Come celebrate the 50th Annual Members' Juried Art Exhibition! Each year this exciting competition and exhibition brings together Artistry’s talented members.  It is always a varied and eclectic collection showcasing many different mediums, styles and techniques. Every year the exhibiting artwork is selected by a prominent member of the local arts community. This year’s juror who will be selecting the work for the show is Luis Fitch,  AIGA Minnesota Fellow focused on the intersection of art, design, and cultural entrepreneurship. The juror who will decide the 12 awards including a $600 Best of Show Award will be Andrea Specht, Executive Director of the American Craft Council and former Artistry Executive Director. 

This year’s juror who will be selecting the work for the show is Luis Fitch and
the juror who will decide the 12 awards, including a $600 Best of Show Award will be Andrea Specht.

Eligibility Criteria

Open to all Artistry members, 18 years or older, who reside in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa and Wisconsin.

To renew or apply for a membership, click on the button above. A membership initiated by November 30, 2025 is considered valid for this competition. Contact info@artistrymn.org to verify your membership status.

CONDITIONS:

• IMPORTANT! Artists may submit one or two different art pieces for consideration into this competition. It is highly unlikely that both pieces will be accepted but two pieces may be entered. Only one image per art piece is allowed; Please do not send two images (differing perspectives or detail images) for the same art piece. If you only want to enter one art piece you will only attach one image to your application.

• Artwork must be original (no prints or reproductions allowed) and, ideally, have been completed in the last five years.

• Maximum size of 2-D and 3-D work is 50” in any direction (including the frame). Sculptures of excessive weight may require assistance from the artist during installation.

• All visual art media is accepted, including photography, with the exception of film or video.

• Accepted work: When delivered to gallery, artwork must be dry, framed, and prepared for hanging. Canvases must be framed or museum wrapped (1 ½” or deeper edge) with finished edges. Works on paper and smearable mediums such as charcoal and pastels must be protected under glass or Plexi-glass.

• Artistry reserves the right to reject artwork deemed improperly framed or inappropriate for our audience.

• Any work accepted for exhibition may not be removed until the exhibition is complete.

• Participating artists must be available to deliver and pick up selected work on the dates listed or be able to make arrangements.

ART SALES: Artistry receives a 40% commission on all sales from the gallery. Sale price listed in application and on artwork label must contemplate Artistry’s commission.

INSURANCE: Major loss or damage to accepted individual pieces will be covered by Artistry’s Fine Art Insurance for a fair market value minus our 40% commission.  In the case of a catastrophic event, that amount will be divided pro-rata among the exhibiting artists. Only accepted artworks are covered by insurance and only during the scheduled delivery and pick-up dates.  

TO ENTER:

1.  Become a new or renewing member by clicking here, or by calling 952-563-8575. You can also visit us in the ticket office Wed - Fri from 12pm-5pm.

2.  Complete an online application - through CaFE™ and upload a digital image of your artwork - one or two pieces of artwork may be submitted (only one image per artwork allowed) by November 8, 2026

Digital images must fit CaFE™ requirements:
JPEG or JPG format only
Dimensions: 1200 pixels or greater on the longest side.
Resolution: 72 ppi/dpi
Color Profile: sRGB
Size: under 5 MB             

FEES: There is no fee to apply to this exhibition.

NOTIFICATION: An emailed notification will be made by 5pm 11/18/26.

DELIVERY OF ACCEPTED ARTWORK: If your artwork has been selected by the juror, a drop off time will be scheduled for December 13-16th please be prepared to deliver accepted pieces (or arrange for delivery of your work) to Artistry.

Shipped works must be in reusable cartons or crates for reshipping. The artist is responsible for arranging with the carrier in advance – and notifying Artistry – for return shipping.  No C.O.D. shipments will be accepted. The artist is responsible for all shipping fees to and from the center  

RECEPTION AND AWARDS CEREMONY: We are currently planning an in-person Reception and Awards Ceremony, January 29th - Time TBD

This year’s awards include:
Best of Show award
Excellence award in 2-dimensional work
Excellence award in 3-dimensional work
Four Merit awards
Four Honorable Mentions
NEW - People's Choice Award (People can vote in the gallery starting December 19th through 2pm on January 24th)

EXHIBITION CLOSE & PICK-UP OF ARTWORK: The exhibition closes at 6:00 p.m. Sunday, February 21. Artists will be scheduled to pick up work February 22-23.

SCHEDULE SUMMARY:
November 8:  Online application deadline at 11:00 p.m.
November 18:   Notification emailed to artists
December 13-16: Artists scheduled to deliver artwork

December 19: Exhibition Opens
January 29:  Awards Ceremony
February 21:  Exhibition Closes
February 22-23: Art pickup

ABOUT THE JURORS: 

Andrea Specht served as Artistry’s executive director from 2009 to June 2019, leading substantial growth in programming and audience development. She is now the Executive Director for the America Craft Council. Her work at Artistry and volunteer service for numerous other nonprofits reflects her lifelong passion for the arts and direct experience as a maker. After earning her BA in Studio Art from Macalester College in 1992, Andrea maintained a studio in Minneapolis for several years and exhibited her paintings, drawings, and prints locally and nationally. She worked at Thomas Barry Fine Arts, Groveland Gallery, and Wet Paint Artists’ Materials before focusing her career on nonprofit management in the mid ‘90s. Andrea has served as a board member for Minnesota Citizens for the Arts, the College of Visual Arts, and numerous other nonprofit organizations, and she holds a JD from the University of St. Thomas School of Law.

Luis Fitch is an internationally recognized Mexican artist, designer, and cultural changemaker based in Minneapolis. His multidisciplinary work explores migration, identity, memory, and the richness of Mexican visual culture. Best known for designing the United States Postal Service's Day of the Dead Forever Stamps, Fitch creates paintings, public art, installations, and cultural projects that bridge traditions and contemporary life while celebrating the complexity of the Mexican American experience. Fitch’s work is held in more than 450 private and institutional collections across the United States and internationally, including the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum (New York), the Minneapolis Institute of Art, the Minnesota History Center, the National Museum of Mexican Art (Chicago), the Minnesota Museum of American Art, the City of Albuquerque, the National Hispanic Cultural Center, and the Tamarind Institute. He is an AIGA Minnesota Fellow and has been invited to lecture at universities and creative conferences, sharing the intersection of art, design, and cultural entrepreneurship.