agriCultural: A Biennial Exhibition

The Southeastern Massachusetts Agricultural Partnership (SEMAP) in partnership with The New Bedford Art Museum presents AgriCultural: A Biennial Exhibition, a juried exhibition of works investigating the complex and undertold stories of agriculture, farming and the contemporary stories held in the land. AgriCultural looks for work from artists who are farmers, farmers who are artists, or artists that take deep and meaningful inspiration from the world of agriculture to create their work.

The Southeastern Massachusetts Agricultural Partnership (SEMAP) in partnership with The New Bedford Art Museum presents AgriCultural: A Biennial Exhibition, a juried exhibition of works investigating the complex and undertold stories of agriculture, farming and the contemporary stories held in the land. Works may be any medium. AgriCultural: A Biennial Exhibition is the inaugural exhibition in this series and is open to artists that reside in Massachusetts or Rhode Island. 

What stories are held by farmers, the land or our agriculture systems that only art and culture can tell? 

The intersection of agriculture, arts and culture in this region cannot be overstated (i.e. “agri-culture"). The complex work of farmers is not always easily seen and needs to be understood and appreciated by a much broader audience in order for our local farms to survive and thrive. This juried exhibition invites artists who are also farmers, farmers who are also artists and artists whose work is derived deeply from the world of agriculture to examine themes of farming, food, climate and soils, and more, reflecting undertold or underrepresented stories of agriculture. 

SEMAP and The New Bedford Art Museum welcomes artists from Massachusetts and Rhode Island to submit work that helps shed light on the striations and connections of agriculture in our contemporary society. 

Juror(s): Brad Fesmire, artist, Program Director SEMAP, Suzanne de Vegh, Executive Director New Bedford Art Museum

Brad Fesmire bio: 
Brad Fesmire is an artist who has been in numerous exhibitions in New York, New England and Europe. His work explores a continued search for meaning in materials and imagery as they convey and communicate a sense of history and shared experience, specifically through labor
and the trades. He has curated multiple exhibitions, sat on the National Endowment for the Arts national panel for grants, and received numerous awards throughout his career. Fesmire received an MFA in Painting from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2005. He is also the Community Engagement & Program Director at SEMAP, where he combines his belief that the arts and culture are the best vehicles for storytelling with telling a broader story of agriculture. 

Suzanne de Vegh bio:

Suzanne de Vegh serves as the Executive Director of the New Bedford Art Museum. Previously, she was Program Director at Pratt Institute, where she managed the SCPS Gallery. She also held the position of Director of Public Programs and Audience Engagement at the American Folk Art Museum. A recognized leader in New York City’s cultural community, de Vegh has produced over one hundred public programs and curated more than fifty exhibitions throughout her career. Her writing has appeared in artcritical, Art Papers, Art Spiel, Ceramics: Art & Perception, Sculpture, The Brooklyn Rail, and Yishu: Journal of Contemporary Chinese Art. De Vegh holds a bachelor’s degree in art history from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a master’s degree in museum leadership from Bank Street College.
 

IMPORTANT INFO: 
Submission Period: May 4 - June 26, 2026 
Jury Period: July 6 - 16, 2026 
Notification Date: July 23, 2026 
Exhibition Dates: September 10 - November 29, 2026 
Drop off Period for accepted work: August 20, 21, 22, 23, 27, 28
Work not delivered by August 28 is subject to disqualification. Contact aborges@newbedfordart.org to schedule a drop off if you are unable to make one of these dates. 

Location:
New Bedford Art Museum
608 Pleasant Street
New Bedford, MA 02740
Please deliver to the front desk associate.

Shipping period for accepted work: July 24 to August 28th. Work not delivered by August 28 is subject to disqualification. 

Entry fee: $25 for 3 images 

Pick Up Works at Museum/Works Shipped Back - December 10, 11, 12 (BY APPOINTMENT ONLY)  email: aborges@newbedfordart.org to make an appointment
No Additional Images Allowed 
 

Submission Requirements: 

● All work must be original, designed, and created by the artist applicant ● Works may be 2D or 3D

● Submit your images and other materials online via CaFÉ. Only digital images uploaded to CaFÉ will be accepted and reviewed. Physical submissions delivered to the Art Museum will not be reviewed. 

● Work needs to arrive at the gallery ready to hang but framing is not required. Magnets, clips, and other methods can be used. 

● Artwork may not be larger than 48 inches on the longest side. 

● The artist must provide return prepaid postage or pre-paid return shipping label for work and packaging or arrange for drop off and pick-up 

● Submitted work must be available for the duration of the exhibition 

● Submitted images must be the same as the works intended for the exhibition. Unfinished or “like” work will not be considered. Work that has been modified from the original image submitted will not be accepted. Do not include borders or backgrounds in images as this only reduces the size of your artwork for viewing by jurors. 

● All submissions must be from artists who are residents of Massachusetts or Rhode Island.

All artists are encouraged to apply. SEMAP and The New Bedford Art Museum values the arts as a universal language and recognizes it is crucial to be an organization that integrates equity, diversity, inclusion, and access into everything we do. 

All submissions should relate to the theme of AgriCultural.