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Opportunities for Artists

Calls for Artists, Fellowships and More

ArtReach St. Croix – Call for Artists, Gallery Exhibition Program
ArtReach St. Croix is seeking submissions from artists interested in exhibiting their work in our gallery space located in Stillwater, MN, in 2024. Selected artists will be combined to create small group exhibitions (typically 3-4 artists) that run for 6 weeks beginning in January 2024. All forms of creative work will be considered. Artists living and/or working in the Lower St. Croix Valley are especially encouraged to submit applications. Additional information | Online application Deadline: April 10

The Phipps Center for the Arts – Figure Drawing Co-op
The Phipps Figure Drawing Co-op provides visual artists the opportunity to work independently and achieve self-improvement in a safe environment on a relaxing Sunday afternoon. Enjoy life drawing with fellow artists from the St. Croix River Valley and across the Twin Cities. We employ professional drawing models. Sessions facilitated by a Phipps Visual Arts Council member. Additional information & registration
Spring Session Dates: April 2, 16 and 30, March 14 and 28, 1-3pm
Fee: $50 for all 6 days or $10 per day; Ages: 18+

Union Art Alley – Stillwater, MN
In 2023, a new project is being launched in downtown Stillwater. Union Art Alley will evolve, and revolve, with the art that is the soul of our community. A destination for photos, expression, and colorful enjoyment, Union Art Alley will highlight the area’s arts and artists in a space tucked just off Main Street. Other public artwork in Stillwater must have an historic theme. While that is not necessary in Union Art Alley, considering the landscape, riverway, geologic and human history, and other aspects of this place will make your work more relevant and powerful.
Submit your proposal online by April 23rd, 2023. Additional information | Online application Deadline: April 23

The Phipps Center for the Arts – Annual Area High School Art Exhibition
The Phipps Center for the Arts in Hudson, Wisconsin, invites high school age arts students and their teachers from western Wisconsin and eastern Minnesota to submit one original work each in any media for the Annual Area High School Art Exhibition. Drop-off of artwork is scheduled for April 11 and 12. This special exhibit will include first, second, and third place Judge’s Awards by a professional artist or educator during the reception as well as the MaryLu Brown Scholarship for the Arts, available to graduating seniors. Additional information Deadline: April 11

River Falls Community Arts Base – Art on the Kinni
This juried fair is held on the first Saturday after Labor Day along the banks of the Kinnickinnic River in downtown River Falls. The 27th AOK will take place on September 9, 2023, and we are now accepting artist applications. If you are an artist and would like to be a be part of AOK, please fill out an application today! Additional information and application Deadline: May 1

The Phipps Center for the Arts – Spirit of the St. Croix Art Festival
This juried art fair, featuring 80+ regional artists with fine art and traditional crafts for sale. Attendance at this
annual art event continues to grow and attracts more than 8,000 visitors to Hudson’s historic downtown and
scenic Lakefront Park on the St. Croix River. Artists may apply through Zapplication.org or submit application materials via e-mail or regular mail. Additional information Second deadline: May 1

The Phipps Center for the Arts – Annual Call for Artists
To show your work in the Galleries or in exhibitions at off-site venues programmed by The Phipps, you must respond to the Annual Call for Artists. Submissions will be considered for off-site exhibits the following year and for Galleries exhibits approximately two years in advance. Additional information Deadline: July 1

River Falls Community Arts Base – Art’s House Gallery
River Falls CAB is looking for artists to show their work in Art’s House, their community gallery in River Falls, WI. If you are an artists who works in glass, pottery, wood, jewelry or small sculpture, they want to show your work! Openings are available in March through October shows. Don’t be shy! Please direct all inquiries to [email protected]

Power of the St. Croix Utility Box Mural Project – Call for Proposals
Artists interested in participating in the Power of the St. Croix Utility Box Mural Project at one of three site in Marine on St. Croix are asked to submit their proposed idea. The theme of this project revolves around the River, as it is the River that connects all of our towns and villages. As such, submissions should be themed around the River. It could be the natural beauty of the river or the history of the river, it can be realist or abstract, it can be photography or a painting. Additional information

Artist Calls Beyond the Valley

Argyle Zebra Gallery – 2023 Open Submission Exhibition Program at AZ
As a small, women owned, nonprofit gallery we provide unrestricted access to community exhibition space designed to showcase and artist’s best work; free of submission fees, content regulations, themes, size or material restrictions. All artists, doing whatever it is they do, are encouraged to apply. The exhibitions are juried by a rotating panel of industry professionals and curated in response to the submissions received. The jury panel will select work for each exhibition based on commonalities found amongst the overall collection of work submitted, as well as, taking into consideration both the mastery of medium and presentation quality. Additional information Deadlines: Cycle 3 – April 30; Cycle 4 – September 1

