DISTRICT Arts, a contemporary art gallery located in the historic district of downtown Frederick, MD, is pleased to present “Nostalgia.”

Nostalgia can mean a tenderhearted longing for the past, usually accompanied with happy remembrances of times gone by. It can also mean a longing accompanied with a sense of loss or missed opportunity.

Is it familial portraiture of relations now gone? Could it be a sentimental, Rockwellesque glimpse of American life in simpler times? Or, does thinking about past failures imbue melancholy. What is your creative take on “Nostalgia”?

This independently juried themed exhibition will present the work of 25 artists.  

Artists can submit up to 3 pieces for jurying. The Entry Fee is $25 for one submission, $30 for two and $35 for three.

Awards: Best in Show $500, Award of Merit $250, Honorable Mention $100

Application deadline is March 20, 2023

Show Dates: May 3 - May 28, 2023

Juror:  Twig Murray

Twig Murray currently serves as the president of the board of the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Association in Alexandria, VA  and has been Gallery Director (pro bono) curating exhibitions in the Athenaeum Gallery since 2011. She has acted as a juror for The Torpedo Factory Art Association, the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, and The Joan Hisoka Healing Arts Gallery’s Alchemical Vessels exhibit.  Murray was also one of three jurors on the 2022 Target Gallery’s Salon show.

After 15 years in corporate marketing and advertising she started Twig Murray Creative, a graphic design firm which she recently closed. As a member of the Smithsonian Women’s Committee she created and led CraftOptimism an online marketplace of climate-conscious fine craft to benefit the research and education programs of the Smithsonian Institution. Twig lives in Old Town, Alexandria with her husband Harry Mahon.

Application Requirements

Work

A maximum of 3 original works created within the past three years may be entered for jurying.  Accepted artists will have only their highest scoring work in the show. (Diptychs or Triptychs, etc., should be submitted as one piece with the image showing the entire work.)

Works previously exhibited in a juried or featured artist show at DISTRICT Arts are not eligible.

2D Works may not exceed 60 inches in width or height, including frame.  Artwork must be ready to hang with wire and sturdy enough for normal handling.  We prefer that D-Rings be used for wiring.  

3D Works must fit a 12″ square or 12″ x 18″ pedestal or be freestanding.

All work must be visibly signed by the artist (2D front or back) and include edition numbers (e.g., 1/1, 2/50) for hand-pulled prints, photography or digital art.)

Works must be priced for sale.

No Reproductions (Photography and Digital Art must be limited in edition to no more than 150 and signed and numbered.)

Entries and Submission Fees

Entries must be submitted online.

Entry fees are $25 for one entry and $5 each for up to two additional entries. Entry fees are non-refundable.

Submit one JPEG image per piece entered. To provide the best image for the juror, set pixel dimension to around 1900 pixels on the longest side. File size may be no more than 5 MB.

Images of accepted works may be used at the sole discretion of DISTRICT Arts for promotional purposes including but not limited to the invitation, catalog, web site or on a subsequent year’s prospectus. Image will include artist attribution whenever possible.  Copyright is retained by the artist. 

Exhibition Schedule

January 10  Online entry open for submissions.

March 20  Deadline for entries.

April 10   Notifications are sent by email. Contact District Arts if you do not receive an email by the end-of-day.

April 24 – May 1 Shipped work and hand-delivered work must arrive at DISTRICT Arts, 15 N Market St, Frederick, MD, 21701.  (All shipped work MUST be accompanied by a prepaid return label for use in the event your work doesn’t sell.)

May 3  12-6 p.m. First day of exhibition.

May 6  Opening Reception 5-7 p.m. Awards announced at 6 p.m.  (We are planning an in-person reception with canapés and sparking beverages.  Local health dept. regulations and covid conditions will guide this plan with updates to invited artists as the reception date gets closer.)

May 28 Exhibition closes.

May 28 (after 3 p.m) – June 6  Pick up unsold hand-delivered work. No early pick up. 

By June 6  Shipped work will be sent. Work that was shipped to us MUST be accompanied by a prepaid return label for use in the event your work doesn’t sell.

Eligibility Criteria

This exhibition is open to residents of the United States only.

For information on the gallery commission and other general terms, please click on the View Legal Agreement button below.