American Society of Marine Artists
Exhibition artwork

American Society of Marine Artists

20th National Exhibition Prospectus

The Muscarelle Museum of Art, Williamsburg, VA & Mystic Seaport Museum, Mystic, CT

June 11, 2027 – January 30, 2028

Deadline is January 5th.
Find Open Calls

Opens for entry Dec 1st.

About

Our ASMA National Exhibitions are at the foundation of the Society’s mission: to showcase the very finest maritime works from our artist members across the nation and beyond, to the widest possible audience, in museum institutions that elevate and celebrate our artistry. These opportunities come only every few years, and are a chance for you to enhance your reach, reputation and artistic accomplishments.

We invite you to offer your best work for consideration for the 20th National Exhibition, hosted by two nationally recognized Museums, The Muscarelle Museum of Art in Williamsburg, VA and the Mystic Seaport Museum in Mystic, CT.

The Exhibition will run Friday, June 11, 2027 through Thursday, September 9, 2027 in Williamsburg before traveling to Mystic, where it will be on display from Saturday, October 9, 2027 until Sunday, January 30, 2028. During its run in Mystic, the ASMA will be hosting our 5th National Marine Art Conference, Sunday, October 24 – Thursday, October 28, 2027.

Please note: If you are not an ASMA member, you must join before submitting to this Exhibition. More information is shown below under Eligibility. ASMA Membership entitles you to enter all ASMA exhibitions, receive our full color quarterly magazine; the ASMA News and Journal, and receive discounted entry to our National Marine Art Conferences. We will be hosting the 5th National Marine Art Conference with events beginning on Sunday evening, October 24, 2027 and ending Thursday, October 28, 2027. These are wonderfully inspiring learning and gathering events that include workshops and demos, lectures, painting opportunities and social events. Artists and guests desiring to register for the conference may do so online at our ASMA website beginning in the Spring of 2027. Look for more details soon.

Venues

The Muscarelle Museum of Art, Williamsburg, VA
Mystic Seaport Museum, Mystic, CT

Show Catalog

A full color catalog will be produced for the Exhibition, and ASMA members, whether participating in the Exhibition or not, will be able to purchase one or more at a discounted price.

Artist Eligibility

  • Any artist submitting for this Exhibition must be a member.

    If you are not currently a member, first go directly to the ASMA website under “Join” at: americansocietyofmarineartists.com. Current members who may know non-member artists working in the marine genre should encourage those artists to join ASMA and submit for the Exhibition.
  • Regular member dues of the Society are $65.00 annually. Any new artist may also consider submitting for Signature Membership during open online portfolio review later in the Spring of 2027.
  • All ASMA Signature Members are required to submit at least one piece for consideration by a jury of the Fellows to all National Exhibitions.
  • Fellows of the Society are required to submit at least one piece to be included in all National Exhibitions.
  • Any Signature Member failing to submit an entry without presenting a written Letter of Hardship prior to the closing of the submission process will jeopardize their Signature membership status and must re-apply for Signature membership. Each hardship will be reviewed by the Fellows, and each case will be accepted or denied based on individual circumstances.

Artwork Requirements

  • All artists are encouraged to submit their finest, museum-quality work for this Exhibition.
  • Work must have been created within the last five years, and never submitted previously for any ASMA National Exhibition.
  • Mediums accepted for the ASMA National Exhibition include oil, water media, acrylic, pastel, drawing, etching, engraving, scrimshaw and sculpture. Sculpture is limited to bronze, stone, or wood. No cold cast bronze, ceramic, or any type of stoneware is accepted.
  • Ship and boat models are not eligible.
  • No digital art, AI artwork, or painting created by painting over paper or canvas printed photographs will be accepted.
  • Combined length and width of the framed work must not exceed 90 inches.
  • Sculpture is not to exceed 50 inches in height. Weight should be no more than 150 pounds.
  • Artists may submit between 1 to 3 entries for consideration.
  • Sculptors must submit 2 views for each entry.
  • Once an artwork has been submitted, no substitutions or early removal of work will be allowed. No exceptions.
  • All paintings will be required to have gallery or museum quality frames.

