Montpelier Arts Center

Montpelier Arts Center

9652 Muirkirk Road
Laurel, MD

Amenities
  • ceramic vase and bowl
9652 Muirkirk Road
Laurel, MD
Tel: 301-377-7800
Email: montpelierarts@pgparks.com
Hours:
Mon-Fri : 8:30am-5pm
Sat-Sun : Closed

Amenities

  • Art

  • ceramic vase and bowl

    Ceramics Room

  • Gardens

  • Parking Lot

  • Picnic Tables

Visitors can explore the three galleries with rotating exhibitions by local and national visual artists. Located on the grounds of the historic Montpelier Mansion, the center also houses artist studios, a bronze casting foundry, gas and electric-fired kilns, a digital lab, printmaking presses, and classrooms.

Montpelier Arts Center offers visual, literary, and performing arts experiences for children to adults; beginners to advanced. These creative spaces are designed to inspire artists to work in a variety of mediums including printmaking, sculpture, painting, ceramics, and more.

Gallery Hours:

Sunday – Saturday, 10 am – 5 pm (closed major holidays).

Admission is free!
Call 301-377-7800 to schedule a tour.

Exhibitions

Virtual Gallery

Resident Artists

The Resident Artist Program

The resident artists of Montpelier Arts Center work in a diverse variety of media and styles. All are professional artists and several teach classes at Montpelier.

Artists work in their studios throughout the week; they have visiting hours for groups and/or individuals interested in purchasing their work or learning more about the artistic process. On a rotating basis, artists exhibit their work in the Center’s Resident Artist Gallery.

Current Resident Artists

  • Linda Bernard, ceramics (adults ceramic instructor)
  • Patricia Phillips Bowden, painting
  • Nikki Brooks, painting
  • David Brosch, specializes in traditional etching (printmaking instructor)
  • Amy Brown, Mixed media
  • Melissa Burley, sculpture
  • Patrick Cromwell, printmaker
  • Barry Goldstein, sculpture
  • Racquel Keller, Mixed media
  • Christopher Kirages, sculpture
  • Elisa Mayes, Ceramics*
  • Tric Nelson, Ceramics*
  • Bao-Yen Nguyen, painting
  • Sushama Parikh, sculpture, ceramics, and batik
  • Julie Polt, printmaker
  • Sharon Sefton, printmaker
  • Michael Stewart, printmaker
  • Jeremy Wright, ceramics, sculpture (ceramics instructor)

Jurying for Studio Space

Montpelier Arts Center holds a jury for studio space when space becomes available.

Solo Exhibitions

Resident artists who have studios at Montpelier are also eligible for solo exhibitions in the Resident Artists Gallery on a rotating basis; they also have access to the studios seven days a week. Interested artists are encouraged to visit the center.

Rentals

Scheduling

Rentals are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis as the program schedule allows. Rentals must be arranged with at least 30 days’ notice. Rates vary depending on the type of organization-relative to non-profit status, bi-county residency, and whether or not an organization is arts-focused or not.

Celebration

Those wishing to host celebrations/social events should visit Historic Rental Properties. Interested groups or individuals must submit an application at least a month before the event and will receive approval from Prince George’s Parks and Recreation Department.

Main Gallery

The Main Gallery can be rented for meetings or events only after 5 pm Monday through Thursday and after 5 pm on Saturdays and Sundays. Gallery rentals may only be scheduled as the exhibition, program, and class schedule allows.

Montpelier Arts Center Rental Schedule

Visit Us

Montpelier Arts Center is open to the public. The three galleries housed at the Arts Center introduce rotating exhibitions by local and national visual artists. Gallery hours are Sunday through Saturday, 10 am-5 pm (closed major holidays) Admission is free.

Directions

We are located off Route 197 and Muirkirk Road in Laurel, Maryland, one-quarter mile west of the Baltimore-Washington Parkway. From the Capitol Beltway (I-495), take the Baltimore-Washington Parkway North, and exit at Laurel-Bowie Road (Route 197) North. Continue on Route 197 (Laurel-Bowie Road) to Crystal Plaza Shopping Center/Muirkirk Road. Turn left onto Muirkirk Road; Art Center Drive is first right.

Parking

Free parking is available at the Arts Center.

Planning Your Visit

Visitor Guidelines

Our galleries and studios are free and open to the public seven days a week. Children under 16 years of age must be accompanied by an adult when visiting the galleries. No photography or videotaping is allowed in the galleries without permission of the artists or the arts center.

