Delaware Valley Art League
Delaware Valley Art League

Portraits of Nature

March 29 – June 15, 2025 Jenkins Arboretum, Devon, PA
Deadline is March 10th. Members Only.
Art by Mick McAndrews
Art by Mick McAndrews
Open Calls

Opens January 24, 2025.

Open for entry on January 24, 2025.
Deadline for entry: March 10, 2025

Venue

Jenkins Arboretum
631 Berwyn Baptist Road
Devon PA 19333

Hours
March 29 – June 15, 2025
Open every day 9:00am – 7:00pm

Juror of Selection

Mick McAndrews
mickmcandrewsfineart.com

Mick’s award-winning paintings strive to capture the mood and atmosphere of a subject combining the magic of watercolor with reverence for composition and design. He is a signature member of the Pennsylvania Watercolor Society (Sylvan Grouse Guild Inductee), the Philadelphia Watercolor Society (Crest Medal Recipient), the Baltimore Watercolor Society, the Whiskey Painters of America.

Artist Statement
In all of my work I strive to simplify life’s complexity down to only the most important shapes, value patterns and edge variations. I enjoy painting outside where I can take advantage of surroundings, natural light, and the sights and sounds that influence each painter’s creative nature. Outside in nature’s studio I must capture the moment because light and its effect, reflection and cast shadow, changes continuously. I believe that with watercolor there is a partnership between the artist and medium to balance the knowledge, technique and skill of the painter while leaving room for the magic that makes watercolor distinctive.

Entry Fees

$45 for up to 2 pieces per member

Exhibition Requirements

  • Open to "Full Members" only.
  • Each Full DVAL Member may enter up to two paintings for consideration by the juror however, due to limited space at this venue, only 1 piece, if any, may be accepted. Approximately 50 pieces will be accepted.
  • No size restrictions
  • All work must be for sale.
  • Exhibitors must submit original work for all shows. Reproductions of any type will be rejected by the Exhibition Committee. No Digitally generated work, photographs or sculptures are accepted in any DVAL exhibit or art sale.
  • Entry fees are used to support the cost of the show and therefore are not refundable if your work is not accepted.
  • No work may be submitted for the jury process for the same venue where it has previously been shown. It may, however, be re-entered for the jury process in another DVAL show held in another venue.
  • All work for juried shows will be juried by an outside professional who is pre-determined by the Juror Procurement Director.
  • All work must be wired securely and ready to hang.

Awards

  • First Place, Catherine Brogan Founders Award: $150
  • Second Place: $100
  • Third Place: $75
  • Honorary Mention: $50
  • Frank Sobyak Memorial Award: $50
  • Patti Pensyl Simmons Memorial Award: $50
  • Ozzie DiSullo Memorial Award: $50
  • Leaugeay Phillips Weber Memorial Award: $50
  • Jenkins Arboretum prize: 1 Year Membership to Jenkins Arboretum plus gift bag
  • Jenkins Arboretum prize: 1 Year Membership to Jenkins Arboretum plus gift bag

Labels

All work must have the DVAL label attached to back of work – upper left corner.

Labels are available on the website or at Membership Meetings.

​Sales and Commission

Work must be for sale; NFS is not allowed.

Sales will be handled by Jenkins Arboretum. 30% of all sold work will be collected by Jenkins Arboretum.

Accepted Work

All accepted work will be inspected prior to hanging to ensure that it conforms to DVAL framing requirements/standards stated on page 21 of the current handbook. The artist will be given the opportunity to correct any problem and return the painting the same day, March 25th by 1:00pm.

Questions

For questions about DVAL or the prospectus, please contact the show coordinator Ardyth Sobyak, [email protected].

No part of this Prospectus may be altered once approved by the DVAL Board of Directors.

Additional Notification Information

Notifications will be emailed and posted in your ShowSubmit account by the end of the day on March 17, 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 (Accepted works will be notated by a green check.)

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 (March 10, 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

Need Assistance? For questions about the entry process or using this website, please check our Help Center or Entry Guide first for detailed guides and troubleshooting tips. Most answers can be found there quickly.

If you still need help, feel free to email ShowSubmit Support at [email protected], and we’ll respond between 9am and 6pm Eastern Time, Monday to Friday.