Wisconsin Art from the NORTH at Art Start

Description

Wisconsin ART from the North Juried Exhibit
ArtStart Galleries, 68 S. Stevens Street, Rhinelander, WI 54501
Exhibition dates: August 27 – Oct 31, 2026   |   Call Opens: April 15     |    Call Closes/Deadline: June 26, 11:59 pm   
About this exhibit and WVA: Wisconsin ART from the NORTH  is a juried exhibit. 
The jurors are: Kelly Jean Ohl (ceramic sculpture), Tom Uttech (painter)Kyle Knoke (gallery director)
This exhibit is open to all Wisconsin artists living in the Northern Counties listed below (see map below), and organized by the Wisconsin Visual Artists (WVA) NORTH Chapter.  WVA is a statewide artist member organization that began in Milwaukee in 1900. Read more about WVA below.
PROSPECTUS
Click Here to get printable PDF of the Prospectus
ELIGIBILITY
Open to all artists over 18 living in one of these NORTH Counties: 
Adams, Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Brown, Buffalo, Burnett, Calumet, Chippewa, Clark, Door, Douglas, Dunn, Eau Claire, Florence, Fond du Lac, Forest, Green Lake, Iron, Jackson, Juneau, Kewaunee, La Crosse, Langlade, Lincoln, Manitowoc, Marathon, Marinette, Menominee, Monroe, Oconto, Oneida, Outagamie, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, Portage, Price, Rusk, St. Croix, Taylor, Trempealeau, Sawyer, Shawano, Sheboygan, Washburn, Waupaca, Waushara, Winnebago, Wood, Vilas - see map
All visual art processes are eligible except for reproductive work originally created in another medium. Students must be actively enrolled & produce documentation of enrollment. Must be original work; no reproductions of artwork will be accepted Work must be created in 2023 or laterWork must not have been exhibited at ArtStart previously
ENTRY FEES
Entry Fee for a maximum of 3 works: $40 / Students $20  
— WVA North members’ entry fee: $25    —Membership in WVA is $40/year / wisconsinvisualartists.org  / CLICK HERE to Join WVA North Chapter
ARTWORK GUIDELINES
Maximum of 3 works entered —more details about entries below*No size or media restrictions.   For pieces larger than 10' in any direction, WVA's North Chapter Chair will contact you with any concerns prior to the jurying process.No more than 2 artworks from any one artist will be selected for the exhibition.
A 200-character (not word) artist statement will be required. Do not include personal or biographic information (including your name) in the artist statement.
By entering work in this exhibition, the artist gives WVA and ArtStart the right to use images for digital and print promotional purposes.
BLIND JURY PROCESS: This means the jurors will only see the work image, title, media, size, and artist statement. No names will be shared during the selection process.
AWARDS:   Best in Show: $800, First Place $500, 2nd
Place $300, 3rd Place: $200Awards will be selected by one of the jurors viewing the works in person and in communication with the other jurors.
EXHIBIT CATALOG: WVA North will create an exhibition e-catalog of the accepted works and a printed one as funds allow.
JURORS

Kelly Jean Ohl is a ceramic artist whose work bridges technical mastery and expressive form. She holds an M.F.A. from the University of Michigan, as well as an M.A. and B.A. from Minnesota State University, Mankato. Ohl’s work has been exhibited widely and is represented in private, public, and corporate collections across the United States and internationally. In 2024, she was awarded the MOWA Prize, the highest honor at the Wisconsin Visual Artists Biennial, held at the Museum of Wisconsin Art.

Kyle Knoke is the director at UW-Stevens Point’s Carlsten Art Gallery. He has a background in fashion design, graphic design, and marketing, and has served on the boards of the Appleton Art Center and Sculpture Valley. He was also the owner/curator of Allen/Thomas Gallery in Neenah for a few years. Kyle is also the director of Jazz Coterie, a monthly concert series serving Central Wisconsin and the Fox Valley.

