MECAA is an organization that seeks to unite and educate artists and collectors with an interest in equine miniatures. Please see the FAQ page for more information.

MECAA maintains official standards and scoring practices by which exhibitors will be judged at shows. MECAA also hosts the annual MECAA Convention and provides annual Merit and Championship awards at the Convention Show. MECAA approves regional shows to become qualifiers for the annual Convention Show and supplies them with scorecards and other necessities but at this time does not qualify judges.

MECAA offers new and exciting ways to compete with your equine art:

Divisions at MECAA qualifier shows are as follows:

• Novice: Exhibitors who have been producing their artwork for two years or less. Exhibitors who fit this description may only show artwork they have created in the Novice division.
• Amateur: Exhibitors who have been producing their artwork for greater than two years, but who do not regularly sell artwork for a profit. Amateurs usually put what money they make from artwork sales back into their miniature equine hobby and do not consider their artwork to be a means of supporting themselves. Exhibitors who qualify for the Amateur division may choose to show their pieces in Amateur or in Open and may show some or all of their entries in either division.
• Open: This division is for artists who produce their artwork on a professional basis (for profit and as a means of supporting themselves) as well as for pieces owned by Novice and Amateur exhibitors if the piece was purchased and not created by the owner.

As you can see, which division you choose to show in is fluid, for the most part - especially in the Amateur division. You may show one resin horse, for example, in Amateur if you painted it yourself and if you do not paint on a professional basis. You must show another resin horse that you own but purchased from another artist in Open. You may show a third resin horse that you painted in Open if you want to see how it would do against Open competition. As the exhibitor, you select which division suits each individual piece of your collection best.

In addition to the Divisions, MECAA also offers six "Arenas" of competition, where similar miniatures are judged against each other, and on their own individual merits. You will enter each piece in your collection in the Arena that best suits it, then in the Division that best describes your relationship to the piece:

• Artist Resin: For equine miniatures produced in artists' runs and cast in resin or similar casting material. Miniatures in this Arena are judged partly on the sculpture and partly on the finishwork.
• Customized: For equine miniatures that originated as factory-produced models, but have been repainted or reworked in some way. Miniatures in this Arena are judged on quality of customizing work.
• Scene: An entire setup including an equine miniature, tack, and related accessories. Typically called "Performance" in the model horse hobby. Exhibits in this Arena are judged on how well the scene is set up, including tack fit, suitability of the miniature to the scene it is portraying, and quality of components involved. The goal is to create a "freeze frame" of a scene in which you might see a real, living horse.
• Tack and Accessories: For miniatures that portray horse tack and equipment, including saddles, bridles, harnesses, driving vehicles, jumps, trail props, rider dolls, and more. Any miniature that is not an equine will be exhibited in this division, and judged solely on its own merits. Judging in this Arena will be based on scale, realism, and quality of workmanship.
• Decor: For miniatures that are to be used in a home-decor sense. Medallions, tiles, bas-reliefs, etc. Judging in this Arena will focus on artistic depiction of equines and related subjects, as well as quality of workmanship.
• Custom China: For miniatures that depict full-body representations of equines, produced in china and custom-glazed. Judging in this Arena will focus on artistic depiction of equines and quality of workmanship.

Shows may offer competition in all or some of the Arenas, or just one, as the showholder sees fit. All judging will be done by scorecard so that the owner and/or artist of the piece being exhibited will get some feedback on his or her exhibit. Entries with the highest score will always be awarded first place, next-highest will receive second place, etc. Entries that received 90% or better on their scorecard qualify to attend the annual Convention Show, where National Championships will be awarded.

The Mission Statement of MECAA is as follows:

MECAA Mission Statement

Through official MECAA activities, we seek to...

UNITE those who support miniature equine art, whether they are collectors, artists, or both.

ENHANCE the enjoyment of exhibitors by providing more fair and more exciting competitions.

EDUCATE artists and collectors about art, equines, and related subjects.

IMPROVE the quality of miniature equines and accessories through structured, meaningful juried exhibition.

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