Celebrate 250

Introducing Celebrate 250

Celebrate 250: Commemorating America's 250-Year Heritage Through Art

For two and a half centuries, the United States has been shaped by a dynamic tapestry of innovation, resilience, and cultural exchange. Celebrate 250 invites artists to honor this rich legacy by exploring the nation’s diverse narratives, pivotal moments, and enduring spirit. This exhibition seeks works that capture the essence of American history and identity, encouraging creative interpretations that pay tribute to 250 years of progress, struggle, and triumph.

We are looking for artists who are eager to break away from conventional depictions of historical motifs and create bold, evocative pieces that highlight the multifaceted story of the United States. Whether through abstracted imagery, mixed media installations, contemporary twists on national symbols, or inventive use of color and form, we invite you to celebrate the legacy of America’s past while illuminating the possibilities for its future. Let your work pay homage to the founding ideals, cultural evolutions, and personal experiences that collectively weave into the nation’s narrative. Any original 2D and 3D artwork in any media will be considered. Works selected by the juror will be exhibited in MFA’s Virtual Gallery from August 15 – September 30, 2025.

Prospectus

Martina Dodd: Art Historian and Curator

Martina Dodd is an Atlanta based art historian and curator. She is currently the Program Director of Curation and Object-Based Learning at the Atlanta University Center (AUC) Robert W. Woodruff Library and a founding editor of DIRT, a writing collective and online journal advocating for critical discourse and increased accessibility in the arts.

She has curated exhibitions for Clark Atlanta University Art Museum, AUC Robert W. Woodruff Library, Prince George's African American Museum and Cultural Center, Madison-Morgan Cultural Center, Transformer, and DC Arts Center. She routinely partners with academic institutions and art organizations to curate innovative and inclusive conference programming. Her recent programming highlights include “Inclusive Innovation: Designing the Future of Atlanta” for the Atlanta Studies Symposium in 2021, “Sustaining Futures” for Common Field Convening in 2021, and “Toward a Radical Imagination: HBCU, Digital Libraries, and Authentic Collaboration” for the Council on Library and Information Resources/Digital Library Federation (CLIR/DLF) and the HBCU Library Alliance in 2023.

In 2019, she was selected as an inaugural mentee for the Association of Art Museum Curators Mentorship Program and a 2022 Authenticity Fellow for the HBCU Library Alliance and the Digital Library Federation. She holds a M.A. in the Arts of Africa, Oceania and the Americas from the University of East Anglia and a B.A. in Anthropology and International Studies from Johns Hopkins University.

Exhibition Schedule:

Apr 15 Online Entry Opens for Submissions
Jun 18 Entry Deadline
Jul 17 Notification @ 5 PM
Aug 15 Exhibition Opens
Sep 2 Awards Announced @ 5 PM
Sep 30 Last Day of the Exhibition

NOTE: Should Circle Gallery or any other exhibition space be closed for reasons beyond our control, MFA reserves the right to move a planned physical exhibit to our online gallery.

User Entry Process Tutorial

Watch the video below for a tutorial on how to upload your entries.

How to Upload

Artist Conditions

Entry is open to all artists internationally
Entering this exhibition indicates understanding and agreement on the part of the artist with the conditions stated herein and with (a) MFA’s approved Statement of Equity and Diversity and (b) MFA’s General Guidelines. Work must meet exhibition guidelines to be included in the event. MFA may determine work ineligible if entry guidelines are not followed. Work delivered must correspond with the image(s) submitted to the juror.
Images of accepted works may be used at the sole discretion of MFA for promotional purposes including, but not limited to: the invitation, catalog, website, social media, or a subsequent year’s prospectus. Images will include attribution wherever possible.
Work cannot be withdrawn before the end of the event.

Entry Requirements

All work must be uploaded through artcall.org. File size may be no more than 10 MB.
For video submissions: you must put the link to the video in the Linked Web Resource field, and then upload a still frame from the video. For accepted video submissions, the artist will be expected to deliver the file to MFA on a thumbdrive.
To enter online, you will need an artcall.org account that includes an email address and a password. There is no charge to create an artcall.org account.
Non-member entrants who have a discrepancy between the entry fee paid and their membership status must pay the difference before the
display date or their work will not be shown to the juror.

Work

Images for the juror must correspond with the actual work.
All entries must be original and completed solely by the artist’s hand. A maximum of 6 original works created within the past 3 years may be entered.
Work previously exhibited at MFA In our Virtual Gallery with the last three years is not eligible for re-entry.

Sales

Artists will retain 80% from sales (85% for MFA Members). MFA will retain 20% commission (15% for MFA Members at the time of the sale) on and work sold through MFA.
Work must be for sale. Work may be set to Price on Request (POR).

What is a submission?

One submission or application on artcall.org is the equivalent of one entry on MFA’s old entry system, or one piece submitted for jurying. Artcall.org uses the terms submission and application interchangeably.

How do I enter a video submission?

When submitting a video, you must put the link to the video in the Linked Web Resource field, and you must upload a screenshot of the video as an attachment.

Can I edit my submissions after I've submitted them?

Artcall.org requires you to select the number of submissions / applications you want to enter and to pay before entering in your image and image details. You can edit your submission details along with images you've attached up until the submission period is over. Once the submission period has ended, you cannot edit their entries in any form.

Can I add more submissions after I've paid?

You must submit a separate submission / application for each piece of artwork you wish to be shown to the juror. You have the option to add a second or third image of the same work to your submission / application as a detail photograph This is not required.

Have the entry fees changed at all?

The fees have changed but not drastically, 1 or 2 entries are $30. Up to 4 additional entries are $4.50 each. Entry fees are non-refundable.

Who is this exhibition open to?

We invite all artists residing in any of the states or territories of the US, Canada, or Mexico to enter this exhibition.

Celebrate 250 > Register & Apply