Variations 2027

For over a century, the Marblehead Arts Assoc. (MAA) has exhibited artwork from throughout New England in the seven galleries of its historic 1728 mansion, located in scenic Marblehead, MA.

Today, the MAA invites artists from across the country to participate in our Variations exhibit from Apr 24 - Jun 19, 2027. We encourage a diversity of art styles and media to participate in this juried exhibit of 2D and 3D work. (Limited pedestals available)

Artwork for Variations will be juried for acceptance by 3 prestigious judges with cash prizes of $1000, $250, and $100 awarded in each of the categories:

·     Fine Arts: Painting, Drawing, Printmaking, 2-D Mixed Media, Digital Art

·     Photography: Film, Digital (the artist must make the image)

·     3D work: Sculpture, Crafts, Jewelry, Fabric, Paper

Up to 3 pieces of art may be submitted - $35 for 1st entry and $10 each additional entry. MAA Members are eligible for a $10 discount off their 1st entry with coupon code provided by MAA.

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Exhibit Details: 

The Marblehead Arts Association (MAA) is inviting artists, both MAA members and non-members, from across the country to participate in the MAA’s National Exhibit entitled Variations 2027.

Exhibition Dates are April 24 through June 19, 2027

Variations 2027 is an 8-week, juried exhibit of 2D and 3D artwork. All mediums are welcome (see specifics for submissions under "Exhibit Details" further down). 

Artwork will be juried for acceptance and judged for prizes in Fine Art, Photography, and 3D works. Awards will be presented at the Opening Reception on Sunday, April 25, 2027.

The Marblehead Arts Association is located at
8 Hooper Street, Marblehead, MA 01945

781.631.2608

www.marbleheadarts.org

JUDGES and JUDGING PROCESS

We are pleased that the following highly qualified professionals will be our jurors for this Variations 2027 show. All decisions with regards to which entries are accepted, as well as the awarding of prizes are solely those of the judges and no persons associated with the Marblehead Arts Association has participation in either process. 

Fine Art Judge
Jennifer Day

Jennifer Day is a painter, sculptor and printmaker. Residing and working in Newburyport, MA, she grew up in the Boston area and in Dennis, MA. Ms. Day was educated at Bowdoin College and subsequently at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts. Having taught art at St. George's School and Phillips Academy, Andover, she went on to the Graduate School of Fine Arts at the University of Pennsylvania where she earned her MFA in painting under the mentorship of Neil Welliver. For many years, she balanced the concentration on her own work with that of teaching. She is a former adjunct professor of art at Colby-Sawyer College.

In the past, Ms. Day has been the recipient of both the New Members Jury Award and First Prize in the Summer 2006 Exhibition at the Copley Society on Newbury St., Boston. She has also won awards from ArtsWorcester (sculpture) and from Agora Gallery in New York City. She is a member of the Bromfield Gallery in Boston’s Sowa district where she has solo exhibitions every two years featuring alternating paintings, prints and sculpture.

https://www.jenniferdayart.com

Photography Judge
Jim Fitts

Jim has been a photographer, teacher, lecturer, curator, and creative director for over 45 years. He is an avid fine arts photography collector with a focus on 20th century American photographs. During his career in advertising and design, Jim has hired and worked with well over 100 commercial and fine art photographers.

Jim served as a professor at Boston University, BHCC, Curry College and Mount Ida College. He has also held the position of Executive Director of the Photographic Resource Center at Boston University.

Jim has curated several photography exhibitions for the PRC/MIT Gallery. He has served as a reviewer for the Photolucida portfolio reviews and the FotoFest portfolio reviews. He has also served as a portfolio reviewer for the New England Portfolio Reviews and the Savannah College of Art and Design reviews. He has curated the SSAC Photography Now exhibition as well as serving twice as a juror for their member exhibition. He co-curated Instant Connections, an exhibition of photographs by photographers who use Polaroid technology in the creation of their work and he curated Grunts: The GI Experience at the Panopticon Gallery in Boston. He co-curated Boston Celebrity and panAFRICAproject (an exhibition of over 100 photographs by Boston photographer Lou Jones) at the Mount Ida College School of Design Gallery.

https://www.jimfitts.com/

3-D Judge
To Be Announced


Prizes:

The following awards will be given in each category of Fine Art, Photography, and 3-D:

• Cash prizes of $1000, $250, and $100
• Judges' decisions on acceptance into the exhibit and prize awards are final.

Applicants aged under 18 must have a parent or guardian sign their permission.

 Important Dates:

·       November 14, 2026     Online submission start date

·        February 22, 2027    Online submission closing date

·        March 15, 2027        Email notification of Juror's decisions

·        April 11, 2027       Deadline date for the arrival of accepted artwork(s). 

          All artwork should be hand-delivered or shipped to:

The Marblehead Arts Association, 8 Hooper Street, Marblehead MA 01945

·       April 24 – June 19 Variations 2027 Exhibit Dates

·       April 25 - Opening Reception and Awards

·       June 20 – Beginning of Artwork pick-up (local) date

        June 21 - June 25 - Packing and shipping week

MAA Members: If you are submitting a piece for jurying into Variations, please plan on submitting a different piece in the MAA Summer Member exhibit in order to avoid the same piece hanging in two closely time exhibits.

Submissions accepted or exhibited in the Variations 2023, 2024, 2025 or 2026 show are not eligible for Variations 2027.

Visa, MasterCard, AMEX, or PayPal will be accepted for application fee payment. Applicants may also pay by personal check. Checks should be made payable to the Marblehead Arts Association, 8 Hooper St, Marblehead MA 01945. Please write "Variations 27" in the memo line. The application will not be finalized until the entry fee has been paid.

