The 95th Michigan Contemporary Art Exhibition continues a rich legacy of showcasing the work of Michigan artists, from talented beginners to accomplished professionals. A competitive show, the Michigan Contemporary presents a look at the issues, themes, and materials inspiring today’s Michigan artists. Featured media include painting, printmaking, drawing, sculpture, ceramics, textiles, jewelry, and installation. A visitor favorite, the exhibition engages, challenges, and inspires conversation. Entry is open to Michigan residents ages 18 and over.
Exhibition Dates: September 26 – November 13, 2024
Opening Reception & Artist Award Ceremony – Thursday, September 26 | 5 PM
PLEASE READ ALL OF THE RULES AND TERMS BEFORE APPLYING. SUBMIT IMAGES FOR NO MORE THAN 2 (TWO) WORKS. ENTRY DOES NOT GUARANTEE EXHIBITION OF ART
How to Enter:
Entry is digital, through the www.callforentry.org (CaFÉ) website. Search keyword “Muskegon.” Registration is required. Artists may submit up to two artworks. Submit images for one or two artworks only.
Deadline: Deadline for entry is July 19, 2024
Eligibility:
All Artists 18 years or older residing in Michigan may enter.
Number of Entries:
Each artist may submit up to two (2) works in any medium. Video and performance are not eligible. Submit images for one or two artworks only
Digital Entry:
Digital image files must conform to the requirements as listed on the CaFÉ site. Provide the title, media, and dimensions of your entries. Incomplete entries will not be juried. Accepted works that differ dramatically from the submitted images or submitted information may be refused at the discretion of MMA staff, so make sure your entry accurately reflects your artwork(s).
Eligible Entries:
Only original works completed in the last two years and not previously exhibited at the Muskegon Museum of Art are eligible. Commercial reproductions, including giclée prints, will not be accepted. Traditional print media, photography, and digital art should be from a limited edition. Wall mounted pieces may not exceed 6 feet wide by 12 feet high. Three-dimensional (standing) pieces may not exceed 10 feet high by 6 feet by 6 feet. Only work easily handled by two people will be accepted.
Entry Fee:
Artists may submit one OR two works. The fee for entry is $35.
MMA Members receive a discounted entry fee of $20. Members should call 231-720-2571 to receive their discount code before entering.
Refunds cannot be provided after entry.
Acceptance Notification:
Artists will be notified of the jury results by email no later than August 19, 2023. With this notification you will also be provided identification labels to attach to your work.
Prizes:
Best of Show: $1,500
2nd Place: $1,000
3rd Place: $750
Additional prizes awarded, including purchase awards (purchase awards are equal to the stated sale price of the work).
Questions? Please call the MMA at 231-720-2575.
Delivery:
For hand-delivery, accepted artwork must arrive at the Muskegon Museum of Art on September 12-14. Artists may deliver between 11AM and 4:00 PM September 12-14.
Call 231-720-2575 if you need to drop off prior to September 14. No objects will be accepted after Sept 14.
Ship artwork to:
95th MCAE – Muskegon Museum of Art
296 W Webster Ave.
Muskegon, MI 49440
Works shipped by carrier must be prepaid and arrive at the MMA by Saturday, Sept 14, 2023. For shipped work, include a prepaid return shipping label. All packing and shipping costs are the responsibility of the artist.
Label your Artwork:
Attach identification labels securely on the back, upper left corner of two-dimensional artworks and under the base or securely tied to three-dimensional artworks. Labels must be those provided in the email of acceptance and should be completely filled in. Please notify the MMA if you require the loading dock for delivery by calling 231-720-2575.
Entry Condition:
Works must be ready for presentation. All hanging works should be framed and fitted with wire or D-Rings. Entries must be dry, completely assembled, framed, matted, or mounted. All works on paper must be framed and glazed. Multiple panel pieces (diptychs, triptychs, etc.) cannot exceed 6 feet wide by twelve feet high when installed. Work requiring special handling or installation will be accepted only at the MMA’s discretion. Unsuitably prepared, hazardous, unstable, or extremely fragile works will be declined. If you are unsure about your work conforming to these conditions, please email Art Martin at amartin@muskegonartmuseum.org before entering.
All accepted work is eligible for sale through the MMA Store. The MMA commission is 30% and must be included in the purchase price. Work offered for sale will be sold as exhibited. If the work is not for sale, please indicate “0 (zero)” for value on entry form. Price On Requests (PORs) will not be accepted.
Prizes: Best of Show: $1,500, 2nd Place: $1,000 3rd Place: $750 Additional prizes awarded, including purchase awards (purchase awards are equal to the stated sale price of the work).
Liability/Publicity:
Entries will be handled with all possible care but the MMA is not responsible for any loss or damage for any cause whatsoever. Submitting a work of art to this exhibition implies agreement on the part of the artist with all stated conditions. The MMA assumes the privilege of photographing or using any work entered in the exhibition for the purpose of publicity or education, unless the artist notifies the MMA in writing to the contrary.
Pickup
Accepted entries must remain in the exhibition through Wednesday, November 13, 2024.
Shipped artworks will be returned in the packing materials they arrived in. Return of shipped artwork will begin Thursday, November 14, 2024.
In person pickup:
November 14, Thursday, 11:00 am – 4:00 pm
November 15, Friday, 11:00 am – 4:00 pm
November 16, Saturday, 11:00 am – 4:00 pm
Due to limited storage, prompt pickup is required. Please call if you must make special pickup arrangements.
Written authorization is required for the MMA to release work to anyone other than the artist. Shipment costs are the responsibility of the artist.
Works not picked up by January 17, 2025 will be considered abandoned and will be discarded unless other arrangements are made in advance with MMA staff.
Gallery Photos from 2023:
Juror: Jonathan Thunder
Jonathan Thunder creates paintings and animated films that speak to popular culture, modern society, and his Ojibwe heritage. He attended the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, NM and studied Visual Effects and Motion Graphics at the Art Institute International in Minneapolis, MN. His work has appeared in local, regional, and national exhibitions and his short films have earned several awards. Thunder contributed to the animated drawings that appear during the credits of the 2022 film Prey and his installation Manifest’o was featured in the MPS International Airport. He is a recipient of the 2022 McKnight Foundation Fellowship Award for Visual Arts and a 2020 recipient of the Pollock-Krasner Foundation Award for painting. His paintings and films were included in the 2022-23 MMA curated exhibition Jonathan Thunder: Maamawi and the 2020-2021 exhibition The Art of People: Contemporary Anishinaabe Artists organized by the Muskegon Museum of Art and Grand Valley State University Art Gallery (with guest curator Jason Quigno).