American Women Artists
American Women Artists

A Vision of Nature

October 3, 2025 – March 22, 2026 National Sporting Library & Museum, Virginia
Deadline is May 12th. 6 weeks left to enter. Members Only.
Sunflower Farm, Oil 24 x 30, by Ramona Youngquist
Sunflower Farm, Oil 24 x 30, by Ramona Youngquist
Open Calls

or to submit.

Deadline for entry: May 12, 2025

Location

National Sporting Library & Museum, Virginia

Exhibition Detail

American Women Artists is pleased to announce its ninth museum exhibition as part of the 25 in 25 campaign, an initiative to have 25 museum shows for its members over 25 years. A Vision of Nature: American Women Artists will be exhibited at the National Sporting Library & Museum. Founded in 1954, the National Sporting Library & Museum is located in Middleburg, the heart of Virginia’s beautiful horse and hunt country. The inviting 6-acre campus, world-class research Library, and Fine Art Museum, highlight the rich heritage and tradition of country pursuits while advocating for the conservation of landscape, open space, and waterways integral to these activities. A Vision of Nature: American Women Artists will include 2-D and 3-D works following these themes commiserate with the museum’s collection and mission:

A Love of the Land
Sporting
Animals and Wildlife
Country Pursuits

Curious how your work will fit in? View a selection of the museum’s collection here chosen to inspire AWA members, or view the museum’s full collection and choose your own inspiration. From landscapes to still lifes to animal art and more, there is inspiration in the museum’s collection and in your own perspective on the great outdoors.

There will be A $10,000 Grand Prize Cash Award in addition to approximately $20,000 in other cash and merchandise awards. Final works selected will appear in the 6-month museum exhibition, on AWA’s website, be featured in our monthly e-newsletters, and promoted through AWA’s advertising and social media channels.

Jurors of Selection

American Women Artists jurors and judges are highly qualified curators, directors, artists, and arts writers with years of education and experience recognizing artistic excellence, supporting the creative process, and researching art and art history. The selection jurors for the 2025 AWA National Juried Museum Exhibition are:

Shannon Fitzgerald
Executive Director at The Mennello Museum of American Art and City of Orlando Public Art

Claudia Pfeiffer
George L. Ohrstrom, Jr. Deputy Director & Head Curator at the National Sporting Library & Museum

Robin Knowlton
Former Executive Director at American Women Artists and Former Owner at The Knowlton Gallery

About the 25 in 25 Initiative

In 2017, AWA launched 25 in 25, a bold initiative to secure 25 museum exhibitions for our women artist members, over the next 25 years. We did this because work by women artists made up only 3 – 5% of the permanent holdings of art museums in America in 2017, and has only risen to 13% eight years later. We are determined to roll up our sleeves and do something about this! Please join us in our mission to celebrate, unite, and promote women in the visual fine arts.

Eligibility

Open to women at least 18 years of age, who are working in the fine arts and residents of either the United States or Canada. To submit and show works, applicants and finalists must be a current member of American Women Artists.

If you would like to join as a new member please visit our website.
To check the status of your membership, please login to your portal or email [email protected]. If you do not have a current membership by the submission deadline your entry will be disqualified. Your membership must be valid throughout the exhibition period.
American Women Artists seeks to present an exhibition of fine art demonstrating excellence in terms of composition, technique, mastery of medium and quality of design. The final selection will be an exemplary showcase of a diverse group of representational and abstract artworks by artists who draw, paint, and sculpt.

