MidAmerica Pastel Society
MidAmerica Pastel Society

2025 National Exhibition

Adventures in Pastel October 2 – November 1, 2025 Tim Murphy Gallery, Merriam, KS
Deadline is August 1st. Open to Members and Non-Members.
Waiting On Wabash by Nancie King Mertz
Waiting On Wabash by Nancie King Mertz
Open Calls

Opens June 1, 2025.

Open for entry on June 1, 2025.
Deadline for entry: August 1, 2025

Venue

Tim Murphy Gallery at the Merriam Community Center
6040 Slater St.
Merriam, KS 66202

Juror

Nancie King Mertz, PSA-MP and IAPS-EP
Nancie King Mertz has spent her lifetime painting in oil and pastel. She is an IAPS Eminent Pastelist and was awarded the IAPS Prix de Pastel Award in 2018. She is also a Master Signature member of PSA.

Nancie has received many distinguished awards, including being twice named Chicago Artist of the Year. She has juried numerous shows, including the IAPS Master’s Show and the PSA Enduring Brilliance Exhibition. Her work has been featured in prestigious art magazines, on the cover of Pastel Journal, where she has written several articles. Her pastels are included in exhibits in museums in the US, China and Europe.

MAPS is honored that Nancie will be teaching a 2-day workshop Oct. 3-4. See Workshop below.

Awards

  • Best of Show $1,200
  • Second Place $750
  • Third Place $500
  • Student Award $250
    Limited to enrolled students between ages 18-22. Proof of eligibility is required upon acceptance.
  • Awards of Merit and Honorable Mentions to be announced.

Eligibility

  • Open to all pastel artists 18 years of age or older.
  • The top layer of the painted surface must be at least (80%) pastel. No oil pastels.
  • Artwork must have been created within the last (3) years, and not have been accepted into any previous juried MAPS shows or exhibitions.
  • Original artwork only, not copied from other artist’s or published materials, including copyright-free photos. Works must be from your own photographic reference and must not have been created on top of a photographic image.
  • No portion of the artwork or source material may be created or referenced using Artificial Intelligence (AI).
  • Work created from a reference provided by an instructor is not eligible, including instructor-provided photo, still life setup or model setup.
  • All subjects and styles, except nudes, are eligible.
  • Submission image must accurately represent accepted work.
  • The juror’s decision on all entries and awards is final. Only juror-selected works will be exhibited.
  • Maximum framed size is 32” on any side. Oversized work will not be hung or considered for an award.
  • An artist who withdraws an accepted work prior to delivery for the exhibit will be banned from MAPS shows and exhibitions for 2 years.
  • Artists may not remove exhibited artwork prior to the close of the exhibition.
  • If for some reason the named juror must withdraw, MAPS reserves the right to select a replacement juror.

Sales

Work must be for sale. Sale price cannot be changed once entered.

The gallery will retain 30% of the price of each piece sold during the exhibition and will collect and remit sales tax.

Entry Fee

  • MAPS members: $45 for 3 artworks. $10 for each additional artwork.
  • Non-members: $55 for 3 artworks. $10 for each additional artwork.
  • Student entries: $20 for 3 artworks. $5 for each additional artwork.
  • Maximum of 5 artworks per artist.
  • Dues of $30 may be paid online at the MAPS website midamericapastel.com prior to show entry.
Entry Fees are non-refundable under any circumstance.

Accepted Works

  • Upon acceptance, artists will receive shipping/delivery instructions and forms.
  • Work must be suitably framed in a gallery-quality frame, wired and ready for hanging. No metal frames or sawtooth hangers. Unsuitable framing will be disqualified.

Nancie King Mertz Workshop

October 3–4, 2025
Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from an internationally known pastel artist! Nancie King Mertz will host a 2-day workshop Friday and Saturday, Oct. 3-4, 2025, at the Merriam Community Center. Nancie’s workshops focus on process rather than a particular subject. All levels of pastelists are welcome. For complete details, visit midamericapastel.com/workshops.

Exhibition Questions

Please direct exhibition questions to the Show Chair, Michele Seeley, at [email protected].

Additional Notification Information

Notifications will be emailed and posted in your ShowSubmit account by the end of the day on August 15, 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 (August 1, 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 MAPS or this Prospectus, please contact Michele Seeley ([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.