Maryland Federation of Art : At Play 2026

International Deadline: May 27, 2026 – There is a moment in making where curiosity outpaces caution. Where the hand moves before the mind can second-guess it. At Play is an open call for artists working from that place. Not toward a destination, but inside a process. Making the way children do, without asking why.

At Play invites submissions that emerge from states of experimentation, wonder, and freedom from outcome. No medium restrictions. No right answer. Just the work that happened when you stopped performing and started playing.

Works selected by the juror will be exhibited in Maryland Federation of Art’s (MFA) At Play Exhibition through our Virtual Gallery from August 14 – October 14, 2026.

ELIGIBILITY
Entry is open to artists residing in any of the states or territories of the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

All entries must be original and completed solely by the artist’s hand. A maximum of 6 original works created within the past 3 years may be entered. If artwork is part of a limited edition, please state total number in the edition.

JUROR
Gage Branda is a Filipino-American artist and educator. He received his BFA in Sculpture from the Maryland Institute College of Art and has presented and exhibited nationally at venues including the Eleventh Hackers of Planet Earth Conference in New York, the Emerge Conference at Arizona State University, the San Jose Innovative Tech Museum, and the Strathmore Mansion. Prior to his work at AVAM, Branda taught K–12 students across Baltimore City in programs on nutrition, science, and art. He now brings insight from his diverse interests—ranging from bronze sculpture to biodesign—to the curation of the American Visionary Art Museum’s exhibitions… see more

AWARDS
Cash awards presented by the juror total $500.00.

ENTRY FEE
1 or 2 entries $45 (MFA Members $30). Up to 4 additional entries $6.75 each (MFA Members $4.50). Entry fees are non-refundable.

APPLY ONLINE
Visit us online for complete details.

SALES
MFA’s Online Sales Gallery is provided to North American artists to sell their work. Only artists in the 48 contiguous United States may set a price. MFA will reimburse up to $35 in shipping costs to those artists for online sales shipments if a receipt is provided.

Artists will retain 80% from sales (85% for MFA Members). MFA will retain 20% commission (15% for MFA Members) on any work sold through MFA.