Entry Guidelines

  1. The 2025 AWA Annual Juried Museum Exhibition is open to all AWA Members in good standing.
  2. Applications may be submitted from Tuesday, March 18, 2025 – Monday, May 12, 2025, and finalists will be announced on Friday, May 30, 2025.
  3. Entries may be representational or abstract work(s): drawing, painting, printmaking, mixed media, and sculpture. All subjects and styles are eligible, from traditional to contemporary.
  4. Work(s) must be original. 2D works must have been completed within the last two years and 3D works must have been completed in the last five years.
  5. Works do not have to be for sale. Sold works may be submitted. Enter Nfs in the entry form. Please note any prices listed cannot be changed after entry, and shipping fees are the responsibility of the artist. Artists will receive 55% of the sales price for 2D works and 60% for 3D works. AWA will receive 45% for 2D and 40% for 3D to support its mission and fund future artist awards.
  6. Maximum size for 2D works: Up to 40” on the longest side unframed. Maximum size for sculpture: Height 8 ft including base or pedestal. Weight 200 lbs.
  7. All work(s) entered must not have been accepted for a previous AWA national juried museum competition or online juried show.
  8. Acceptable mediums for sculpture include cast metal, fabricated metal, stone, glass, wood, and any fired permanent medium such as terra cotta, stoneware, porcelain, and earthenware.
  9. Acceptable mediums for painting include oil, acrylic, water media, pastel, egg tempera, encaustic, mixed media, and batik.
  10. Acceptable mediums for drawing include conte crayon, colored pencil, graphite, pen & ink, scratchboard, charcoal, and original hand-pulled prints.
  11. Mixed Media is acceptable only if created using acceptable mediums as listed above. Mixed Media cannot include any mediums deemed not acceptable, as listed below.
  12. Nonacceptable mediums include craft, jewelry, fiber, fabric, photography, video, digital prints including giclee, or any work containing computer-generated elements.
  13. Work(s) must have been created by the artist without supervision or as part of a class or workshop.
  14. Work(s) may not be a copy or imitation of another work. Any reference provided by an instructor is not eligible, including an instructor-provided photo, still-life setup, or model setup.
  15. Work(s) must be original and from your own reference, not copied from other artists or published materials.
  16. All artwork must be originally drawn and not created on top of any photographic image.
  17. Maximum entries: six (6). Maximum of one (1) entry per accepted artist will be juried into the exhibition.
  18. A maximum of one (1) piece of artwork per accepted artist will be juried into the exhibition.
  19. By submitting images to this juried opportunity, you understand and agree that accepted images will be displayed on the AWA website, Facebook or Instagram page, and other social and/or print media.
  20. By entering this show, artists acknowledge they own full copyright to the submitted work. If you are unsure about copyright and copyright infringement, learn more at Copyright.gov - What Visual and Graphic Artists Should Know about Copyright | U.S. Copyright Office. AWA is not liable for any copyright claim made against an entered work. Artists retain copyright to their image(s).
  21. By entering this exhibition, you agree that you have read and will abide by all rules outlined in this prospectus. AWA and the Museum reserve the right to reject any work it deems to not comply with these rules, is damaged, or any work that AWA deems offensive including accepted pieces upon inspection at the Museum.
  22. Failure to meet any eligibility requirements will result in the submitted artwork being disqualified. It may result in the artist's disqualification from participation in AWA's next exhibition at AWA's sole discretion.
  23. All membership and entry fees are non-refundable.
  24. All artists accepted into the exhibition will be expected to contribute $50 towards production of the show catalog and will receive 3 print copies.

Application

The 2025 AWA Annual Juried Museum Exhibition application process will begin on Tuesday, March 18, 2025 and close on Monday, May 12, 2025. Finalists will be announced on Friday, May 30, 2025. The entry form must be filled out in its entirety. List sizes up to the nearest inch. Submitted images must not include matting or frame. Crop the photos to include only the artwork. Be sure your images are right-side-up. Artists may submit up to 2 images of 3-D work(s) to show different views of artwork.


Before uploading your images, make sure they are 1920 pixels or larger on the longest side. Images should be in JPEG format, with RGB color space. ShowSubmit will handle renaming and resizing the images for you.

Please review ShowSubmit Entry Guide for help in entering works. If you require additional assistance please email [email protected].

Entry Fees

All AWA Member Levels: $60.00 for up to TWO (2) ENTRIES. Each additional entry $10.00 up to maximum of six (6) entries. Payment for jury fees must be made through ShowSubmit via credit card at time of application. Entry fees are non-refundable.

You must be a current Member of AWA to enter and show in the Juried Exhibition. Dues must be current by close of entry period Monday, May 12, 2025 or submission is disqualified.

New Member dues can be paid by new members on the AWA Join page.

Existing or overdue members can check status or renew bylogging into your member portal.