Fresh Eye Gallery – Bona Fide: Juried Exhibition
Fresh Eye Gallery is now accepting submissions for Bona Fide- an exhibition curated by Fresh Eye artist Jessica Williams. What sparks your creativity? What is your creative voice? We are all unique artists, each with a different motivation, inspiration, perspective, and purpose. We all fall on a spectrum and intersection of identities as well as various art practices. This exhibition will feature work that reveals the individuality and personal motivations of an artist. Works can be representational, abstract, or non-objective with themes from the personal to political. Artist Jessica Williams is seeking artwork that exemplifies you as an artist, your artistic practice, or artistic intention. Additional information Deadline: March 6

Minnetonka Center for the Arts – Call for Entries: Abstract
Artists are invited to submit up to ten (10) pieces of original abstract/non-objective artwork. All media, 2-D and 3-D except installations and video will be considered. Works must be original, executed by the artist, and completed within the past 5 years. Open to artists residing in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska, North and South Dakota. Additional information Deadline: March 6

Artists’ Circle – Art at St. Kates Juried Fair
Artists’ Circle is looking for artists who make art and fine crafts for the Art at St. Kate’s art fair. This 14th annual show is being held on the grounds of St. Catherine University in St. Paul on Saturday, July 8, 2023, from 10:00-4:30. Art at St. Kate’s is one of the best art fairs of the summer in Saint Paul. Additional information Deadline: March 9

Grand Marais Art Colony – Group Residency Program
A catalyst for the arts in the Great Lakes region, the Grand Marais Art Colony has existed in the iconic North Shore of Minnesota since 1947. Surrounded by a wealth of ecological and cultural resources, the Art Colony and Cook County are a nexus for artistic, interdisciplinary exploration. The Art Colony has two application periods for group residencies. This application is for artists who are looking to schedule a residency from July – December, 2023. Group residencies are fee-based and intended for groups of 4 – 8 artists. Artists can work with outside grant sources to fund their time at the Art Colony. Additional information Deadline: March 13

City of Cottage Grove – Request for Art Proposal
Seeking an artist or artist team to create and install a permanent public artwork inside the new Glacial Valley Park Building (GVPB) in Cottage Grove, Minnesota. Proposed work should reflect the values and support the culture of the new building and the sites unique geologic history with focus on education, sustainability, personal development and recreation, and accessible community for all. Project budget is $30,000. Additional information Deadline: March 15

Friedli Gallery – 2nd Annual Book Arts Exhibition
Friedli Gallery’s April Book Arts Exhibition showcases Book Arts in a one-of-a-kind exhibition curated by nationally acclaimed book artist Erin Maurelli. We pride ourselves in last year’s show featuring artists from across the United States. Friedli Gallery’s Book Arts Exhibition highlights artist explorations of the idea of a book as an art object. This year’s submissions to the Friedli Gallery’s Book Arts Exhibition, seeks to expand viewer knowledge of the book arts here in the Twin Cities Metro and beyond, broadening artist reach to collectors, artists and art appreciators. Works we hope to connect with collectors and our audience include fine press, zines, ephemera, sculptural book works, book art installations, and more! Additional information Deadline: March 15

Praxis Gallery and Photographic Arts Center – Diptych ~ Open Theme
A photographic diptych is a work of art that consists of two photographs that are arranged side by side. Diptychs can convey a story by connecting seemingly unrelated images. The use of two photographs side by side can allow the photographer to experiment with different compositions and to create a sense of balance or symmetry. The two images in a diptych can represent duality or opposites. Praxis seeks photographic art that explores these concepts. If you haven’t created a diptych this is a great opportunity to experiment with this idea by juxtaposing two images side by side. The submission guidelines for Praxis specify that the diptych must be printable on one sheet of paper and fit into preselected matte sizes. All genres, capture types, black & white and color, traditional and non-traditional photographic and digital post-production processes are welcome for submission. Additional information Deadline: March 15

Rumriver Art Center – Call for Exhibit Proposals
Rumriver Art Center is looking for regional artists to apply for single or group shows in one of our two galleries at Rumriver Art Center in 2024. Additional information Deadline: March 31

Peninsula School of Art (Door County, WI) – Artist-in-Residence Program
Designed for artists of all career stages, the Artists-in-Residence Program is an immersive studio experience offered to six visual artists each year. The program prioritizes time and space for residents to engage fully in their creative practice, experiment, and pursue new projects and ideas. For six weeks, residents receive a 500+ square foot, semi-private workspace in our new Madeline Tourtelot Studio Building; access to our printmaking, digital, metals, and ceramics studios; housing; a studio visit with the session’s visiting critic; and opportunities to engage with the public about their work and process. Additional information Deadline: April 4

