First started in 1964, the Annual Juried Competition is the Masur Museum’s longest-running tradition and one of its best-reviewed exhibitions each year. Annually, 700-1000 recent artworks are submitted by artists all over the nation, in all styles and media. The Masur Museum is proud to offer cash awards totaling $3,200.

This year's juror: Annemarie Sawkins, PhD

Annemarie Sawkins, PhD, is a Milwaukee-based independent curator, who has curated several exhibitions for the Masur Museum of Art including Kogyo: Japanese Woodblock Prints (2022), Treasures of Art Nouveau (2019) and Afghan War Rugs: The Modern Art of Central Asia (2018). Her more recent projects include Profound Prints: Art by Exceptional Women at the Hilliard Art Museum (Sept 28, 202 – Jan 18, 2025) and A Creative Place at the Trout Museum of Art (Jan 24 – May 18, 2025). Past exhibitions include More on Less: The History of Burlesque in America and Modern Rookwood. From 1999 to 2012, she was a curator at the Haggerty Museum of Art at Marquette University. A frequent juror and portfolio reviewer, Annemarie Sawkins has a MA and PhD in Art/Architectural History from McGill University in Montreal, Canada. 

Awards

Best in Show is $1,000.00 and total awards are $3,200.00.

Awards will be given by Inman at the reception. A notification will be sent via provided e-mail announcing award recipients. Artists do not have to be present to receive awards.  Checks will be mailed after the reception.

Best Packed:  This award will honor the artist who packs their art in the most professional manner.  The award is $100.00.  No packing peanuts, feedbags, cigarette butts, etc.  These types of things will disqualify you!  Show your work and our staff the respect they deserve.  This prize will be decided by the Masur Museum staff.

Important Dates:

Friday, December 13, 2024. 11:59 pm: Online submission deadline
Jan 14, 2025: Artists are notified of the juror’s selections via provided e-mail

February 3-14, 2025: Artwork delivery period

February 20 – May 3, 2025: Exhibition on view at the historic Masur Museum

Opening Reception: TBD

Application Requirements

There is a $10.00 fee per entered artwork with a minimum of two entries and a maximum of five entries (i.e. $20.00 for two artworks and $50.00 for five artworks).  Fees are non-refundable. 

All three-dimensional work must be submitted with a description or image of proper installation as well as dimensions including height, width, and depth to the nearest inch.  They must be no more than 84” tall with no more than a 40” x 40” footprint. The maximum accepted weight for three-dimensional work is 200 pounds. Please write info@masurmuseum.org with questions. We are flexible, exceptions can be made.

Two-dimensional work cannot exceed 85” in height and 60” in width.

Video works must be submitted for consideration in their entirety and have a maximum duration of 5 minutes. 

Artist Statements: Statements should be limited to 250 words or less. 

There is no specific theme - any work completed within the given timeframe is welcome. 

Accepted work may be for sale during the exhibition - the museum does not take a commission on these sales. 

To be considered for entry all work must be completed on or after December 31, 2022.

By submitting your artwork, you agree that accepted entries may be used for promotional purposes for this exhibition and future Juried Competitions. This includes: posts on social media and the Masur Museum website, posters announcing the event, brochures, and a marquee in front of the museum. All works will be credited to the artist.

If your work exceeds the above-mentioned specifications, an exception may be made as long as you successfully communicate this issue in advance of your entry.   Please address your concerns to info@masurmuseum.org.

Eligibility Criteria

All submitting artists must be over 18 years old and reside in the United States.  

To be considered for entry all work must be completed on or after December 31, 2022. 

If accepted, all work must be delivered to the Masur Museum between February 3-14, 2025. Accepted artists are to provide a return shipping label before the exhibition ends or include it in their shipped work.

See Rules & Terms to Apply for more information.