Deadline

Entries will be accepted Tuesday, March 18, 2025 – Monday, May 12, 2025.

Notification Date

Friday, May 30, 2025

Awards

There will be cash and merchandise awards totaling at least $30,000. Award packages are designed to support, encourage, and inspire women in the visual fine arts.

Jurors

Selection Jurors and Awards Judges for AWA’s National Juried Competition work independently to assess the entries.

Jurying Notification

All jury status notifications will be sent by and posted on ShowSubmit and accepted works will be posted at www.americanwomenartists.org no later than Friday, May 30, 2025. This will be a highly selective show. One piece per finalist will be selected to exhibit at the National Sporting Library & Museum.

Accepted Works

The decision of the Selection Jurors is final with the AWA and the Museum reserving the right to final acceptance for exhibition. All accepted artists will be provided with a consignment form and instructions for catalog content to be completed and returned to AWA by June 30, 2025.

Once accepted, works may be pre-sold but must be exhibited for the duration of show and proceeds must be shared with AWA, under Commission terms outlined below.

All accepted Paintings & Drawings must be framed and wired for hanging. Accepted Sculpture must be ready to place with any stands and title plates securely fastened. Stone sculpture may be shipped without a base attached only if clear, simple, well-labeled assembly instructions are included and any required installation materials are included with the sculpture.

Accepted artists will be offered Advertising Opportunities at AWA negotiated rates in two to three different national publications.

Sales Commission

AWA will process sales. If a sale occurs, the artist will receive 55% of the price for 2D works and 60% for 3D. AWA will receive 45% for 2D works and 40% for 3D works to supports its mission and future exhibition awards. Artwork must be priced in accordance with the artist’s current pricing structure and must account for shipping to and from the venue. Buyers will not be billed for shipping. Pricing will be available in the exhibition and will appear on the AWA website. Prices cannot be changed after entry.

Shipping

Each accepted Artist is responsible for the delivery of their shipped or hand delivered work between September 16 – 19, 2025. AWA recommends artwork be shipped in airfloat / “strong” boxes or in wooden crates. Hand-delivered works must be delivered between September 16 - 19, 2025. Each container should have an image of the work on the outside of the box or on the inside lid. Artwork will be shipped back to artists or buyers between March 24 – March 27, 2026. Artwork picked up in person must be picked up between March 24 – March 27, 2026. Pick-ups and deliveries must be coordinated in advance with the Museum’s Sr. Collections Manager and Registrar. Shipping expenses are the responsibility of AWA members. Each artist will provide a return pre-paid Fed Ex or UPS label for shipped artwork. The exhibit pieces will be condition reported and installed by Museum personnel. It will be the responsibility of the artist to supply the museum with an updated shipping label, if the work has sold and needs to be shipped to the buyer.

Liabilities, Responsibilities, Sales

By entering this exhibition, the artist agrees that they have read and will abide by all rules outlined in this prospectus. All membership and jury fees are non-refundable. Submission of work for this exhibit will be construed as acceptance of all conditions set forth in prospectus. AWA and the National Sporting library & Museum reserve the right to return work that does not meet exhibition standards. Every reasonable care will be taken with original artwork. The National Sporting Library & Museum will be responsible for insurance of artwork while on exhibit for the amount specified on Record of Consignment. The Artist is responsible for insurance of artwork to cover the full value of the artwork while in transit. AWA members have free membership with ShipandInsure.com for reduced shipping and additional insurance. Finalists are encouraged to use this benefit.

Additional Notification Information

Notifications will be emailed and posted in your ShowSubmit account by the end of the day on May 30, 2025.

You may view the notification in your ShowSubmit account by logging in and tapping the Notifications at the top right of the screen, or in your Entry History.

If you do not receive your email, login and view the notification in your account. We cannot respond to inquiries regarding the status of notifications.

Note: Entries made prior to 2023 may not display the View Notification link.

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 (May 12, 2025.)
  • 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.

Support

For questions about AWA or this Prospectus, please contact ([email protected]).

For technical support or entry questions, first check our Help Center or Entry Guide. If you still need help, email ShowSubmit Support ([email protected]). We’ll respond between 9am and 6pm Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.