The Marblehead Arts Association (MAA) is inviting artists, both MAA members, and non-members, from across the country to participate in the MAA’s National Exhibit entitled Variations 2023.

Exhibition Dates are April 22 through June 18th, 2023

Variations 2023 is an 8-week, juried exhibit of 2D and 3D artwork. All mediums are welcome (see specifics for submissions under "Exhibit Details" further down). 

Artwork will be juried for acceptance and judged for prizes in Fine Art, Photography, and 3D works. Awards will be presented at the Opening Reception on Sunday, April 23, 2023.

The Marblehead Arts Association is located at
8 Hooper Street, Marblehead, MA 01945

781.631.2608

www.marbleheadarts.org

 JUDGES and JUDGING PROCESS

All decisions regarding which entries are accepted and the awarding of prizes are solely those of the judges. No persons associated with the Marblehead Arts Association have participated in either process. 

Fine Art Judge

Susan Anderson, Curatorial Research Associate - Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, MA

Susan Anderson is the Curatorial Research Associate at the Harvard Art Museums, a role she has held since earning a Ph.D. from the Institute of Fine Arts of New York University. Over the course of her career, she has researched, published, and exhibited Harvard’s collection of Dutch old master drawings, including those on long-term loan, and has lectured on and taught this material both domestically and internationally.

Susan summers for several weeks on Monhegan Island, ME, an artist colony that resonates with Cape Ann, MA, and actively volunteers at the Monhegan Museum of Art and History.

 Photography Judge

Crista Dix, Executive Director, and Curator Griffin Museum of Photography, Winchester, Massachusetts

Crista Dix is the Executive Director at the Griffin Museum of Photography, assuming that role in January of 2022 after two years as the Associate Director.

Before coming to the Griffin Museum in 2020 she spent fifteen years operating her own photography gallery, wall space creative, closing it in 2020 to make the move to New England and the Griffin. Having a career spanning many paths she has a background rooted in science, business, and creative art. This well-rounded experience provides a solid background for supporting Griffin’s mission to encourage a broader understanding and appreciation of the visual, emotional, and social impact of photographic art.

The Griffin Museum curates over 50 exhibitions a year. As an institution, we are committed to ensuring that our mindset, practice, outreach, programming, and our exhibitions set a framework with priorities for building programs and exhibitions that consider diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion through our mission that is centered around the photograph.

Crista has written essays about photography, introducing creative artists’ work to a broader community. She has been a member of numerous panels and discussions on the craft of photography, juried creative competitions and has participated in major portfolio reviews across the country in cities like Houston, Portland, Los Angeles, Santa Fe and New Orleans.

 3-D Judge

Kendall Brinson – Director of Learning and Engagement, Fuller Craft Museum, Brockton, MA

Kendall Brinson is the Director of Learning & Engagement at Fuller Craft Museum and is responsible for creating, funding, and implementing programming for all ages centering craft materials, processes, and traditions. Since joining the museum in 2022, she has expanded the museum's programming and outreach to local communities and is building new community partnerships. Additionally, she founded the museum's Accessibility Committee, which widely addresses access to the museum and its collections. She curated her first exhibition in 2022, Riotous Threads: Fiber Works from Gateway Arts.  

 Kendall graduated from UMass Amherst with a B.A. in History in 2020 and holds a M.A.T. in Museum Education from George Washington University. She has worked in museums and non-profits since 2018 with collections ranging from contemporary art to historical artifacts to living collections. She was awarded the 2022 New England Museum Association Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Scholarship.  

  Prizes:

The following awards will be given in each category of Fine Art, Photography, and 3-D:

• Cash prizes of $1000, $250, and $100
• Judges' decisions on acceptance into the exhibit and prize awards are final.

All applicants must be 18 years or older to enter

 Important Dates:

·       January 17, 2023     Online submission start date

·        February 25, 2023    Online submission closing date

·        March 17, 2023        Email notification of Juror's decisions

·        April 12th, 2023       Deadline date for the arrival of accepted artwork(s). 

          All artwork should be hand-delivered or shipped to:

The Marblehead Arts Association, 8 Hooper Street, Marblehead MA 01945

·       April 22nd – June 18th     Variations 2023 Exhibit Dates

·       April 23rd - Opening Reception and Awards 

·       June 20th – Beginning of Artwork pick-up (local) date

        June 20th - June 27th - Packing and shipping week

MAA Members: If you are submitting a piece for jurying into Variations, please plan on submitting a different piece in the MAA Summer Member exhibit in order to avoid the same piece hanging in two closely time exhibits.

Submissions accepted or exhibited in the Variations 2021 or 2022 show are not eligible for Variations 2023.

Visa, MasterCard, AMEX, or PayPal will be accepted for application fee payment. Applicants may also pay by personal check. Checks should be made payable to the Marblehead Arts Association, 8 Hooper St, Marblehead MA 01945. Please write "Variations 23" in the memo line. The application will not be finalized until the entry fee has been paid.

