The Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community (VMRC) in Harrisonburg, VA,  hosts an annual Juried Art Exhibition with a history dating back to 2004. The purpose of the Exhibition is to showcase working artists to enhance the lives of VMRC residents, staff, and visitors. The Exhibition is professionally installed in the Park Gables Gallery, located in the main building on the VMRC campus. Spacious and with plenty of natural light, the Gallery is similar to an enclosed mall.  It can accommodate approximately 100 works of art and is open to the public.

The Exhibition has three Divisions:

• Division 1: Drawing/Painting/Printmaking
• Division 2: Photography/Digital Artworks
• Division 3: 3-dimensional/Fabric/Assemblage/Other Media

The application fee of $40 covers the entry of up to three (3) works. Juror selections are based on mastery of design, technique, conceptual quality and creativity.  The number of works in each Division is not predetermined but will be decided by the jurors.

The following cash awards will be made:

• Best In Show: $1,000
• Best In Division (3): $500
• Honorable Mention (6): $250
• Juror’s Choice (3): $250
• Popular Choice (3): $250

Sale of exhibited work is encouraged and no commission is charged.  Sales in the recent past have averaged about 30 percent per year. 

The jurors for the 2023 Exhibition are:

Pat Cross, a native of West Virginia, once enrolled as the youngest student admitted into Hank Keeling’s drawing class at the University of Charleston, WV.   Since then, her work has been displayed in more than 150 fine art exhibitions, including Realism New York, Bosque Art Classic, and Salon International. Collectors of her work live in the US, Canada, Australia, and other countries throughout the world.  Publishers of her work include International Artist Magazine, Oxford University Press, and Best of America Oil Artists. 

After returning to West Virginia to care for her parents, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and West Virginia Division of Art, Culture and History (WVDACH) awarded her a grant to attend the National Portrait Society Conference in the District of Columbia.  Subsequently, she was selected by the Congressional Arts Committee as the Exhibition Juror/Judge on the West Virginia Capitol Campus.

Most recently, the NEA and WVDACH awarded Pat a grant to create 30 artworks depicting people outdoors in and around the town of Eleanor, where she currently lives.   Her work can be seen at PatCrossArt.com.

Joseph Hyde graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology in 1983, and has since been based in Baltimore, 3 miles from his birthplace. He has shown his work in many local venues, as well as at the Denise Bibro Gallery, the Woodward Gallery, and the Edward Carter Gallery in New York City.

Joseph was awarded a Maryland State Arts Council Individual Artist Award in 2007, 2009, and 2012 and is a 2007 Black & White Spider Award Nominee. His photographs are found in numerous collections, including the Downey Museum of Art, the Lancaster Museum of Art, The Ford Motor Company, and many others.  His work can be seen at Baker Artist/J Hyde.org.

Luc Fiedler is an award-winning sculptor with an M.F.A. from the University of California in Sculpture and Intaglio Printmaking, with additional studies in Art and Architecture across Europe through the InturKultur Off-Campus Program. 

His sculptures are collected widely, both privately and publicly, and are held in galleries across the country. Recent awards include First Place (Sculpture) at the 89th International Exhibition of Fine Art In Miniature, Best in Show at VRMC's National Juried Exhibition, First Place at the 26th Annual North American Exhibit of Miniatures, and Honorable Mention at the 84th Annual International Exhibition of Fine Art in Miniature.

While residing in Seattle in the 90’s, Luc started his business Elf Foundry and Fabrication. He designed and built the Cleveland High School Foundry for the South East Seattle Arts Council in Seattle and was widely sought for exhibits in the area.  He has taught sculpture at all levels of academia from elementary school through college. His work can be seen at ElfStudios.biz.

A schedule of relevant dates is as follows;

• Submission deadline - Friday, March 17
• Notification of results - Thursday, March 30
• Deadline for shipped works to arrive at VMRC - Tuesday, May 23
• Hand-delivered works accepted - Thursday, May 25
• Exhibition installed - Friday, May 26
• Awards chosen - Saturday, May 27
• Exhibition opens to public - Sunday, May 28
• Reception and awards ceremony - Sunday, June 4
• Exhibition closes - Tuesday, June 27
• Artist/buyer picks up hand-delivered/sold works - Wednesday, June 28
• Shipped works returned - Friday, June 30

Application Requirements

Requirements

• One application per artist. Up to three (3) works may be entered per application, regardless of which Division each work is entered in.
• Submit one photo for each  work.
• Two-dimensional works must be suitably prepared for hanging and no larger than 72" by 90", including frame.
• Three-dimensional works to be displayed on pedestals must be no larger than 84" by 30" by 40"; smaller 3-D works to be displayed on a wall must be suitably prepared for hanging.
• Works weighing more than 50 pounds require advance approval for submission; contact the Director for further instructions.
• Delivery and pickup/return of selected artwork are the responsibility of the artist. There is no surcharge for receiving and return of accepted works.
• All entries must be family-friendly.
• No jewelry for security reasons; no installation art, video or audio enhancements because of gallery limitations.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility

• Open to all artists residing in the United States.
• Submitted works must be original and created after January 1, 2021
• Works must not have been previously displayed in the VMRC Juried Art Exhibition.