Rules and Updates for the

Marginal Way Preservation Fund Fine Art Competition 

Updated 04.23.2021

Artists: Submit your artwork

     The town of Ogunquit, Maine has long been known as an artist’s haven with its long, sandy beach, rocky coast and scenic fishing village called Perkins Cove. The famous painter Charles Woodbury established a summer art school in Ogunquit in 1898 which offered a six-week course in painting and drawing nature. Other artists soon followed such as Edward Hopper, Hamilton Easter Field, Robert Laurent, Walt Kuhn and in 1949, Beverly Hallam who is credited with introducing acrylic to local artists.

     The famous Marginal Way, a 1 ¼ mile scenic walkway along the ocean and a paradise for painters, was bequeathed to the town in 1925. This walkway encompasses breathtaking vistas of the rocky coast with small, secluded beaches and magnificent sunrises. The walkway is often dotted with aspiring and established artists attempting to recreate the splendor before them. Access to the pathway has been compromised in recent years with devastating spring storms that threaten the integrity of the path. In 2009, an endowment fund, the Marginal Way Preservation Fund, a private 501 C (3), was established to help to preserve and maintain the path. In 2018 alone, the Marginal Way Preservation Fund donated over $50,000 to the town to assist in repair costs from an early spring Nor’easter. Dollars raised through our Fine Art Competition will help the MWPF with its mission of supporting efforts to preserve this precious seaside vista, artists’ haven and handicapped accessible walkway for years to come.

Rules for the Marginal Way Preservation Fund Fine Art Competition

  1. The competition is open to visual artists, 18 years of age and older at any stage of their careers.
  2. Artists are invited to submit in any of the following mediums: painting, photography, drawing, mixed media and print that has been inspired by A Love for the Ocean and painted within the last 3 years.
  3. Art is to be submitted to https://marginalwayfund.slideroom by May 16, 2021 along with the following:
    1. Title of the Piece
    2. Completion Date
    3. A brief story behind the inspiration for the piece.
    4. The artist’s name, address, age, email address and a $35 entrance fee
    5. Artists wishing to submit more than 1 piece may do so but must use a different email for each piece submitted. The $35 fee is charged for each entry.
  4. Art that is submitted to the competition will be judged by professionals established in the art world and known nationally for their contributions.
  5. The 5 finalists will be notified  between June 1st & June 12th by email.
  6. Cash prizes for the five finalists include; 1st-$5,000, 2nd-$3,000, 3rd-$1,000, (2 awarded 3rd), Honorable Mention-$500 and 1 People’s Choice award-$200. Artists can win both the People’s Choice and one of the top categories.
  7.  The 5 finalists’ works will be displayed at the Ogunquit Museum of American Art on June 27th, 2021 at 5:30 pm. Winning pieces should arrive in Ogunquit (place TBD) by June 21, 2021. Winners of the 5 final prizes along with the People’s Choice award will be announced at the ceremony on the evening of the 27th.
  8. Winning pieces will be on display at the Van Ward Gallery on Shore Rd. in Ogunquit the week prior to the ceremony on the 27th.
  9. All 5 finalists are invited to an Awards Ceremony on June 27th at 5:30 pm at the OMAA. Winners will also receive a 1 night’s stay for the evening of the 27th in a 1-bedroom room for 2 at either the Anchorage by the Sea or the Beachmere lnn in Ogunquit, ME. We will not hold a large Gala event due to social distance and gathering restrictions in place in the State of Maine. (Finalists not able to attend the event may use their 1-night stay in Ogunquit at another more convenient time.) (To be arranged with the Anchorage and Beachmere Inn at least 1 month in advance of reservation if other than June 27th. Restrictions may apply) 
  10. If the artists wish to have their art auctioned off via an online auction beginning on June 20th, the highest bidder will pay the shipping costs for the art and the organizers will be responsible to ship the art to the winning bidder. Those pieces not auctioned off should be picked up at the museum by the end of the evening on June 27th.  (If unable to attend the ceremony, artists should make advance arrangements to have their piece returned to them with the organizers.)
  11. Organizers for the competition are not responsible for damage or loss during transport or from theft, fire or deterioration of the finalist’s work while on exhibition. 

Copyright Policy

Artists keep 100% rights to their work. The five finalists give the MWPF the right to reproduce the information presented in their submissions in perpetuity for promotional, non-profit use only.

 Questions about the contest? Please email Nan at famofram@gmail.com.