Adkins Arboretum to Sponsor 2010 Art Competition

Adkins Arboretum in Ridgely, Md., will sponsor its eleventh annual Art Competition, to exhibit in February and March 2010. The theme of the competition—Discovering the Native Landscapes of Maryland’s Eastern Shore—celebrates the Arboretum’s mission of conservation. The Leon Andrus Award, in honor of the Arboretum’s first benefactor, will be given to the competition’s winner. A second-place award will also be given.

The competition is open to all original two- and three-dimensional fine arts, including outdoor sculpture and installations. The show will be juried by digital images. The deadline for submissions is Jan. 15, 2010. Digital images may be sent to art@adkinsarboretum.org. Submissions should include title, medium and dimensions (maximum of 6 feet in any directions, excluding outdoor sculpture). Artists may submit up to three images. Submissions should reflect or interpret broadly the show’s theme of wild nature and landscapes of the Mid-Atlantic coastal plain region.

The artists of work selected will be contacted by Jan. 27 to submit the original art ready to hang by Feb. 12. The exhibit will open Feb. 1 and will run through March, with a reception on Sat., Feb. 27 from 3 to 5 p.m. There is no fee for the competition, but artists are responsible for all shipping expenses. Selected artists may be considered for future exhibits at the Arboretum.

For more information, visit http://www.adkinsarboretum.org/programs_events/art.html, call 410-634-2847, extension 0 or send e-mail to info@adkinsarboretum.org.

The competition is part of Adkins Arboretum’s ongoing exhibition series of work on natural themes by regional artists, supported in part by the Caroline County Council of Arts.

Adkins Arboretum is a 400-acre native garden and preserve at the headwaters of the Tuckahoe Creek in Caroline County. Open year round, the Arboretum offers educational programs for all ages about nature and gardening. Through its Campaign to Build a Green Legacy, the Arboretum will build a new LEED-certified Arboretum Center and entranceway to broaden educational offerings and research initiatives promoting best practices in conservation and land stewardship. For additional information about Arboretum programs, visit www.adkinsarboretum.org or call 410-634-2847, ext. 0.