The Face Before You – Artist Call

Theme

Portraiture is an act of attention. To paint, photograph, draw, or sculpt a face is to commit to the particular — this person, in this moment, seen clearly. The Face Before You invites artists to explore what it means to truly observe: not to idealize or diminish, but to witness. The result might be tender, austere, celebratory, or complex — but it begins with presence. 

Self-portraits are especially encouraged. There is something distinctive about the gaze that turns inward — the artist as subject, accountable to their own face.

What We Are Looking For

Works in any 2D medium that place the human face — or the artist’s own — at the center of the image. We welcome portraits that range from intimate to monumental, realistic to interpretive, formal to candid. What matters is the quality of attention: a sense that the subject has been seen, not merely depicted.

Not accepting animal portraits.

Location & Key Dates 

 Firehouse Gallery — 81 Naugatuck Ave, Milford, CT

• Online Submission Deadline: Sunday, September 20, 2026, at midnight
• Acceptance notification: September 29–30, 2026
• Works intake: Friday, October 2, 4–6pm and Saturday, October 3, 10am–12pm
• Installation: Tuesday, October 6, 9am–1pm
• Opening reception: Thursday, October 8, 6–8pm
• Gallery hours: October 9–18, Tuesday–Friday, 12–4pm
• Art pickup: Sunday, October 18, 4–6pm and Monday, October 19, 4–6pm

Exhibit Judge

The exhibit judge will be announced soon.

Eligibility

• Submissions are open to any artist at least 18 years old.
• Work must be original — your own concept and design.
• Work must have been created within the past three years and not previously exhibited at a Milford Arts Council gallery.
• Dimensions accepted: 2D and 3D works accepted (Firehouse Gallery).
• Maximum size: 2D- 30” any  side.  3D- can be presented on a 20” square pedestal.  Contact us for any exceptions. .
• Maximum weight: 20 lbs.
• Accepted media: Submissions are open to all two-dimensional media including painting, drawing, photography, printmaking, and mixed media.

Not eligible

• Work created in a class or workshop
• Reproductions of another artist’s work
• AI-generated works
• Giclée prints
• Audio or video works

Enter the Exhibit

Entry limits and fees

• • You may submit up to  3  works for consideration.
  • Fee is $20 1st work submitted and then  $10 for each additional item.
  • Member discount applies; Log into shopping cart to obtain discount
  • Only submissions with a paid entry fee received by the deadline are considered by the jury.
  • Entry Fees are non-refundable.

Submission Process

All submissions are made through our online Google Form. Click the Submission Form button on this page to get started.

Google Forms requires you to be signed into a Google Gmail account to open the form. Once the form is open, you may enter any valid email address — it does not need to be a Gmail address. That email is how we will reach you about acceptance and exhibit details.

If you don’t have a Google account, you can create one free at gmail.com, or ask a trusted friend to open the form for you.

Section 1 — Your contact information

• Enter your name, email address, and mobile phone number.
• Double-check your email address — this is the only way we can reach you about acceptance.
• Include a mobile number. We may call or text if we need to reach you quickly.

Section 2 — Your artwork

• Upload one photo per artwork. The photo is used by the jury during the selection process.
• Photograph your work against a plain background. Include the entire piece — with frame if framed.
• Accepted file formats: JPEG, PNG, HEIC, WEBP
• Name your photo file: YourName_TitleOfWork
• Provide for each work: title, medium, dimensions (including frame), and price or NFS.
• Optional but helpful: include a brief artist statement about the work.

Section 3 — Terms of entry

• Read the Terms of Entry carefully before submitting.
• After you submit, a confirmation page will appear with payment links.
• You can also pay from the payment links at the bottom of the exhibit page — they are equivalent.

Jury & Acceptance

This is a juried exhibit. Works are selected by our juror based on the criteria described in this prospectus — theme, media, dimensions, and overall quality.