Gallery Hours

10 am to 5 pm Sunday through Saturday. Closed major holidays.

Office Hours

Monday through Friday, 9 am to 5 pm. Tours can be arranged by calling the arts center during office hours.

Accessibility

We encourage and support the participation of individuals with disabilities. Register at least a minimum of two weeks in advance of the program start date to request and receive a disability accommodation. Montpelier Arts Center is wheelchair accessible.

Tours

Guided tours of the arts center include the exhibitions on view and visits with artists working in their studios. Tours can be arranged by calling the arts center during office hours (9:30 am-5 pm). A tour of the arts center can often be combined with a tour of the Montpelier Mansion. To schedule a Mansion Tour, call 301-377-7817 or email montpelierarts@pgparks.com.

Artist Opportunities

Montpelier Arts Center is proud to support the arts and welcomes artists of all ages to showcase their work in our exhibitions and programs. For more details on the programs listed below, contact Montpelier Arts Center by phone at 301-377-7800 or by email a MontpelierArts@pgparks.com.

Annual Artist Opportunities

Artists on the Rise: Annual Juried Teen Exhibition 

Montpelier Arts Center strives to foster a positive, creative environment in which young and emerging artists realize their full potential as creative individuals. This competition is open to visual artists ages 13-18 who reside in Maryland, Virginia, or Washington, D.C., and are currently home-schooled or enrolled in middle or high school. Jurors award prizes and cash honoraria based on artistic excellence.

How to Apply: Use Montpelier’s Submittable link 

Dates: Wintertime call for entries; springtime exhibition

Main Gallery Call for Proposals

Montpelier Arts Center aims to showcase a diverse array of art from different genres, media, and cultures in its Main Gallery space to stimulate public interest, excitement, and dialogue about the arts. Please note, this is an open call for proposals and does not guarantee submitted proposals will be selected for exhibition.

How to Apply: Interested artists, curators, and groups, please submit exhibition proposals via email to MontpelierArts@pgparks.com.

Dates: Proposals accepted on an ongoing basis; exhibitions held year-round 

Library Gallery Competition

Montpelier Arts Center is pleased to invite artists to enter its annual competition to be selected for two-month-long exhibitions held in the Library Gallery. Artists must reside in Maryland and may apply for solo or group exhibitions. An honorarium will be awarded to each artist or group selected for exhibition.

How to Apply: Use Montpelier’s Submittable link

Dates: Wintertime call for entries; exhibitions held year-round 

Classical Recital Competition

Montpelier Arts Center seeks classical musicians for its annual Classical Recital program. Winners will be featured in a recital in the Main Gallery between September and May. The competition is open to all classical musicians ages 18 and above, with no geographical restrictions. Winners receive honoraria and are responsible for their own transportation and hospitality.

How to Apply: Use Montpelier’s Submittable link

Dates: Wintertime call for entries; recitals held between September and May

Teaching Opportunities

Montpelier Arts Center is interested in providing new and inspiring avenues for students in the visual and literary arts. Montpelier currently seeks instructors who possess a thorough knowledge of the elements, processes, skills, and forms of their medium, with the ability to express that knowledge clearly to a diverse audience, from young children to older adults. 

How to Apply: Send an email containing a resume, a class proposal/syllabus, and images of your work or a link to your website to MontpelierArts@pgparks.com.

Dates: Proposals accepted on an ongoing basis; classes held year-round 

Resident Artists Program

Montpelier Arts Center houses resident artists who work in a diverse array of media and styles. All are professional artists, and several teach the Arts Center’s classes and programs. Artists work in their studios throughout the week and can be visited by groups or individuals interested in purchasing their work or learning more about the artistic process. On a revolving basis, resident artists exhibit new work in the Resident Artist Gallery. 

How to Apply: See “Jurying for Studio Space” below

Jurying for Studio Space

Join a thriving community of professional artists in the Montpelier Resident Artist Program. Reasonably priced studios that vary in size are rented to qualified artists. Individual studio spaces are located on the first and second floors. The printmaking studio is a shared workspace on the first floor. Resident Artists have access to studios seven days a week. Montpelier Arts Center holds an annual jury for available studio spaces every spring. 

How to Apply: Use Montpelier’s Submittable link. Interested artists are encouraged to visit the Arts Center before applying.

Dates: Wintertime call for applications; springtime jury for available studio spaces. If selected, leases start July 1.