Shades of Pastel

603 Edmonston Drive
Rockville, Maryland

Entry fees are nonrefundable and must be in US dollars. Entry deadline is at midnight on the date listed above. All entries must be made through Showsubmit.com.

Rita Kirkman is an extraordinary pastel artist known for her vibrant portraits of both people and animals. Her style showcases her uncanny ability to manipulate light and color to create a breathtaking glow on all of her subjects. Rita's formal education includes a BFA degree from the University of Dayton in 1988. She attended Coppini Academy of Fine Art in San Antonio, TX, from 2001-2003, and attended many pastel workshops from other renowned artists since 2001. She is a Pastel Society of America Master pastelist and an Eminent Pastelist with the International Association of Pastel Societies.

She has consistently won major awards in national and international competitions. Her work has been featured in the Pastel Journal and the Pratique des Arts Spécial Pastel, and published in many others. Her work is in public and private collections all over the world, including the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Europe, Japan, Africa and Australia.

Visit ritakirkman.com to view Rita's paintings.

More than $6,000 in awards and prizes

All works must be appropriately framed under glass or Plexiglass and ready to hang. For larger pieces, please consider using Plexiglass to minimize weight. Matting (neutral) and frames should be simple. Framing must be to gallery quality standards; detailed specifications about hanging hardware will accompany the notification letter of accepted works.

Paintings delivered damaged, with soiled matting, with broken/inadequate hanging wire or hardware, or an unprofessional presentation will not be hung and will be returned at the artist's expense.

20% of the sale will go to the City of Rockville. Work may be listed as NFS but no "price on request." All work displayed must remain for the duration of the exhibition. No work will be released before the close of the exhibition.

The utmost care will be taken in the handling of digital images and paintings. Insurance for all artwork, in situ and in transit, is the responsibility of the participating artist. Neither the Glenview Mansion nor the Maryland Pastel Society may be held liable for loss or damage of artwork. Maryland Pastel Society and the Glenview Mansion reserve the right to reproduce accepted entries in the catalog and for publicity. Copyright will be attributed to the artist. Submission of entry via Showsubmit.com and corresponding fee shall constitute agreement with ALL conditions set forth in this prospectus. Permission to reproduce artists' work for publicity purposes is assumed with acceptance.

Additional Notification Information

Notifications will be emailed and posted in your ShowSubmit account by the end of the day on September 5, 2025.

You may view the notification in your ShowSubmit account by logging in and clicking 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 15, 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 MPS or this Prospectus, please contact Karen Peck ([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.