Art in the Hollow – Call for Artists
Are you an artist, painter, sculptor, crafter, professional scribbler? We’d love to have you at Art in the Hollow, an annual art festival, located in Swede Hollow Park in St. Paul! Our events are always low-cost as we want to support and make art accessible for all artists in any stage of their career. Whether you are a new, emerging, or seasoned professional artist, this is the festival for you! Event date: June 3 Additional information Deadline: May 20

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources – Wild Turkey, Pheasant and Waterfowl Stamp Design Contests
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is now accepting artwork entries for the Wild Turkey, Pheasant and Waterfowl Stamp design contests. The winning designs will appear on the 2024 collection of stamps. Sales of these three stamps bring in hundreds of thousands of dollars annually for species management throughout the state, including habitat management, restoration, education and research projects. The contest is open to anyone 18 years of age or older living in Wisconsin who is a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident. Artwork must meet technical requirements to be eligible, and applicants should carefully review the contest rules to ensure their entries’ eligibility. Additional information Deadline: July 15, 2023

Ongoing Opportunities

ArtReach St. Croix – The Gift Gallery
In 2019, ArtReach St. Croix opened The Gift Gallery in a space adjacent to our exhibition galleries. An outgrowth of our successful Holiday Gift Gallery program, The Gift Gallery features work by St. Croix Valley artists in a cash and carry setting. Participating artists rotate through the shop 2-3 times per year and a selection of the available work is also featured on ArtReach’s online gift gallery shop. If you are interested in participating in The Gift Gallery or would like additional information, please email the Visual Arts Committee at [email protected].

Art’s House Gallery – Call for Artists
The River Falls Community Arts Base is looking for artists who would like to show their work at Art’s House Gallery at its new location at 127 N. Main Street in River Falls. Even if you have never show your art before, please consider showing with us. Each show is set up for one month. Additional information

City of River Falls – Art in City Hall
The City of River Falls is excited to provide an opportunity for artists in River Falls and the surrounding area to showcase their artwork in City Hall. Thank you for sharing your artwork & your passion with the City! Submissions are now being accepted! Additional information | City Hall Display Policy

ArtisanDirectConnect.com – Call for Artists
ArtisanDirectConnect.com is new online marketplace for artists and makers based in Lake Elmo, MN. They are seeking artists and makers looking for a venue to sell their work year round, online, directly to savvy shoppers. Buying local, sustainable and handmade products is important to them. They love the art show concept, where artisans can show their products and share their stories directly with interested buyers. They will be introducing a website with a mission to communicate the makers stories and highlight and sell unique quality handcrafted products of artisans. Additional information | Application

artZ Gallery – Call to Artists
artZ Gallery extends this invitation to local and regional visual artists desiring to exhibit at the gallery. artZ is an artist owned and operated cooperative gallery located in Amery, Wisconsin. Artists wishing to exhibit at the gallery must submit a suitable portfolio of work for review by the jury committee. Once reviewed, you will receive additional information on the gallery’s guest artist policy and procedures. Additional information

Arcola Mills Historic Foundation – Artist Work Space
Arcola Mills Historic Foundation is pleased to invite Twin Cities and St. Croix Valley-based artists to create in a space that is tranquil, restorative and inspiring. Arcola’s Greek Revival-era mansion has an open, spacious main level, eight studio rooms and a walk-in basement. There is plenty of natural light throughout the house, as well as windows for looking out on the wild and scenic St. Croix River Valley in every room. The property also includes a trail that winds through the surrounding woods. Answer this call to create at Arcola Mills by contacting us at [email protected].

Evolve Family Services – Exhibiting Artists
We are a non-profit adoption agency located in Oak Park Heights right by the bowling alley. We are looking for artists who would be interested in displaying some of their art pieces in our office. We would be interested in displaying paintings/tapestries/drawings and maybe a sculpture on a temporary basis. Interested artists are asked to contact Susan at [email protected]

Marine Mills Folk School – Become an Instructor
Marine Mills Folk School offers hands-on, experiential classes in a variety of arts and crafts pursuits.  If you’re interested in becoming an instructor at MMFS, we would love to hear from you. Additional information

Stillwater Veterans Memorial – Call for Volunteers
The Stillwater Veterans Memorial is looking for volunteers with fine motor skills and an attention to detail in repainting pavers. A training session would be provided along with all necessary artist supplies, paints, sitting and kneeling pads, etc. This is work that can be done at the volunteer’s convenience. The volunteers will be publicly recognized for their contribution to the honoring of veterans at the Memorial. Prospective volunteers can call John Kraemer at 651-439-4350.

mnartists.org is an online database of Minnesota artists and organizations from all disciplines. In addition to providing artists and organizations with a web page containing images and information, mnartists.org provides news and features about the local arts scene from a variety of sources. They have many calls for artists from throughout Minnesota posted on their Opportunities page.