The Kittery Art Association is proud to offer a Spotlight Artist Program alongside our typical exhibition schedule in our gallery at 2 Walker Street in Kittery Foreside. During select exhibits, an artist is chosen to present a body of work on the back wall of our East Gallery (The Spotlight Wall). Exhibiting Members must apply for the Spotlight Wall at the end of the prior calendar year. Accepted artists are then assigned an exhibit, where they will display their work. The Spotlight Artist’s work is featured as the cover image for the assigned show in the online Exhibition Schedule, this image also appears on the show postcard, and on the homepage of the KAA website during that exhibition period. The KAA shares an image and information about the incoming Spotlight Artist on social media and in the organization’s email newsletter. A brief bio/artist statement will be sent to local papers in a press release for the exhibit.

Eligibility:
Exhibiting Members of the Kittery Art Association may apply. Pairs or small groups of Exhibiting Members may also apply for a Spotlight Wall together. There will be an open application session for the Spotlight Wall, with 2026 applications and instructions going live on this page at noon on November 3, 2025. The deadline to submit your 2026 Spotlight Artist application is December 15, 2025 by 11:59pm. Read more about how to apply at the bottom of this page.

Spotlight Artist applications are reviewed by the Exhibits Committee using the following criteria:

1.  Only complete applications are accepted.
2.  All applications must have photos included.
3.  Chosen applicants have not been featured as a spotlight artist in the last 3 years.
4.  The artist chosen is the best match for the show title for that year.
5.  First application submitted,  first application considered.  
6.  Open to all current Exhibiting Members except for members on the selection committee.  

Requirements for Spotlight Artists:
All artists who are selected for the Spotlight Wall are responsible for the following:

1. Spotlight Artists must send a high resolution image of a piece of artwork. This image must be at least 300dpi and will be used on the KAA website, social media, show postcards, and for early show promotion. Please send this image file via email to the Gallery Manager within ten days of your acceptance email. If you have been selected for a Spotlight Wall for an exhibit between January and March, this image should be one of the pieces that you plan to exhibit and have available for sale.

2. Spotlight Artists must send an Artist Bio and/or Artist Statement. (Also sent via email to the Gallery Manager within ten days of receiving your acceptance email).

3. Upon acceptance, Spotlight Artists must complete their $200 Exhibit Fee payment via cash or check. This payment must be made within ten days of receiving your acceptance email.
   A Cash or Check payment may be made in person at the gallery, or checks may be mailed to: The Kittery Art Association c/o Gallery Manager, 2 Walker Street, Kittery, ME 03904.
   Checks must be made out to “The Kittery Art Association”
   - This Exhibit Fee Payment is non-refundable and reserves your place for your 2026 Spotlight Feature.
   - Artists who fail to complete an on-time payment will forfeit their space in the 2026 Spotlight Calendar and the slot will go to the next artist on the Wait List.

4. Spotlight Artists must complete and return a copy of The 2026 Spotlight Artist Contract / Permission to Display and Sell Work along with a complete List of Works to be exhibited to the Gallery Manager. This list must be stapled to the back of your contract and include the title of each piece that you will be exhibiting during your Spotlight Feature with the corresponding medium and price. The Spotlight Artist Contract and your List of Works is due exactly two weeks before Art Intake for the exhibit that you have been chosen for a Spotlight Feature. Once this information has been submitted, no changes can be made.
   - At least 75% of the pieces exhibited must be available for sale.
   - Please note that we are not able to accommodate special pricing. All artwork must have a set price in your List of Works. We are not able to run sales or discounts in our gallery.

5. Spotlight Artists are responsible for independently selecting, preparing, and installing the body of work that they will display during the show period that they have been chosen for. The KAA operates within tight show changeover deadlines, and the Spotlight Artist must be available to install their own work on the Tuesday morning before the exhibit is set to open. Spotlight Artists are encouraged to bring a friend / assistant to help with installation if need be.

6. The KAA will provide wall labels with the artist’s name and a label for each piece listed in the List of Works turned in with the Artist Contract. It is the responsibility of the Spotlight Artist to print and mount all additional written materials that they would like to have on display with their body of work (ex: artist statements, bios, additional descriptions for artwork, etc.)

7. Spotlight Artists must be present at the Opening Reception where their work is being exhibited, and are expected to give a brief Artist Talk.

8. The Spotlight Artist is provided with 25 show postcards that they may distribute as they see fit. If multiple artists are exhibiting together for a Spotlight Feature, the group of artists will be given 25 postcards to distribute amongst themselves. The KAA will contact the artist when the postcards are available for pick-up at the gallery.

9. Spotlight Artists are expected to contribute a small refreshment to the reception. Please reach out to Laurel Ziehl, our Receptions Coordinator, one week before your Spotlight Feature to coordinate what you will bring to the reception.

10. Last, but not least, Successful Spotlight Artists do their own show promotion and have an active presence in the gallery. Our most successful Spotlight Artists have been active during their featured exhibits in the following ways:
    - They have volunteered at the front desk in the gallery at least once a week during their Spotlight Feature - and have let their audience know when they will be there! Being present in the gallery allows visitors to interact directly with the art and the artist, creating a deeper understanding of the artwork.
    - Foster a presence on social media and post updates about your exhibit constantly and tag @kitteryartassociation for us to re-post. Generate early interest with updates about the body of work. Haven’t started painting yet? Post that you are stretching canvas or setting up your supplies! Announce the date with a picture of your messy palette - everything can be content and the more you post, the more visibility! It is critical to generate interest within your own audience in the weeks leading up to your Spotlight Feature and the Opening Reception. The KAA does a lot for promotion with our audience, but we find that most successful Spotlight Artists tap into their own network of supporters also. Once the show opens, keep the interest up by posting at least once a week, more if you can. We want your Feature to be as successful as possible, so let’s all do our part with promotion until the final day of the show.
    - If you have an e-newsletter, send out a few announcements. Let your subscribers know about the show, the Opening Reception and artist talk, and when they can find you at the gallery.
    - Invite your friends, family, neighbors, and supporters to the Opening Reception! There is an electricity in the air at a show opening, and the more people, the more excitement. Our most successful Spotlight Artists have invited their network to celebrate the opening of the show and beyond.