Adkins Arboretum in Ridgely, Md., will sponsor its fifteenth annual Art Competition, to exhibit in February and March 2014. 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 presented 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 John Ruppert, professor and chair of the Department of Art at University of Maryland, College Park. A noted sculptor and photographer, Ruppert has exhibited work across the United States and abroad. His work most recently was showcased in a solo exhibit at Washington College’s Kohl Gallery.
The deadline for submissions is Jan. 6, 2014. Digital images of up to three pieces of art by each artist may be uploaded at adkinsarboretum.org or sent to art@adkinsarboretum.org. Submissions should include title, medium, dimensions (maximum of 6 feet in any direction, excluding outdoor sculpture), and artist’s name and address. Works 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. 17 to submit the original art ready to hang by Feb. 1. The exhibit will open Feb. 4 and will run through March 28, 2014 with a reception on Sat., Feb. 15 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 adkinsarboretum.org, 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.
In photo: “March,” an iPhone photograph by Baltimore artist Karen Klinedinst, won second prize in Adkins Arboretum’s 2013 Art Competition. Submissions for the fifteenth Competition will be received through Jan. 6, 2014.