The Peace of Wild Things

Description

Art Call:  The Peace of Wild Things

Marietta Art Alive, a Lancaster County community arts organization, invites regional artists to submit original 2-D works for review. This juried exhibition hosted by MH Art Gallery in Marietta, PA, will feature works that are inspired by Wendell Berry’s poem, The Peace of Wild Things. Artists are encouraged to submit two works for review by juror, Leah Limpert Walt. Note:  Maximum size is 30” x 30” including the frame.

The Peace of Wild Things by Wendell Berry

When despair for the world grows in meand I wake in the night at the least soundin fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,I go and lie down where the wood drakerests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.I come into the peace of wild thingswho do not tax their lives with forethoughtof grief. I come into the presence of still water.And I feel above me the day-blind starswaiting with their light. For a timeI rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

Entry Timeline 

Oct 3 - Nov 15, 2026 | The deadline for entry is Sep 6, 2026 at 8pm.  

Eligible Work

Original 2-D work (paintings, drawings, pastel, collage, mixed media, monotypes, etchings, etc.) created within the last three years solely by the artist. Artwork must be no longer than 30" on either side including frame. All work must be framed, or gallery wrapped (finished sides), wired and ready to hang. No sawtooth hangers will be accepted. All accepted work must be delivered in person; no shipments accepted.

​​The following is not permitted in the show: 

Photography, digital art, or commercial prints.
Derivative art where the source (another artist's work or photograph) is recognizable.
Work created during a class, workshop, or online tutorial.

Application Process

A $20 entry fee entitles artists to enter up to 2 pieces of work.  

Photos of artwork must be submitted with the application. Before uploading images be sure they are smaller than 4 MB, and at least 1920 pixels on the shortest dimension at 72 dpi. Images must be in JPEG format and may be resized at https://imageresizer.com. If resizing, use 1920 on the shortest dimension. 

Applicants automatically consent to their artwork being used in promotional materials. Accepted artists will be notified by Sep 10, 2026, via email. Check your spam folders for emails from info@mariettaartalive.com.  Artists are responsible for any loss or damage to their work during this show. Artists are responsible for the drop-off and pick up of work.  

Exhibition Dates 

​October 3 - November 15, 2026

Opening Reception

Sunday, October 4, 11am-3pm at MH Gallery, 42 W. Market Street, Marietta, PA. Awards announced at 1pm.

Gallery Hours:  

Saturday/Sunday 11am-3pm

Awards - $750 in total 
Awards will be presented at the opening of the show on Oct 4, 2026 at 1pm.Best of Show - $150. This award is given by Tanis Garber Shaw in memory of her friend, Judy Neidig, a champion of the arts. Judy appreciated the creative process and treasured personal relationships with Lancaster County artists. She looked forward to opening receptions and the thrill of purchasing a contemporary painting for her collection. Judy was a discerning critic - earning a spot on her wall was an honor! 

Two $150 Juror's Choice Awards and two $100 Honorable Mention Awards will also be announced.   A $100 People's Choice Award will be announced on Sunday, Nov 15, 2026, at 1pm by MH Art Gallery staff. The public may vote on their favorite artwork up until noon on that date.

Juror of Acceptance and Awards:  Leah Limpert Walt

Leah Limpert Walt is a painter and instructor living and working in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, whose work is in private collections in the United States and Germany.
Leah's work expresses the presence of spirit and magic underlying the collective experience of life and the unfolding of symbolic events that are deeply felt. Mystical connections that bridge gaps in human knowledge infuse the imagery of her paintings with remembrance and possibility. Stories of the heart and our kinship to the earth presenting in familiar gestures, nestled in landscape and witnessed by the eye. A kind of earthly knowledge told through a heightened sense where depictions of realization, grief, brutality, regeneration, reintegration, tenderness and joy draw up a sense of balance; pulse, inner life.

Gallery Sales & Commission

Artwork must be for sale; 30% of all sales will benefit Rivertownes PA USA (Marietta Art Alive) 501c3. Sales tax will be collected and paid by Rivertownes PA USA.. Artwork must be priced at or above a minimum price of $150.

Drop Off/Pick Up Dates

Accepted work must be dropped off on Sept 27, 11am–3pm or Sept 28, 4–6pm at MH Art Gallery, 42 W. Market Street, Marietta, PA.

Unsold work must be picked up on Nov 15 from 3–5pm. 

IMPORTANT DATES:

Entry Deadline: Sept 6, 2026 by 8pm

Artist Notification: by Sept 10, 2026

Artist Drop Off: Sept 27, 11am–3pm or Sept 28, 4–6pm

Opening Reception: Oct 4, 2026, 11am–3pm, Awards at 1pm

Pick up unsold artwork: Nov 15 from 3–5pm

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User Entry Process Tutorial