Color is a fundamental element of artistic expression that transcends language and culture. It empowers artists to convey emotion, energy, and meaning. Artists use color to create an atmosphere, direct the viewer’s eye, and make a lasting impact.
Iconic colors in art history are imprinted in our memory such as Titian Red, Van Dyck Brown, and International Klein Blue. In science and fashion colors such as Perkin Mauve or Chanel Black come to mind. The Impressionists aimed to capture the fleeting effects of light and color, The Fauves were known for their bold, eye-popping color choices, whereas The Great Colorists highlighted how color can convey a sense of motion, express inner feeling, and take the viewer into new imaginative realms. Contemporary artists experiment with color combinations, disrupting traditional color harmonies to elicit thought and emotion. The digital age has opened up opportunities for artists to explore, manipulate, and reshape the role of color in generative art.
The psychology of color in art is a rich and complex field, and color is an invaluable tool for artists. We invite artists working in all mediums to submit works where color is a powerful tool of artistic expression. All original 2D and 3D artwork that follow the guidelines below are eligible for this Maryland Federation of Art’s (MFA) show. Entry is open to all artists residing in North America and the surrounding territories. Works selected by the juror will be on display in MFA’S Circle Gallery, from July 30th – August 23rd, 2025.
John Wellington received his BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design and MFA from The New York Academy of Art. From 1985 through 1993 John worked as a colorist for Marvel Comics painting a number of monthly comics and graphic novels such as the Moebius/Stan Lee “Silver Surfer.” For three decades John has taught Old Master Painting techniques, traditional drawing, and composition at the MFA and BFA level. Currently, John teaches at The New York Academy of Art, The School of Visual Arts, his private atelier, and gives painting demonstrations on YouTube through Jerry’s Artarama. John’s paintings have been in numerous galleries, exhibitions and art fairs in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, and Paris. He has shown at the Centre Georges Pompidou (Paris) and The Arnot Museum (New York). John has painted alongside the King of England and is in his private collection as well as other prominent collections in the US, Asia and Europe. Currently, two colors available from Tusc&Pine Oil Paints - Wellington Vert Noir and Wellington Vert Noir Deep - were conceived by and named after John.
NOTE: Should Circle Gallery or any other exhibition space be closed for reasons beyond our control, MFA reserves the right to move a planned physical exhibit to our online gallery.
Watch the video below for a tutorial on how to upload your entries.
What is a submission?
One submission or application on artcall.org is the equivalent of one entry on MFA’s old entry system, or one piece submitted for jurying. Artcall.org uses the terms submission and application interchangeably.
Can I edit my submissions after I've submitted them?
Artcall.org requires you to select the number of submissions / applications you want to enter and to pay before entering in your image and image details. You can edit your submission details along with images you've attached up until the submission period is over. Once the submission period has ended, you cannot edit their entries in any form.
Can I add more submissions after I've paid?
You must submit a separate submission / application for each piece of artwork you wish to be shown to the juror. You have the option to add a second or third image of the same work to your submission / application as a detail photograph. This is not required.
What are the entry fees?
1 or 2 entries are $45 ($30 for MFA Members). Up to 4 additional entries are $6.75 each ($4.50 for MFA Members). Entry fees are non-refundable.
Who is this exhibition open to?
We invite all artists from near and far, this exhibition is open internationally.
