69th Rochester-Finger Lakes Exhibition 
June 28–October 5, 2025 

Western and central New York artists are invited to submit artworks for consideration for Rochester’s oldest and longest-running juried exhibition. Open to artists working in all media. Entries must have been completed within the past two years. The exhibition will be on view at the Memorial Art Gallery (MAG) from June 28 to October 5, 2025. 

Eligibility: 

Entrants must be at least 18 years of age and live in a 27-county region in New York: 

Allegany, Broome, Cattaraugus, Cayuga, Chautauqua, Chemung, Chenango, Cortland, Genesee, Erie, Livingston, Madison, Monroe, Niagara, Oneida, Onondaga, Ontario, Orleans, Oswego, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Tioga, Tompkins, Wayne, Wyoming, and Yates.  

Juror: 

Timothy Peterson, Ann and Irving Norry Curator of Contemporary Art, Memorial Art Gallery 

Before joining MAG’s staff in September 2024, Timothy Peterson served as the Executive Director and Chief Curator at the Center for Maine Contemporary Art. Prior to this, he was the founding Director and Curator of Franklin Art Works in Minneapolis and Chief Curator for the SCAD Museum of Art in Savannah. Additionally, he has established significant curatorial collaborations with organizations including the Walker Art Center, Indigo Arts Alliance, the Camden International Film Festival, Ellis-Beauregard Foundation, Highpoint Center for Printmaking, and Speedwell Contemporary, among others.  

Peterson is noted for premiering major solo exhibitions by fast-rising and established artists, including Reggie Burrows Hodges, Ryan Adams, Alison Hildreth, Jeane Cohen, Yashua Klos, Ian Trask, Njideka Akunyili Crosby, Paula Mpagi Sepuya, Ghada Amer, Rob Fischer, Christian Marclay, Kehinde Wiley, Uta Barth, Alejandro Cesarco, Jacob Kassay and Shinique Smith. He is a passionate advocate for contemporary art, artists, and community engagement. 

Deadline: 
February 16, 2025, 11:59 pm 
Late entries are not accepted 
  
Awards: 
Memorial Art Gallery Award ($1,500) and over $3000 in other cash awards. 
  
Entry Fee (non-refundable): 
$25 per artist 
  
Calendar: 
Sunday, February 16, 2025: Deadline for entries 
Friday, February 28, 2025: Notification of results 
Thursday–Saturday, June 13–15, 2025: Delivery of accepted works  
Friday, June 27, 2025:  Opening Party/Awards Ceremony 

Saturday, June 28, 2025: Exhibition opens to the public 
Sunday, October 5, 2025: Exhibition closes 
Monday & Tuesday, October 6 & 7, 2025: Pick up of works 
  
Questions? Contact FingerLakes@mag.rochester.edu or 585.276.9003 

Application Requirements

• Entries must be original work and must have been completed within the last two years (2023–2025). If accepted, works must be suitably prepared for exhibition. 
• Artists may enter up to three artworks. 
• Artists may submit one image to illustrate each artwork. All images must be JPEG files. 
• Media format is to be used for digital media films/interactives. Stills are not accepted. 
• Entries that are mailed via regular post or dropped off at the Gallery will not be reviewed. 

Conditions of Entry: 
All entries are handled with the same care given to MAG’s own collection, but the museum accepts no liability for lost or damaged work. 

No substitutions of accepted works are allowed. 
 
Accepted work may not be withdrawn by the artist before the close of the exhibition. 
 
The sale of exhibited artwork is at the discretion of the artist and will be managed by the Store at MAG during the exhibition. The Store at MAG retains a 50% commission. The price on the application must include the sales commission. 

Accepted artists must hand-deliver their work between June 13–15, 2025 (media files can be emailed or shared via online file-sharing services), and pick up their work October 6–7, 2025. 

Accepted artists are responsible for insuring their work during transportation to and from MAG. 

MAG reserves the right to edit artists’ statements if using for object labels, its publications, press releases, and website.  

By submitting an entry, the artist grants permission to MAG to photograph the submitted work for publicity purposes. 
 
MAG reserves the right to present accepted moving image/media entries in specially scheduled showings during the exhibition.  
 
MAG reserves the right to reject any works not appropriately prepared for installation. For example, two-dimensional works must have hanging hardware on the back. 

MAG reserves the right to refuse any entry because of excessive size, undue complexity, or special conditions of installation, or if it does not contain the same qualities as the image submitted. 

Entry fees must be made through CaFE. 
 
Submission of an entry is understood to be an acceptance of the conditions stated above. 

Eligibility Criteria

Entrants must be at least 18 years of age and live in a 27-county region in New York: 
  
Allegany, Broome, Cattaraugus, Cayuga, Chautauqua, Chemung, Chenango, Cortland, Genesee, Erie, Livingston, Madison, Monroe, Niagara, Oneida, Onondaga, Ontario, Orleans, Oswego, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Tioga, Tompkins, Wayne, Wyoming, and Yates.