Open to students across all majors at the University, the Juried Student Exhibition fosters student preparation for professional art settings and processes, provides feedback from art professionals in the community, and exposes student artwork to a wide range of viewers.
We award cash prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd-place Best in Show. Judges are selected for their diversity of backgrounds and expertise in a variety of media.
The 2026 Juried Student Exhibition will open on January 29, 2026, and will run through March 24.
This year’s prizes include:
- $125 Visa Gift card for 1st Place Best-in-Show
- $100 Visa Gift card for 2nd Place Best-in-Show
- $75 Visa Gift Card for 3rd Place Best-in-Show
Plus gift cards from Hunt’s Photo and Video, Casco Bay Frames & Gallery, and Artist & Craftsman Supply. Visa Gift Cards generously donated by the University Credit Union.
This year’s judges:
Rosalba Breazeale (they/them, b. 1989) is an artist and educator, and studio director at 205 Ocean Ave studios based on the traditional lands of the Wabanaki Confederacy, so-called Portland, ME. They hold an MFA from the University of New Mexico and BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Their multidisciplinary art practice encompasses analog, digital, and alternative process photography, soft fiber sculpture, and installation with an emphasis on regenerative practice. Breazeale’s identity as a Queer, Jewish, transnational adoptee from Peru forms the foundation from which they create work addressing connection to land, diasporic experience, European colonization, and related environmental issues.
Born and adopted from Cuenca, Ecuador, Raquel P. Miller is an artist living and working in Biddeford, Maine. Through painting and ceramics, she is interested in unearthing the unexpressed and revealing what cannot be seen — exploring emotions, memory, grief, and dreams. She was the recipient of a 2022 BIPOC Fellowship at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts. She was an artist in residence at SPACE Gallery in Portland, ME (2023, 2025), and the recipient of the David C. Driskell Fellowship and Residency at Black Seed Studio with Indigo Arts Alliance (2024). Her works have been exhibited bicoastally and online with a duo-show Memories to Give debuting at 82 Parris in 2025.
Important dates
| Friday, December 12, 5 pm | Deadline to the submit digital artwork form. All work must be accompanied by a digitally submitted form so that the Gallery knows how many pieces to expect. |
| Tuesday, December 16 – Friday, December 19 | Artwork drop off, 9 am – 5 pm. All physical artwork must be dropped off at the Gallery. The Gallery is located on the Gorham campus at 5 University Way. |
| Wednesday, January 14 – Thursday, January 15 | Notification of if artwork has been accepted |
| Tuesday, January 20 – Wednesday, January 22 | Pick up of work not selected at the Art Gallery. |
| Thursday, January 29 5:30 – 7:30 pm | Exhibition opening reception and awards ceremony. Awards ceremony to begin at 6 pm. |
| Tuesday, March 24 | Final day of the exhibition |
| Wednesday, March 25 – Friday, March 27 | Artwork pick up. |
Frequently Asked Questions
- How do you decide what work to include?
Artwork is judged for inclusion and prizes on the following criteria:
– Concept
– Technical rigor
– Presentation
- What information will the judges receive?
We use the digital form that you fill out to provide information to the judges. Identifying information about artists will NOT be provided to the judges; all artwork is judged blind. However, we do provide them with the title and any additional information you request. We also use this information to create labels after judging for the exhibition. - What can I submit?
We’d love to see anything that you are creating. That includes, but is not limited to: painting, drawing, collage, book arts, sculpture, photography, video, and even performance. If you think it belongs in a Gallery, we will consider it.
All artworks must have a physical presence in the Gallery. Physical presence can include a performance and/or performance documentation. - Can I submit music?
Our judges are best equipped to evaluate visual art and even sound art, but are less equipped to evaluate music. That said, if you think that your piece belongs in a Gallery, we are happy to consider it for inclusion. Our advice is to think carefully about why this music belongs in this Gallery alongside these other artworks. The work should readily demonstrate why this is the appropriate venue. Furthermore, its display should be taken into consideration (headphones or speakers, as well as the playback apparatus [computer, mp3 player, boombox], its charging, and daily maintenance by Gallery staff). - My work is digital. Can I still submit it?
Works that have a digital component should consult with the Gallery’s director upon submission. - My work is a digital drawing/photo. Can you print it?
The Art Gallery is not responsible for printing digital submissions of photos, renderings, or other work. If your work must be printed, it is your responsibility as the artist to deliver the physical component. That will usually look like a framed print. It could also look like a projected image — but your work should demonstrate why it must exist as a projection conceptually, as opposed to a physical print. - My work was created with AI. Can I submit it?
Work generated via AI, in part or in whole, is welcome, but it is strongly suggested that your work exhibit conceptual rigor or internal reasoning for why it is AI-based. Please write your overall concept below so we may fully consider it. (For an example of fine art that successfully integrates AI into its concept, see the work of artist Minne Atairu.) - How many works can I submit?
You may submit up to three works. Please use three separate forms to do so. If you have work with multiple components (e.g., a diptych or triptych), please treat it as a single piece for submission purposes. - My work wasn’t accepted last year. Can I resubmit?
You may not submit work that was submitted to a previous University of Southern Maine Juried Exhibition. - How do I prepare my work for entry?
All work must be ready to hang. Work that is not ready to hang may be rejected. - My work is in. Can I pick it up after the opening?
This show will open on January 29, 2026, and will run through March 24. If your work is accepted to the exhibition, it will be expected to be in the Gallery on display for the exhibition’s entirety. You may only pick up after the exhibition is closed.
Join us in thanking this year’s exhibition sponsors:
