Maryland Pastel Society

www.marylandpastelsociety.com

About Us

We are a non-profit, volunteer-inspired organization dedicated to educating the public about pastel as a fine art medium and to the creative development of our member artists. Founded in the Baltimore area in 1977, the MPS is the oldest state-based pastel society in the country. Although most are concentrated in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Washington D.C., and northern Virginia, our 200+ members hail from as far north as Massachusetts and as far south as Florida and represent a wide variety of genres and styles and all stages of artistic development, from beginner to professional.

Activities

The MPS's quarterly membership meetings feature painting demonstrations, lectures and presentations, group critiques, and other events designed to educate our members about the aesthetic principles and technical aspects of painting in pastel and to encourage each artist to reach new goals, try new techniques and materials, and develop new connections to their fellow artists. We hold the biennial "Shades of Pastel" national juried show, along with annual juried and non-juried members-only shows, sponsor annual workshops by nationally known pastel luminaries and local plein air groups led by MPS members, and publish a quarterly newsletter that is available to members and non-members alike via our website.

Membership Information

The MPS offers Artist, Signature, Patron, and Corporate membership: each level is full explained and membership applications are available on our website.

Contact Us:

In addition to membership information, our website lists all current officers and contact information, along with pages that showcase our Signature Members' work as well as award-winning work from our recent juried shows, members news, notices of upcoming events, and other information about the MPS and its members. If preferred, written communications may be directed to:
The Maryland Pastel Society
P.O. Box 54
Riderwood, MD 21139-0054