Minnesota Artists Exhibition Program (MAEP) October Open Call

About this call

The Minnesota Artists Exhibition Program (MAEP), hosted by the Minneapolis Institute of Art, is a juried exhibition programme that shows the breadth of artists and artwork made in Minnesota. It is designed for artists to present their work inside an encyclopedic museum, and it offers the chance to work with the museum's professional staff to mount a major solo exhibition. Exhibitions are chosen through an open call: an advisory committee of Minnesota-based artists and museum staff reviews applications and selects one recipient in each round, with open calls normally held in October, February and June. The committee forwards three finalists, and the chief curator, the chief audience and engagement officer and the chair of the Department of Global Contemporary Art make the final choice. The selected artist receives a grant of 13,500 dollars and works with preparators, designers, registrars and the museum's media and programming teams. This round is open from 1 to 31 October 2026 for an exhibition scheduled from 20 November 2027 to 20 February 2028. The programme supports emerging and midcareer artists looking to complete, display or advance a body of work, and an art degree or a history of selling work is not required. Applicants must currently live in Minnesota and remain there for the length of the exhibition. Decisions are emailed six to eight weeks after the deadline.

Who can apply

• Regional applicants
• Medium: Mixed Media / Installation / Sculpture
• Entry fee: See official site
• Applicants must currently reside in the state of Minnesota and remain there through the duration of the exhibition. The programme is not open to degree-seeking students of any kind, to anyone under 18, or to permanent museum employees. One application is selected per open call, and this round runs from 1 to 31 October 2026 for an exhibition from 20 November 2027 to 20 February 2028. Applications are accepted online only; emailed and mailed applications are not reviewed, and an application cannot be edited after submission. Materials are an artist statement of up to 500 words, an exhibition proposal of up to 500 words, a CV or resume of up to 2 pages as a PDF, 10 visual work samples with captions, and a floor plan of the proposed setup. Weapons, live ammunition, gunpowder and explosives are prohibited, as are mold, untreated dirt, spores, living flora and fauna and food; the museum's permanent collection may not be used, no permanent structural changes or in-gallery construction are allowed, and gallery performances, flyers, brochures and take-away elements are prohibited. All electrical and accessibility elements must meet Minnesota state regulations and ADA guidelines. No application fee is stated in the guidelines.