After Dark is a captivating art exhibition that delves into the quiet, mysterious, and evocative world that emerges when the sun goes down. Through a curated collection of paintings, photographs, installations, and mixed media works, After Dark invites viewers into a realm where light fades, shadows stretch, and the ordinary becomes infused with mood, ambiguity, and atmosphere.
Drawing inspiration from the tradition of nocturne painting, the exhibition explores the nuanced beauty of nighttime, from city streets bathed in artificial glow to remote landscapes under the hush of moonlight. Each piece captures the emotional resonance of night: its solitude, its secrets, and the heightened sense of presence that darkness often brings. The artists in After Dark use limited palettes, subtle contrasts, and softened forms to express the stillness and introspection that twilight and night inspire.
Whether it’s the gentle flicker of a single lamp in an open window or the vast, starlit silence of a rural field, After Dark reveals how night transforms the way we see, feel, and imagine. The exhibition invites visitors to slow down and attune to the subtleties of light and shadow, of sound and silence the work seeks offer a sensory experience that is both immersive and deeply reflective.
This exhibition is a meditation on the nocturnal, a celebration of the unseen, and a tribute to the artistry that arises when the world grows quiet and the light begins to fade.
Maryland Federation of Art (MFA) invites all artists internationally to enter our After Dark Show 2025. Any original 2D or 3D work will be considered. Works selected by the juror will be exhibited in MFA's Virtual Gallery from October 15 – November 30, 2025.
John Hrehov holds an MFA from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a BFA from the Cleveland Institute of Art. He is a Professor and Head of the Department of Art and Design at Purdue University Fort Wayne (PFW). Hrehov has had numerous solo and group exhibitions throughout the country, including Wood Street Gallery, Chicago, IL; Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Fort Wayne, IN; Yvonne Rapp Gallery, Louisville, KY; Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL; and Denise Bibro Fine Art, NYC.
Awards include Gladys Emerson Cook Prize in the Area of Prints, Drawings and Pastel, 167th Annual Exhibition National Academy of Design, NYC and Eastman-Bolton Memorial Award, Cleveland Institute of Art. His work has been featured and reviewed in various publications including Art in America, American Artist Magazine, Louisville Courier-Journal, and The Journal Gazette of Fort Wayne, IN. He is exclusively represented by Denise Bibro Fine Arts, Inc. in New York City where he has had numerous solo and group exhibitions of his paintings and drawings since 1998.
NOTE: Should Circle Gallery or any other exhibition space be closed for reasons beyond our control, MFA reserves the right to move a planned physical exhibit to our online gallery.
Watch the video below for a tutorial on how to upload your entries.
What is a submission?
One submission or application on artcall.org is the equivalent of one entry on MFA’s old entry system, or one piece submitted for jurying. Artcall.org uses the terms submission and application interchangeably.
How do I enter a video submission?
When submitting a video, you must put the link to the video in the Linked Web Resource field, and you must upload a screenshot of the video as an attachment.
Can I edit my submissions after I've submitted them?
Artcall.org requires you to select the number of submissions / applications you want to enter and to pay before entering in your image and image details. You can edit your submission details along with images you've attached up until the submission period is over. Once the submission period has ended, you cannot edit their entries in any form.
Can I add more submissions after I've paid?
You must submit a separate submission / application for each piece of artwork you wish to be shown to the juror. You have the option to add a second or third image of the same work to your submission / application as a detail photograph This is not required.
Have the entry fees changed at all?
The fees have changed but not drastically, 1 or 2 entries are $30. Up to 4 additional entries are $4.50 each. Entry fees are non-refundable.
Who is this exhibition open to?
We invite all artists residing in any of the states or territories of the US, Canada, or Mexico to enter this exhibition.
