Volunteer
Volunteers may serve as docents, assist with artifact preservation and handling, interact with artists, and gain valuable field experience. All volunteers are required to complete an interview, provide fingerprints, undergo a background check, and participate in training. For inquiries, contact the Volunteer Coordinator at 850-729-6044 or [email protected].
Call for Proposals: Exhibiting at the Mattie Kelly Arts Center
Thank you for your interest in exhibiting at the Mattie Kelly Arts Center Galleries. The Mattie Kelly Arts Center (MKAC) invites artists and curators to submit proposals for solo or group exhibitions in the McIlroy and Holzhauer Galleries on a rolling basis. Proposals should align with and support the educational mission of Northwest Florida State College students, educators, and the broader community.
The galleries offer programs designed to advance Northwest Florida State College’s educational mission. Serving as teaching adjuncts at NWFSC, the galleries present exhibitions featuring national and international artists working in diverse styles and media. The MKAC galleries represent a significant cultural resource for both the campus and the surrounding community. Proposals are reviewed on a rolling basis. Applicants may be contacted for additional information or clarification as needed.
Please include:
- Resume
- Biographical Statement
- Artist or Project Statement
- Exhibition Concept + educational programming/component
- Digital portfolio of images
- Links and other supporting materials are also encouraged.
Map of Holzhauer and McIlroy Galleries
Submit a Proposal
Proposals should be submitted in PDF format to [email protected].
Attention:
Wren
Jennifer Wren Daugette (née Supak) MFA + MA
Director & Curator, MKAC Galleries, Northwest Florida State College
The Emerald Coast National Juried Fine Arts Exhibition
Call for Art: To be announced
For the past thirty-six years, the Emerald Coast National (ECN) has served as a prominent exhibition, juried by guest curators. Hosted at the Mattie Kelly Arts Center Galleries at Northwest Florida State College, ECN has evolved from a regional event to a national showcase featuring artists from across the United States. The exhibition highlights creative and technically accomplished works by both emerging and established artists, providing valuable learning and engagement opportunities for artists, students, and educators. Annual ECN programming includes artist talks, demonstrations, and community engagement activities throughout the exhibition period.
All styles and media are accepted, including sound, kinetic works, sculpture, photography, video, design, functional art, fiber, textile, and performance. Applications are highly competitive and represent a range of contemporary, experimental, and classical approaches from artists nationwide.
One artist is awarded a $1,000 prize and a solo exhibition curated by the Mattie Kelly Arts Center, typically opening alongside the following season’s ECN event. Additional awards include a second-place prize of $500, a third-place prize of $250, and honorable mentions of $125.
The Arnie Hart Juried Student Exhibition
The Arnie Hart Juried Student Exhibition is an annual program supported by Mrs. Jean Hart in memory of her husband, Arnie Hart, who was the founding Ceramics Professor at NWFSC. His tenure at The College was from 1966 to 1999. The program includes student workshops on framing, matting, and professional practices. A guest judge visits with faculty and students to select artworks for exhibition by NWFSC students. Participants are eligible for scholarship opportunities and cash awards, including a $500 prize for the best-in-show artist. The 2026 guest judge is Tammy Marinuzi, MFA, Fine Arts Professor, Gulf Coast State College; last year’s Guest judge was Caitlin Rhea, MFA, Curator of Education at the Pensacola Museum of Art. Students may also submit their work to NWFSC’s literary and art journal, The Blackwater Review.
