of his/her contribution. If you are not already registered as a vendor with M-NCPPC, please do so at this link: https://www.mncppc.org/register.html. Honoraria are paid near the end of the exhibition. All participating artists that are not yet registered as a vendor must do so online by January 11, 2024, to receive payment by the end of the exhibition.

JUDGING

Artworks for this exhibition will be selected by staff from the Prince George's County Arts and Humanities Council and the Department of Parks and Recreation, Prince George's County, Arts and Cultural Heritage Division. Selections will be made based on artistic merit, with an interest in showing a broad range of artwork and fostering an inclusive spirit.

EXHIBITION TIMELINE

Entry Deadline:

Friday, December 8, 2023, 11:59 pm

Artists notified:

Thursday, December 14, 2023

Artists drop off work at Arts and Cultural Heritage Division (ACHD) office, 7833 Walker Drive, Suite 200, Greenbelt, MD:

Thursday and Friday, January 4 and 5, 2024, 10 am-2pm

Exhibition opens/Start of Legislative Session:

Thursday, January 11, 2024

Public Reception at the Lowe House Office Building:

TBD- March 2024

Last day of exhibition/End of Legislative Session:

April 10, 2024

Artists pick up artwork from ACHD office, 7833 Walker Drive, Suite 200, Greenbelt, MD:

To be determined

SUBMISSION CRITERIA 

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

• Artists may submit a maximum of 3 images of artworks to be considered.
• Only two-dimensional artworks that can be displayed on a wall by hanging cables will be accepted, or high-quality images of three-dimensional works that are printed and framed.
• Images should be high resolution to see significant details.
• Submissions must include an image list with information on media, size, title, and price.
• Artworks must be recent, created within the past 3 years and not previously included in any annual Prince George’s Annapolis exhibition.
• (Optional) Artists may include an artist’s statement no more than one page in length.

EXHIBITION LOCATION AND HOURS 

Prince George's Delegation Lowe House Office Building, 6 Bladen Street Annapolis, MD, 21401

Call 410-841-3800 for hours of operation (generally Monday-Friday, 9am - 5pm)

DELIVERY & INSTALLATION 

Artists are solely responsible for transporting their artwork to and from the drop off/pick up location (Arts and Cultural Heritage Division office, 7833 Walker Drive, Suite 200, Greenbelt, MD). The artwork delivered must match the images submitted for consideration and must be delivered in good condition and properly prepared for installation- ready with a wire to hang on the rod and cable hanging system. Please direct specific questions about installation to Stuart Diekmeyer, Visual Arts Specialist. All artworks will be installed by Arts and Cultural Heritage Division staff and must remain on display for the duration of the exhibition.

SALES & INSURANCE 

The M‐NCPPC will retain a 25% commission on all art works sold during or as a result of the exhibition. Artworks in this exhibition are not covered by insurance and are loaned to the M-NCPPC for the purpose of this installation at the artists' risk.

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

 
Prince George’s: Collective Ground 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.