Join us in celebration of abstract art! Artist Mark Rothko once described the relationship between the observer and the painting as “a consummated experience between the picture and the viewer.  Nothing should stand in the way between the painting and the viewer.”  With that in mind, participants are invited to submit artwork that does not attempt to represent an accurate depiction of a visual reality, but instead uses shapes, colors, forms, and marks to achieve effect and meaning.  This definition may include the realm of surrealism that seeks to challenge accepted norms.  In showcasing abstract art, this call encourages artists to create paintings that express insights and explore ideas without the anchor of representational symbols. Paintings that have some representational elements can be viewed as abstract, as long as the artist has made an attempt to stretch the bounds of what we view as realism.