Acceptance Notifications

Entries will be accepted from Tuesday, December 1, 2026 through Tuesday, January 5, 2027, and final selections will be made in mid-January. Acceptance notices will be sent no later than Monday, February 1, 2027. More information will follow and notifications will go out when the window for submissions is open.

ASMA reserves the right to reject works if not fairly represented by the image or information provided.

Entry Fee

  • $35 for 1 work. $10 each additional.
  • Up to 3 works.

Shipping / Delivery

  • Each artist is responsible for the shipping costs to send their artwork to the first Museum venue, and for returning shipping from the final Museum. The Museums themselves cover the expense of inter-venue shipping.
  • Artists who live near Williamsburg, VA will be allowed to drop off their works in person during a specific day and time window.
  • Painters are required to use Airfloat Strongbox shipping containers or the equivalent for this Exhibition (Uline’s model designed like Airfloat or MasterPak). Airfloat offers ASMA members a 20% discount. Use the discount code ASMA at checkout. Sculptors are highly encouraged to use double wall, foam injected boxes for shipping sculptures. No peanuts are allowed when shipping sculpture. The Society recognizes the financial burden of packing and shipping your work to and from a National Exhibition, and so for the first time we will be helping underwrite these expenses in some meaningful way. More specific information on this will accompany notifications of acceptance into the Exhibition.
  • Prior to shipping, you will be required to notify ASMA as to the weight and dimensions of your box going to Williamsburg. Keep a record yourself to facilitate the return of your artwork.

Artwork Pickup

Artists living near Mystic, CT will be allowed to pick up their works at the close of the show at a designated time.

A few weeks before the Exhibition closes, each artist will be contacted by ASMA to create and send a return shipping label to accommodate returning all artwork in a timely fashion at the close of the exhibition.

Artwork Sales

As a Museum Exhibition, the ASMA 20th National is a “not for sale exhibition”. However, buyers who may have an interest in purchasing works of art will be supplied with contact information for the artist by the participating Museums. Any sales during the Exhibition shall be privately arranged between the artist and buyer. Artwork may not be removed before the end of the Exhibition. No exceptions.

Insurance

Artwork will be fully insured while on exhibition and while being shipped between Museums.

Use of Images

Submitting artwork for an ASMA National show is an affirmation that the artwork is original, does not infringe on any copyright, and that the .jpeg image you send is an accurate and high-resolution representation of your artwork. Images of your work may be reproduced for catalog and promotional purposes.

Questions

For more information or questions, contact: Russ Kramer at [email protected] or (813) 748-6470.

Thank you and we look forward to your submissions.

Image and Filename Specifications

  • File Format: Submit original, high-quality JPEG image files. Other formats (e.g., PNG, TIFF) are not accepted.
  • Crop Your Image: Ensure only the artwork itself is visible in the image. Do not show any visible matting, frames, or background distractions.
  • Orientation: Make sure your image is oriented correctly (right side up) so that the artwork appears in its intended viewing direction.
  • Image Size: You do not need to resize your image files before uploading. The system will automatically resize them. Smaller images cannot be enlarged to meet the requirements, so ensure your images are high resolution before uploading.
  • File Names: You do not need to rename your files before uploading them. The system will handle any file naming requirements.
  • File Size: There is a 30MB maximum file size limit. Larger image files will take longer to upload and process.

Additional Entry Information

  • You will pay for your entry by credit or debit card using our secure checkout system.
  • After your entry is submitted and paid for, you may log back in to review your entry, edit artist and image information, and add or substitute images up until the entry deadline (January 5, 2027.)
  • Entry fees are not refundable and must be submitted and paid by the entry deadline.
  • Entries cannot be accepted or changed after the deadline. Incomplete entries will be disqualified.

Notifications Are Posted in Your Account

Results will be posted in your ShowSubmit account by the end of the day on February 1, 2027. You will also receive an email.

Log in and check your account. We are unable to answer individual inquiries about results.

Support

Questions about this exhibition?
Contact Russ Kramer ([email protected]) for questions about the prospectus, ASMA, eligibility, artwork requirements, drop-off, pick-up, sales, etc.

Need help with ShowSubmit?
Visit our Help Center or Entry Guide for guidance on image uploads, payments, and managing your entry. If you still need help, email ShowSubmit Support ([email protected]). We respond Monday–Friday, 9am–6pm Eastern.