Art Maryland 2026

Art Maryland is a juried biennial survey show of Maryland artists living or working within 100 miles of the Howard County Arts Council (including Washington, DC and parts of Virginia, Delaware, and Pennsylvania). Artists working in any medium and style are invited to apply. This year’s juror is Lou Joseph, the Arts, Culture and Events Coordinator at Baltimore County Recreation and Parks department. The exhibit will be on display at Howard County Arts Council’s (HCAC) Gallery I during October-November 2026.

Eligibility

Artists working in all media, 18 years or older, residing in Maryland or within a 100-mile radius of Ellicott City, Maryland, are invited to submit up to three works completed in the last two years and not previously shown in the Howard County Arts Council (HoCo Arts) galleries. All work must fit through a standard doorway measuring 54” x 80” and fit appropriately in HoCo Arts galleries. Maximum height is 9’ 6”. 2-D work cannot weigh more than 50 lbs. For 3-D work weighing over 50lbs, artists must provide their own pedestals and installation assistance approved by HoCo Arts at least two weeks in advance of installation. All artworks must be original. No reproductions (including giclée and commercially printed or computer-generated reproductions of paintings, drawings, etc.) will be accepted.

About the Juror, Lou Joseph

Lou Joseph is an artist and arts administrator based in Baltimore, Maryland. He is currently the Arts, Culture and Events Coordinator at Baltimore County Recreation and Parks department. Born in Youngstown, Ohio in 1975, he graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University with a BFA in painting in 1998 and received an MFA in printmaking from Indiana University in 2004. He continues an active studio practice, primarily working on painting and long-term collaborative projects, and has exhibited work in New York, Chicago, Venice, Berlin among others. From 2012 to 2022 he directed the Institute of Contemporary Art Baltimore, an artist-run nomadic art space, staging 36 large scale solo artists exhibitions, along with professional practice programming. He lives with his family in the city of Baltimore.

Entry

Artists may submit images of up to three works (one image for each two-dimensional work and one or two images for each three-dimensional work). Mailed entries will not be accepted. Entries must be individual files in .jpg format. Time-based work must be submitted as .avi, .wav, .mov, or .m4a files. Files must be labeled with the artist’s last name, first initial, and the entry number corresponding to the entry form (e.g. SmithJ_1.jpg). Each file should be less than 1MB. Except for film or video-based work, we cannot accept video or digital presentations (including PowerPoint). The deadline to submit is August 1, 2026.

Application must include: 

• Artist’s contact information (name, address, email, and phone number). 
• Up to three artworks in any medium, completed in the last two years and not previously exhibited in the HoCo Arts galleries. 
• Complete details about each work including the title, media, unframed dimensions, price (or insurance value, if NFS), and year completed. 
• A non-refundable entry fee of $30 (waived for current members of the Howard County Arts Council). Entry fee can be paid at hocoarts.org/artmaryland

Entry Fee

A nonrefundable entry fee of $30 is due with this application. Fee is waived for current HoCo Arts members. Individual artists may become an HoCo Arts member at the $30 level and waive entry fee. Fee can be paid by check made payable to HoCo Arts, or by credit card via hocoarts.org/artmaryland, or by calling HoCo Arts during business hours.

Presentation

All work must be ready-to-hang and framed, wired or with proper hanging devices attached and instructions where necessary. Sawtooth hangers and adhesives are not allowed. HoCo Arts reserves the right to refuse any piece that is improperly presented, considered unsafe, or delivered with improper installation or hanging devices. A limited number of pedestals are available for 3D work. Digital media artists are responsible for providing their own equipment.

Timeline

August 1, 11:59pm: Entry deadline

August 24: Notifications mailed to artists. 

October 2-3: Deliver works to HoCo Arts. 

October 9: Exhibit opens to the public. 

November 12, 6-8pm: Reception and award presentation. 

November 21, 4pm: Exhibit closes. 

November 22-23: Pick up work from HoCo Arts.

Additional Information

Full details and information can be found in the prospectus: https://www.hocoarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Art-Maryland-2026-Prospectus.pdf

Questions?

Contact us at exhibits@hocoarts.org or (410) 313-2787.