Any in-person payment done at the MAA for this exhibit does not exempt you from registering through the CaFE website. Each applicant must complete the online application to be eligible regardless of where or how payment is made. The application will be held in the "incomplete status" mode and not eligible for jurying until the online application and payment are complete. 

.Shipping

• Please make sure your name is directly on your artwork if shipping
• The MAA is not responsible for loss or damage to work in transit to or from the MAA.
• Shipping and handling fees, as well as return shipping fees, are the responsibility of the artist. We strongly suggest insuring and tracking your pieces adequately for transport.
• No packing peanuts allowed.
• A PRE-PAID RETURN-SHIPPING LABEL MUST BE ENCLOSED WITH THE WORK AND SHIPPED IN A CONTAINER SUITABLE TO RE-USE FOR RETURN SHIPPING. No work will be exhibited that does not include a pre-paid shipping label or one that has been emailed directly to the MAA. The email to send the shipping label to info@marbleheadarts.org.
• The MAA will store the artist's shipping materials and return-shipping labels to send the artwork back at the completion of the exhibition.
• If the artist’s shipping materials are deemed inadequate for return shipping, replacement shipping materials will be purchased and used by the MAA, at the artist's expense.
• Please consider the return packing process. If it is complex or difficult packaging, please provide instructions.

Commission and Sales Tax  

60% paid to the artist, 40% to the Marblehead Arts Association if the piece is sold while part of the MAA’s Variations 2027 show, and for 30 days following the closing if it is determined the sale is a result of having seen the artwork at the Variations 2027 exhibit, either online or in person.

All sales must be made through and recorded by the MAA.

Sales tax is collected on each sale except where exempt by individual state law.

Artists will be notified of any sale of their work(s) during the exhibition.

Every effort is made to pay the artist’s commission for their work 30 days after the end of the exhibition and payment has been received by the MAA. All sales are final.

Exhibit Details: 

Artists may submit digital images for up to 3 pieces of artwork for jurying for acceptance.

This is a one-artist-per-piece entry only. Multiple artists working on a single piece of work is not permitted.

If accepted, work sent in for exhibition must be the same work represented in the images used for judging. No substitutions will be accepted.

$35 for the first entry, $10 for each additional entry (maximum 3 entries).

For current MAA Members: At check-out, use the coupon code available only to MAA members to receive a $10 discount on their first entry. Contact the MAA at info@marbleheadarts.org or 781.631.2608. Please note: No refunds are given after payment is made.

Artist who are under 18 years of age need to have a parent or guardian email and contact information is required to complete the application. All students must provide the contact information for an Adult Sponsor (teacher, parent, mentor, etc.)

MAA Members: If you are submitting a piece for jurying into Variations, please plan on submitting a different piece in the MAA Summer Member exhibit in order to avoid the same piece hanging in two closely time exhibits.

Submissions that were accepted or exhibited in the previous Variations exhibitions are not eligible for Variations 2027.

Visa, MasterCard, AMEX or PayPal will be accepted for application fee payment. Applicants may also pay by personal check. Checks should be made payable to the Marblehead Arts Association, 8 Hooper St, Marblehead MA 01945. The application will not be finalized until the entry fee has been paid.

In-person payment, done at the MAA for this exhibit does not exempt you from registering through the CaFE website. Each applicant must file through this application to be eligible for the exhibition. 

APLICATION REQUIREMENTS

Artwork Specifics:

All entries must be original, and if accepted, may not be substituted or withdrawn.  Accepted artwork must remain hanging until the completion of the exhibit unless sold or special arrangements are made with the MAA.

There are (3) three categories for submission:

Fine Art – Painting, Drawing, Printmaking, 2-D Mixed Media, Digital Art

Photography – Film, Digital

Composite images are acceptable. All parts of the image must be created photographically by the artist. Computer-generated or AI subject is not allowed.

3D – Sculpture, Crafts, Jewelry, Fabric, Paper

Digital submissions for jurying (high-quality images required for jurying)

• Images must be in jpg format, cropped to remove backgrounds
• Any single image cannot exceed 5MB (5000kb)​ Minimum of 100 dpi resolution
• Longest side is not to exceed 1400 pixels, other side not to exceed 1050 pixels

** For 3D work, multiple views of 3D work may be submitted as long as they are combined into one image that meets the stated requirements. The artist will only be charged for 1 image.

Due to the gallery exhibition space constraints of our antique mansion, 3D work must not be larger than what can fit on a 12x12 pedestal or take up more than 3ft by 3ft floor space. Weight must not be more than 50 lbs.

All accepted 2-D work must be framed and wired for hanging. Any work deemed not suitable for hanging will be returned to the artist without a refund. The MAA uses the Walker hanging system exclusively which utilizes rods hanging from a special crown molding. This hanging system requires sturdy, museum-quality wiring. Unusual installation requests must be made in advance and approved by the Marblehead Arts Association.

• Works on paper (including photography) must be matted, framed, and under glass or plexiglass.
•  Maximum size of 2-D work: no more than 42″ on any one side.
• Any hanging piece must not weigh more than 30 lbs.
• We do not permit nails, glue, or the application of any substance to the walls of our galleries. Our hanging system requires sturdy wiring exclusively.
• The MAA has a limited number of pedestals. Accepted artists requiring pedestals or other display structures should contact the MAA before shipping. All jewelry must come with its own display materials.
• There is no guarantee of acceptance.
• If your artwork is accepted, we kindly request you inform us as soon as possible if you are unable to provide that work for the exhibit. The judges are basing their decisions on individual pieces of artwork, not the artist. Only artwork submitted and subsequently accepted by the jurors are eligible for display in the exhibition. We cannot accept substitute pieces.

Artists under 18 years of age must have an adult sponsor.