• All accepted and declined artists are notified by email within 2–3 days of the submission deadline.
• Notification emails come from visualarts@milfordarts.org — add this address to your contacts to make sure it doesn’t go to spam.
• The MAC reserves the right to decline work at intake if it does not meet the specifications in this prospectus.

Your first submitted work is automatically accepted, provided it meets the eligibility requirements and is submitted by the deadline with the entry fee paid. Additional works are juried for available space.

Awards

Awards are presented at the opening reception and announced on the MAC website.

Standard Award structure is: 

• 1st Place – $250 
• 2nd Place -$150 
• 3rd Place – $100

Award winners are notified by email before the opening reception.

Judges generally evaluate work based on how well it interprets the theme and prospectus guidelines, as well as originality, craftsmanship, composition, and presentation. Framing and mounting are considered.

Sales

• All sales are handled by MAC staff during the exhibit.
• Connecticut state sales tax applies to all sales.
• The MAC receives a 30% commission on all sales — please price your work accordingly.
• Works may be listed as NFS (not for sale).

Preparing Your Work

A well-presented piece reflects on you and your work — and makes it more likely to sell. Please bring work that is clean, dry, and properly prepared for display before intake.

Work on paper

• Mount under glass or Plexiglas, matted and framed.
• Choose a frame and mat that complement your work.
• Make sure glass and mat are clean.

Work on canvas or panel

• May be submitted unframed.
• Edges should be finished — continue the painting around the edge, or paint the sides a solid black or complementary color.

Wiring your work

All 2D work must be wired with a twisted steel picture-hanging wire before intake. Work that is not properly wired will not be accepted.

• Use D-ring hardware attached to the frame (not the backing). Screw eyes are not accepted — they don’t lie flat on the wall.
• Attach wire approximately one-third of the frame height down from the top.
• Leave enough slack so the wire peaks about 2 inches below the top of the frame — this hides the picture hook.
• Use wire rated to hold the weight of your work securely.
• For more detail about wiring, see this best practices guide. 

Not accepted: clip frames, sawtooth hangers, French cleats, or brackets.

Labeling your work

• Permanently label the back of each work with your name, title, and contact information.
• Attach a temporary paper tag to the front so our curator can match your work to its wall label during installation.

Shipping artwork

• If shipping your work to the gallery, please contact us before sending.
• Include a prepaid return shipping label with insurance coverage.
• We will repack your work as carefully as possible in the original materials, unless other packaging is provided.

General Terms of Entry

• Selection. For juried exhibits, artwork is selected through a competitive process. Artists submit images and information for the artworks they hope will be selected by the juror.  A non-refundable fee, (required for many MAC exhibits), must be paid to be included in the jury selection process.
• Reasonable care and precautions are taken for the safe custody of works of art deposited at MAC galleries. Works of art can, however, only be received in the gallery on condition that neither the MAC nor its staff shall be liable for any loss or damage to works of art, which might occur while they are in the gallery or in transit.
• Delivery of Works. It is the responsibility of the artist to deliver accepted work(s) according to the specifications of the prospectus (media type, dimension limits, etc.) and to ensure that all works are properly and safely wired for hanging upon delivery to a MAC gallery. The MAC reserves the right to request complying changes or to reject the work(s) on delivery.
• Delivered artwork that is not picked up within 30 days of scheduled artist pickup date will become property of the MAC.
• Sales Commission. The Milford Arts Council receives a 30% commission fee on all work sold through exhibits, please price accordingly.

Submission Form and Payment Links

FORM –  Open and complete the submission form via the link below.

FEE PAYMENT – Use the payment button that matches the number of items you are submitting to the show.

Questions?

Contact our Visual Arts team — we’re happy to help.

• Email: visualarts@milfordarts.org
• Phone: 203-878-6647  (Tuesday – Friday, 12–4pm)

milfordarts.org  |  40 Railroad Ave South, Milford, CT

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