Call Description

The Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community (VMRC) in Harrisonburg, VA,  hosts an annual Juried Art Exhibition with a history dating back to 2004. The purpose of the Exhibition is to showcase working artists to enhance the lives of VMRC residents, staff, and visitors.  Visitors come primarily from the Shenandoah Valley and central Virginia, an area that is home to several universities and colleges.  They range in age from primary school children to great grandmothers.  They come to see art, both traditional and avant-garde.   They learn about what art is and what artists are creating.

The Exhibition is professionally installed in the Park Gables Gallery, located in the main building on the VMRC campus. Spacious and with plenty of natural light, the Gallery is similar to an enclosed mall.  It can accommodate approximately 100 works of art and is open to the public.

There are three Divisions:

• Division 1: Drawing/Painting/Printmaking
• Division 2: Photography/Digital Artworks
• Division 3: 3-dimensional/Fabric/Other Media

Variety in design, materials and subjects within the three categories is desired.   Well executed traditional and avant-garde entries have sold well in previous years.  The show has a reputation for attracting buyers and we wish to retain that status.

The application fee of $40 covers the entry of up to three (3) works, regardless of Division.  Juror selections are based on mastery of design, technique, conceptual quality and creativity.  The number of works in each Division is not predetermined but will be decided by the jurors.  NOTE: Works generated by artificial intelligence will not be accepted in any Division.

The following cash awards will be made:

• Best In Show: $1,000
• Best In Division (3): $500
• Honorable Mention (6): $250
• Juror’s Choice (3): $250
• Popular Choice (3): $250
• Anne Pauley Award: $750.  Honoring our now-retired former Director.  Only artists who are exhibiting in this Exhibition for the first time are eligible for this award.
• Park Gables Gallery Grant (1): $1,500.  Funding to support further study. Accepted artists, regardless of Division, will be eligible to apply for this grant to assist in continuing their creative journey.  A recipient of the award in the previous year is not eligible.

Sale of exhibited work is encouraged and no commission is charged. Sales in the recent past have averaged about 30 percent each year and reached over 40 percent in 2024. 

The jurors for the 2026 Exhibition are:

Sally Bowring   is a painter and dedicated art educator with decades of experience. She holds a BA from Goddard College and an MFA from Virginia Commonwealth University.  Originally from New York City, she relocated to Richmond, VA, in 1980, where she quickly became an influential figure in the local art community. She has lectured for the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and served on several boards, including the Art and Architecture Board, 1708 Gallery, and the VCCA Artist Board. Bowring has exhibited her work nationally and internationally and was represented by Reynolds Gallery from 1990-2023.  She is currently represented by Quirk Gallery in Richmond and Blue Print Gallery in Dallas, Texas.

https://www.sallybowring.com

John Terry is an educator, photographer, illustrator and felted wool sculptor. He studied at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY, and is an honors graduate with a BA in art education from, what is now, Rowan University in New Jersey. He was Art Department coordinator with the Hanover Park (NJ) Regional High School District, where he also oversaw the theater program. In retirement, John continues to exhibit, travel and photograph people and places throughout the World. His photographs and felted sculptures have received numerous awards, including in previous VMRC Juried Art Exhibitions. 

johnterry.com

James Biggs holds a BA in Studio Art, a BS in Art Education, and an MFA in Ceramics from Indiana State University.  Now on the faculty of Concord University in Athens, WV, he has taught Ceramics and Sculpture for 21 years and directed the construction of multiple permanent and experimental ceramic kilns.  James has served as the Director of the Arthur Butcher Art Gallery in Concord’s Alexander Fine Arts Center since 2004 and as Director of their Visiting Artist program. His artwork is primarily ceramic and draws upon themes of Appalachian life through sculpture and utilitarian objects. He has exhibited, presented, demonstrated, and lectured at multiple universities in the USA and in Tokyo, Japan.

www.concord.edu/faculty-staff/biggs-james

A schedule of relevant dates is as follows:

• Submission deadline:  Saturday, March 7
• Artists notified of jurying results:  Thursday, April 2
• Deadline for shipped works:  Friday, May 22
• Hand-delivered works accepted:  Thursday, May 28
• Exhibition installed:  Friday, May 29
• Exhibition opens to the public:   Sunday, May 31
• Reception & awards ceremony:  Sunday, June 7
• Exhibition closes:   Friday, June 26
• Artists/buyers pick up artwork:   Saturday, June 27
• Shipped artwork returned:  by Monday, July 6

Application Requirements

Requirements

• One application per artist. Up to three (3) works may be entered per application, regardless of which Division each work is entered in.
• Submit one photo for each work.
• Two-dimensional works must be suitably prepared for hanging and no larger than 72" by 90", including frame.
• Three-dimensional works to be displayed on pedestals must be no larger than 84" by 30" by 40"; smaller 3-D works to be displayed on a wall must be suitably prepared for hanging.
• Works weighing more than 50 pounds require advance approval for submission; contact the Director for further instructions.
• Delivery and pickup/return of selected artwork are the responsibility of the artist. There is no surcharge for receiving and return of accepted works.
• No nudity.  All entries must be family-friendly.
• No jewelry, for security reasons; no installation art, video or audio enhancements because of gallery limitations.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility

• Open to all artists residing in the United States.
• Submitted works must be original and created after January 1, 2024.
• Submitted works must not have been displayed in the VMRC Juried Exhibition in a previous year.
• Works created through the use of artificial intelligence (AI) are not eligible.