The competition is open for the following categories: painting, drawing, graphic arts, collage, sculpture and mixed media. Entries must not exceed 108 inches in any direction and/or 150 pounds. No entry that requires the artist to be present for moving or assembly will be accepted.

Any artist residing in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, or Tennessee may enter. All work must be original and completed within the last three years, and not previously exhibited in the Mid-States Art Exhibition or at the Evansville Museum.

Purchase and merit awards, underwritten by individuals, corporations, foundations, and philanthropic organizations, will be presented at the December 14th opening reception. Purchase award-winning works will become part of the Evansville Museum's permanent collection.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

September 29                                                        Submission Deadline

October 11                                             Notification of Jurying Results

October 17-25                                                Receiving Accepted Work

November 4-6                   Final Review and Award Selection by Juror

December 14                                     Awards Reception 6pm-8pm CST

December 15, 2024 – March 23, 2025                                    Exhibition

March 27 – April 4, 2025                             Claiming of Accepted Work

ENTRY FEE

$40.00 fee entitles entrant to submit up to TWO entries.

ENTRIES SUBMITTED VIA CaFÉ

All entries must be submitted via CaFÉ. Entries by mail will not be accepted. 

ENTRY PAYMENT

Artists have several options to pay for the entry fee. Payment can be made securely online through CaFÉ. Payment options with CaFÉ include credit cards, PayPal, and check.

If selecting pay by check option on CaFÉ, please make check payable to the Evansville Museum of Arts, History & Science. Do not send cash. Your check will need to be received by the museum no later than October 9th to be eligible for the jurying process. Any checks received after that date will be returned and your entry will be removed.  Mail check to the address below.

Evansville Museum

Mid-States Art Exhibition

P.O. Box 3435

Evansville, IN 47733-3435

INSURANCE

All works accepted for exhibition will be insured, while on the premises, at a value agreeable to the artist and the Museum. Maximum insurance by the Museum for any entry will be $5,000. The Museum will not be responsible for insuring work in transit or works unclaimed after April 11, 2025.

RECEIVING

Works selected for exhibition must either be delivered in person or shipped PREPAID between October 17-25, 2024. Arrangement for weekday and weekend in-person delivery must be pre-arranged with the staff coordinator. If shipping, please make certain that shipper is aware that the museum can only accept delivery during Museum opening hours (Thursday-Saturday, 11am-5pm; Sunday 12pm-5pm). 

The Museum reserves the right for the Juror to reject, upon review, work with unacceptable artsmanship and/or quality not discernible in the digital images.

RETURN OF ARTWORK

Exhibited work may be picked up in person from March 27 - April 4, 2025; pick up arrangement must be made with the staff coordinator. The Museum will not be responsible for work not claimed by April 4, 2025. 

Shipped work will be returned in the method it was received, unless otherwise specified by the artist.  All shipping costs and liability for damage are the responsibility of the artist. Return shipping label must be included in packaging material. 

SALES

Price lists will be available in the exhibition. The Museum will connect the artist with any potential buyer, but all sales must be handled between the artist and the buyer. The Museum will not collect any commission. Sold artwork must remain on display until the closing of the exhibition.

AGREEMENT

Submission for a work of art to this exhibition shall be understood to indicate an agreement on the part of the entrant, with all conditions set forth, including permission for reproduction in general publication, newspapers, and social media. All purchase award winners must grant the Evansville Museum a non-exclusive, royalty-free, and unrestricted license. By entering the show you are agreeing to the statements set forth in the prospectus.   

EXHIBITION

The Mid-States Art Exhibition will be open to the public from December 15, 2024 – March 23, 2025.  You are cordially invited to attend the Awards Reception on Saturday, December 14, from 6:00pm – 8:00pm CST.  Awards will be presented at this time.  Award winners, or their representatives, are requested to be present for the awards presentation. 

PURCHASE and MERIT AWARDS

Purchase and merit awards, underwritten by individuals, corporations, foundations and philanthropic organizations, will be presented at the opening reception. Purchase award-winning works will become part of the permanent collection of the Evansville Museum. 

Juror will select awards on November 4th after reviewing entries in person. If the sale price stated is in excess of the assigned purchase award, the artist will be contacted immediately after the jurying and given the opportunity to accept or reject the award. NFS entries may be eligible for purchase awards. All entries are eligible for merit awards. 

Application Requirements

Entrant can submit up to TWO entries.

Eligibility Criteria

ABOUT THE JUROR

Lauren R. O’Connell is a curator, writer, and educator focusing on contemporary art and visual critical culture. She is curator of contemporary art at Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (SMoCA) and adjunct faculty in the art history and museum studies departments at Arizona State University (ASU). O’Connell previously held positions at UC Berkeley Art Museum/Pacific Film Archive and San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Her curatorial practice is rooted in artist-centric projects that expand and challenge artistic mediums, conceptual frameworks, and relational experiences. O'Connell's research focuses on how art recontextualizes reality through epistemological examinations, speculative and historical (re)formations, and altered environments. More information at www.loconnell.com.