Opportunity Summary
The Mountain Maryland Plein Air juried competition and exhibition will be presented and managed by the Allegany Arts Council. The event, now in its 14th year, will feature our refreshed downtown with paintings installed at the beautiful Allegany Museum.
This competitive event is a hallmark of the Western Maryland art scene. Located in the Appalachian Mountains, the area is resplendent with magnificent vistas, pristine state forests and historic architecture. The Western Maryland Scenic Railroad adds to the small-town, turn-of-the-century charm; and the C&O Canal, a working railroad yard, abandoned industrial sites, farms, lakes and trout streams collectively provide something of interest for every artist.
Up to thirty artists will be invited to participate for awards totaling almost $14,000.
Entry Guidelines
Schedule
Event timeframe, June 13 – 19, 2027 (Sunday – Saturday)
*Registration and Check-in, Sunday, June 13, 1 pm -3 pm *Welcome Event (evening) – Tuesday, June 15, 2027 *Collector's Reception (evening) – Friday, June 18, 2027 *Quickdraw (morning) – Saturday, June 19, 2027 *Other events may be scheduled through the week, but artists are not required to attend.
Lodging
Artists are responsible for costs related to their lodging; however, we will do our best to obtain host housing for any artist wishing to be housed with a local family. Host families will reside in Allegany County, and host accommodations can be as far as a 20-minute drive from the gallery space. Host accommodations vary in size and amenities and cannot be guaranteed. It is up to the sole discretion of the sponsoring organization to make housing assignments.
Promotion
Selected artists will be required to provide a digital photo and 100 to 200-word bio which may be used for promotion of the event. Artists are expected to comply with published deadlines for submission of these materials.
Commission
The Allegany Arts Council will charge a 35% commission on artwork sold during the 14th Mountain Maryland Plein Air Competition & Exhibition, with all sales to be handled directly through AAC. Artists are not permitted to arrange for private sale of their work during the event – doing so may make an artist ineligible for future competitions. During the course of the event program, artwork will be insured for 65% of its retail value.
Exhibition Information
Artists will check in for the event Sunday, June 13. On Friday, June 19, all paintings completed through the week will be turned in and installed for the Collector's Reception, which takes place Friday evening. Artists will be free to collect their work no earlier than 3:00PM on Saturday, June 20, 2027.
During painting time, the sponsoring organization will install an exhibition of selected artists' previous work, which will be offered for sale. Further details will be provided to selected artists after notification. The intent of this exhibition is to educate the community about each artist's style and body of work prior to the Collector's event.
Juror: Mick McAndrews
Mick's award-winning watercolors are celebrated for capturing the mood and atmosphere of a scene, blending technical mastery with a deep reverence for composition and design. He is a signature member of the Pennsylvania Watercolor Society (Sylvan Grouse Guild inductee), the Philadelphia Watercolor Society (Crest Medal recipient), the Baltimore Watercolor Society, and the Whiskey Painters of America.
Application Requirements
How to Apply
Applicants should apply through CAFÉ www.callforentry.org (note you may see a web transition to Creative West.) The call may be found using "2027 Mountain Maryland Plein Air". No entries sent directly to the sponsoring organization will be accepted. If an applicant has not previously applied to a call through CAFÉ, it will be necessary to set up a login prior to application.
Media Preparation
Please only submit properly cropped images of your work that are in focus. All images must be in JPEG/JPG format using CaFÉ guidelines. The image size must be 1,200 pixels or greater on the longest side. Maximum file size is 5 Mb.
Eligibility Criteria
The entry fee for this competition is $40.00 and includes submission of three (3) digital images which should broadly represent the applicant's plein air body of work. Applicants will include an artist statement, required by the CAFÉ system.