Insect Art Show: Another Look, Another World

Competitive • any UMD Student • Cash prizes

This open call is a University of Maryland student visual art competition. Student artists will choose one of six rare, threatened, or endangered Maryland insect species from a provided list to feature in an original visual art piece.

Eligibility 

• Must be a currently enrolled (Fall 2026) University of Maryland student.

Criteria

• Any visual art medium, 2D or 3D. 
• The visual art piece must highlight ONE of the six featured Maryland insect species. See a list of the six featured Maryland insect species which includes photos, key information, and resources about each species.
• An Intent to Submit form must be completed by the designated deadline: Oct 2, 2026, 11:59 p.m.; one submission per artist.
• All final works must be ready for installation. It is not necessary that pieces by framed, but they must be ready for display. For example, paintings should be wired in the reverse of the stretcher frame, allowing them to be hung from picture hooks. Feel free to reach out to us if you have questions or need assistance with this.
• The artist is responsible for transporting the artwork to and from the Herman Maril Gallery at the designated drop-off and pick-up dates and times listed below.

Competition Prompt Document  The 6 Insect Species to Choose From (Insect Profiles)

Species Interest Tracker

When deciding what insect species to focus on, we encourage artists to review the anonymous, online Species Interest Tracker as part of their decision-making process and to submit their selection via an anonymous Species Interest Survey (Google Form). Artists are welcome to choose any species that inspires them, and there is no limit to the number of artists who may select the same species. The tracker is provided as a resource to help artists see which species have already been selected and, for those who wish to do so, contribute to a diversity of species represented in the exhibit.

View what species have already been selected by other artists:

Live Species Interest Tracker

Submit what species you are interested in focusing on (anonymous; NOT an official competition application):

Species Interest Survey

Important Dates

• Intent to Submit Art form due: Friday, October 2, 2026 at 11:59 p.m.
• Art drop-off: Wednesday, October 7, 2026 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Opening Reception: Wednesday, October 21, 2026 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Herman Maril Gallery; artist attendance encouraged but not required; light refreshments will be served
• Exhibition on view: October 14 to November 6, 2026 (Mondays - Fridays), 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Art pick-up: November 9 and 10, 2026 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Intent to Submit Form

Complete a Student Competition Intent to Submit form by Friday, October 2, 2026, 11:59 p.m. The form includes a few questions and will ask for:

• Your University Identification Number (UID)
• A photo/screenshot of your Fall 2026 student schedule 
• A short artist's statement (100 words or less), asking the artist to describe what their work depicts and/or represents, how it features one of the six insect species, and how it relates to the exhibition’s theme of sparking curiosity and care for these insects. See competition prompt for more information/context.
• At least one photo of your art piece
• Dimensions of your art piece (length, width, and height in inches)

Student Competition Intent to Submit Form

Juried Competition & Cash Prizes

Submitted artworks will be evaluated by an invited panel of judges representing expertise in the visual arts and/or entomology. Judges will read each artist's statement and consider how effectively the artwork interprets its chosen insect species while engaging viewers with the exhibition theme, Another Look, Another World (see competition prompt linked here). Rather than evaluating scientific accuracy or artistic technique alone, jurors will consider the artwork's overall ability to communicate, inspire, and connect. Strong submissions will thoughtfully integrate the featured insect's biology, ecology, and/or conservation story with the artist's unique creative vision, encouraging viewers to see the species from a new perspective.

• First place: $1,000
• Second place: $750

Any questions can be sent to Madeline Potter at mpotter@umd.edu. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us!

Non-competitive • any adult • No cash prizes

This open call invites the broader University of Maryland community: adult students, staff, faculty, and community members to submit visual works (photographs, drawings, paintings, etc.) related to Maryland insects. This opportunity is non-competitive. There is no judging, ranking, or cash prize associated with submissions to this open call.  

Explore Maryland's Insect Diversity

What does Maryland's insect diversity look like? We invite people to check out the online biodiversity data-sharing platform, iNaturalist.org. Through the below iNaturalist link you can view observed insect species in Maryland. Click on a particular species to learn more about their story (distribution, habitat, diet, behaviors, and more) and/or to view more photos/observations. These observations may inspire artwork for this open call. Consider how an insect’s colors, patterns, life cycle, habitat, ecological role, and/or relationship to Maryland’s landscape might translate into your own creative work.

Maryland's Insect Diversity (iNaturalist observations)

Eligibility

• Any adult (18 years or older), including University of Maryland students, staff, faculty, volunteers, and community members.

Criteria

• Any visual art medium, 2D or 3D. This could include creative visualizations of research, projects, etc. Videos may be displayed on an in-gallery projector. 
• The visual work is related to Maryland insects in some way.
• An Intent to Submit form must be completed by the designated deadline: Oct 2, 2026, 11:59 p.m.; one submission per person.
• All final works must be ready for installation. It is not necessary that pieces by framed, but they must be ready for display. Reach out to us if you have questions or need assistance with this.
• The artist is responsible for transporting any physical artwork/visual work to and from the Herman Maril Gallery at the designated drop-off and pick-up dates and times listed below.
• Submissions will be reviewed for their relevance to the overall exhibition theme of insect conservation with a focus Maryland's insect diversity. Not all submissions may be accepted or displayed as a part of the exhibition. Please contact us with any questions or to bounce ideas around. We welcome creative visualizations of research, insect photography, microscope images (micrographs), etc.

Display and Financial Support 

• Limited funds and resources are available to assist submitters to display, print, and/or present their work in a gallery-ready format. We cannot guarantee any assistance.
• If you are interested in this additional support, please fill out the below Intent to Submit Form by Wednesday, September 23, 11:59 p.m. and/or contact us at an earlier date.

Important Dates

• Intent to Submit Art form due (if requesting display assistance): Wednesday, September 23, 11:59 p.m.
• Intent to Submit Art form due: Friday, October 2, 2026, 11:59 p.m.
• Art drop-off: Wednesday, October 7, 2026 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Opening Reception: Wednesday, October 21, 2026 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Herman Maril Gallery; artist attendance encouraged but not required; light refreshments will be served
• Exhibition on view: October 14 to November 6, 2026 (Mondays - Fridays), 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Art pick-up: November 9 and 10, 2026 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Intent to Submit Form

Complete a Campus Community Intent to Submit form by Friday, October 2, 2026, 11:59 p.m. The form includes a few questions and will ask for:

• A short artist's statement (100 words or less); asking the artist to describe what their visual art piece represents and/or depicts, and explain how it relates to Maryland's insects.
• At least one photo of your visual art piece
• Dimensions (if relevant) of your art piece (length, width, and height in inches)

Campus Community Intent to Submit Form

Any questions can be sent to Madeline Potter at mpotter@umd.edu. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us! We would be happy to work with you to think through how to present your work.