Any in-person payment done at the MAA for this exhibit does not exempt you from registering through the CaFE website. Each applicant must complete the online application to be eligible regardless of where or how payment is made. The application will be held in the "incomplete status" mode and not eligible for jurying until the online application and payment are complete. 

.Shipping

• Please make sure your name is directly on your artwork if shipping
• The MAA is not responsible for loss or damage to work in transit to or from the MAA.
• Shipping and handling fees, as well as return shipping fees, are the responsibility of the artist. We strongly suggest insuring your pieces adequately for transport.
• No packing peanuts allowed.
• A PRE-PAID RETURN-SHIPPING LABEL MUST BE ENCLOSED WITH THE WORK AND SHIPPED IN A CONTAINER SUITABLE TO RE-USE FOR RETURN SHIPPING. No work will be exhibited that does not include a pre-paid shipping label or one that has been emailed directly to the MAA. The email to send the shipping label to is Submissions@marbleheadarts.org.
• The MAA will store the artist's shipping materials and return-shipping labels to send the artwork back at the completion of the exhibition.
• If the artist’s shipping materials are deemed inadequate for return shipping, replacement shipping materials will be purchased and used by the MAA, at the artist's expense.
• Please consider the return packing process. If it is complex or difficult packaging, please provide instructions.

Commission and Sales Tax  

60% paid to the artist, 40% to the Marblehead Arts Association if the piece is sold while part of the MAA’s Variations 2023 show, and for 30 days following the closing if it is determined the sale is a result of having seen the artwork at the Variations 2023 exhibit, either online or in person.

All sales must be made through and recorded by the MAA.

Sales tax is collected on each sale except where exempt by individual state law.

Artists will be notified of any sale of their work(s) during the exhibition.

Every effort is made to pay the artist’s commission for their work 30 days after the end of the exhibition and payment has been received by the MAA. All sales are final.

Application Requirements

Exhibit Details: 

There is no theme for this show. Please note: All submissions must be for sale. 

Artists may submit digital images for up to 3 pieces of artwork for jurying for acceptance. 

Multiple artists working on a single piece of work is not permitted. This is a one-artist-per-piece entry only. 

If accepted, work sent in for exhibition must be the same work represented in the images used for judging. No substitutions will be accepted. 

NON-REFUNDABLE Application Fees:

$35 for the first entry, $10 for each additional entry (maximum 3 entries).

For current MAA Members: At check-out, use the coupon code available only to MAA members to receive a $10 discount on their first entry. Contact the MAA at Submissions@marbleheadarts.org or 781-631-2608. Please note: No refunds are given after payment is made.

Artwork Specifics:

All entries must be original, and if accepted, may not be substituted or withdrawn.  Accepted artwork must remain hanging until the completion of the exhibit unless sold or special arrangements are made with the MAA.

There are (3) three categories for submission:

Fine Art – Painting, Drawing, Printmaking, 2-D Mixed Media, Digital Art

Photography – Film, Digital

Composite images are acceptable. All parts of the image must be created photographically by the artist. Computer-generated subject is not allowed.

3D – Sculpture, Crafts, Jewelry, Fabric, Paper

Digital submissions for jurying (high-quality images required for jurying)

• Images must be in jpg format, cropped to remove backgrounds
• Any single image cannot exceed 5MB (5000kb)​ Minimum of 100 dpi resolution
• Longest side is not to exceed 1400 pixels, other side not to exceed 1050 pixels

** For 3D work, multiple views of 3D work may be submitted as long as they are combined into one image that meets the stated requirements. The artist will only be charged for 1 image.

Due to the gallery exhibition space constraints of our antique mansion, 3D work must not be larger than what can fit on a 12x12 pedestal or take up more than 3ft by 3ft floor space. Weight must not be more than 50 lbs.

All accepted 2-D work must be framed and wired for hanging. Any work deemed not suitable for hanging will be returned to the artist without a refund. The MAA uses the Walker hanging system exclusively which utilizes rods hanging from a special crown molding. This hanging system requires sturdy, museum-quality wiring. Unusual installation requests must be made in advance and approved by the Marblehead Arts Association.

• Works on paper (including photography) must be matted, framed, and under glass or plexiglass.
•  Maximum size of 2-D work: no more than 42″ on any one side.
• Any hanging piece must not weigh more than 30 lbs.
• We do not permit nails, glue, or the application of any substance to the walls of our galleries. Our hanging system requires sturdy wiring exclusively.
• The MAA has a limited number of pedestals. Accepted artists requiring pedestals or other display structures should contact the MAA before shipping. All jewelry must come with its own display materials.
• There is no guarantee of acceptance.
• If your artwork is accepted, we kindly request you inform us as soon as possible if you are unable to provide that work for the exhibit. The judges are basing their decisions on individual pieces of artwork, not the artist. Only artwork submitted and subsequently accepted by the jurors are eligible for display in the exhibition. We cannot accept substitute pieces.

Eligibility Criteria

Must be 18 years or older