59th National Mother Lode Art Exhibition

The 59th National Mother Lode Art Exhibition is a prestigious juried art exhibition sponsored by Placerville Arts Association (PAA), located in El Dorado County, California. Now hosted at the Mills Station Arts and Culture Center (MACC) in Rancho Cordova, California, for the fourth consecutive year, this dynamic exhibit features artworks from across the United States. With an open theme and open media, each exhibition is unique, shaped by the distinctive selections of the juror. The selected art has included a large variety of media, including painting, sculpture, photography, textiles and jewelry, among others. This year's awards total over $4,250, including a $700 Best of Show. Members of Placerville Arts Association have an opportunity to garner awards not open to non-members.

The exhibition runs Thursday, November 6th through Saturday, November 22nd, 2025 at Mills Station Arts and Culture Center, 10191 Mills Station Road, Rancho Cordova, CA 95827. Hours are Thursdays & Fridays: 2pm - 7pm and Saturdays: 11am - 4pm. Sundays & Mondays are closed; Tuesdays & Wednesdays are by appointment. The entry deadline is Friday, September 19th, 2025 at 10:59pm PDT. Entry fees are $20 per piece, with up to 5 pieces submitted (only 2 may be accepted). Jury dates are September 22nd through the week of October 5th, 2025. Accepted artwork must arrive between October 13th and October 25th, 2025, or may be hand-delivered on Tuesday, October 28th, 2025, 10am - 6pm. Art pickup is Monday, November 24th, 2025, 10am - 6pm.

Eligibility is open to all artists residing in the USA. Entries must be original artworks created in the last three years, not previously shown in a Mother Lode Art Exhibition. No installations, videos, film or work produced by commercial printing process (exception: photography and digital imagery). Two-dimensional work must not exceed 48" wide by 72" tall by 6" deep, including mat and frame. Three-dimensional sculptures on pedestals must fit safely on a 24" square space; free-standing sculptures must fit within a 4 foot square and may not exceed 6 feet tall. All work must be ready to install and identical to the submitted image. The juror is Leslie McCarron, a full-time oil painter represented by Archival Gallery in Sacramento.