Tom Uttech is a nationally known painter of invented northern landscapes that are often teeming with birds and wildlife. He was a professor of painting at UW-Milwaukee and is a past-president of Wisconsin Visual Artists (then WP&S). His paintings were in the 1975 Whitney Biennial, and he has had over thirty-five one-person exhibitions; his works are in numerous museum collections. Visit the Tory Folliard Gallery site to see his work. https://toryfolliard.com/artists/tom-uttech
EXHIBIT LOCATION
Art Start Galleries  68 S. Stevens Street, Rhinelander, WI 54501       715-362-4328Gallery hours: Thursday – Saturday 11-4 pm
Organized by Wisconsin Visual Artists NORTH Chapter & Art Start
MORE ENTRY DETAILS  *
Submissions will be made through ArtCall. New ArtCall users will be required to create an ArtCall profile with user login and password. Existing ArtCall users need only login and follow the process for a new submission.   Artists will need to input the following information for each work submitted: Artwork Image, title, media, work size in inches (Height x Width x depth), work framed size, work statement (200 characters or fewer), and there will be an area to input installation specifications.The preferred method of payment is through a credit card on the ArtCall site (using Stripe). A Stripe account is not required for payment.
Checks are accepted by using the Promo Code "Check" at checkout. After you make the submission, you must mail a check to:
Wisconsin Visual Artists (WVA) ATTEN: Art Start / Wisconsin Art North exhibitPO Box 250699 Milwaukee, WI 53225
If a check is not received within 7 days of entry, the submissions will not be included in the jurying process.
Entrants selecting Student Fee
must send proof of enrollment to nechapter@wisconsinvisualartists.org. Entries will not be considered if the documentation is not received.
IMAGE SUBMISSION DETAILS *
—Image files: Maximum of 1800 pixels on the longest side. Minimum file size is 3 MB (3000kB); Maximum file size is 10 MB. Documentation imagery with blur or reflection will not be accepted.
—2D artwork: maximum of 3 images for each 2D work, EX: 1st primary image is only the work image; 2nd
image places the work in scale (ie, photographed in a space), 3rd
image might be a detail of the work. Note: Art Call allows you to submit up to 3 images per artwork, but you are only required to submit one primary image. The other two are optional.
—3D Artwork:
A maximum of 3 images for each 3D work may be submitted, or you may submit a video of the 3D work.
—Performance / Vídeos: Video submissions must be monitor-viewable (not projection). Videos should be in the MP4 or MOV format. A PDF with a link to a longer video is allowed. Please remove identifying information.
TIMELINE
April 15th, 2026 ------------- Online Entry Opens
Friday, June 26, 2026------ Entry Deadline—at 11:59 pm via ArtCall link
July 17, 2026------------------ Artist Notification
will be after this date via email.
Results of jurors’ selections will be emailed directly to the email address the artist provides within the ArtCall entry form, or artists can also log into their ArtCall account to see the results after July 17th, 2026.
August 27 - October 31, 2026------- Exhibition Dates: 2026  
Saturday, Aug 29, 2026------------- 1 – 3 pm Reception / Awards at 2 pm
ArtStart Galleries, 68 S. Stevens Street, Rhinelander, WI 54501
Accepted work Delivery & Return Dates:

In-Person Drop-Off
ArtStart Galleries
68 S. Stevens Street, Rhinelander, WI 54501        

Shipped Work to arrive date & return date

Exhibit Installation Dates

In-Person Work Pick-Up & Return of Shipped Work

Thursday, Aug 13

Friday, Aug 14

Thursday, Nov 5

Friday, Aug 14

Deliver or Ship to
ArtStart Galleries
68 S. Stevens Street, Rhinelander, WI 54501       715-362-4328

August 19-26, 2026

Friday, Nov 6

Saturday, Aug 15

Saturday, Nov 7

ArtStart Gallery hours: Thursday – Saturday 11-4 pm

Ship in reusable container and include a pre-paid return shipping label. No peanuts

ArtStart Gallery hours: Thursday – Saturday 11-4 pm

Shipped work to be sent back to artist by Nov 7

SELECTED ARTWORK GUIDELINE DETAILS:
All work must arrive ready for hanging or installation. Artwork should be able to hang from a wire, cleats, or D-rings (recommended for large, heavy work), or other compatible hanging methods. No sawtooth hangers are allowed.Works with only a matt will not be accepted. Check with the North Exhibit chair at nechapter@wisconsinvisualartists.org if unsure.Art Start is not responsible for damage due to the failure of the hanging device to hold the artwork.Works on paper must be framed or mounted, or use an alternative pre-approved hanging method. Art must NOT have been shown in the ArtStart Galleries before.Work left at the Art Start 30 days after the exhibit ends, or where no return shipping arrangements are made, will become the property of ArtStart.
COMMITMENT TO EXHIBIT
With entry into the Wisconsin ART from the NORTH Exhibit, artists commit to exhibiting their work for the duration of the exhibit. Withdrawing artwork after acceptance as a finalist disqualifies the artist from award consideration and from future WVA-organized exhibits. Artists are not allowed to ‘swap’ out a piece of artwork that was accepted.
Any alteration of the artwork causing substantial deviation from the entered image(s) may disqualify the artwork from the exhibit at the sole discretion of WVA and ArtStart personnel.
COPYRIGHT
All artists are responsible for ensuring their subject matter does not include any
copyright infringements. The artist releases ArtStart & WVA of all legal responsibilities if challenged by another party for copyright infringement. By submitting your artwork, you confirm that you have obtained any required releases and that you are not in violation of any laws.
Use of Artificial Intelligence - AIIf AI was used in the creation of the artwork, it MUST be noted in the medium field, along with the percentage of the work where AI was used.
SALES
Work need not be for sale to be eligible for the exhibition. ArtStart will provide the buyer with the artist's contact information so they can contact the artist directly for any sales. Art Start does not take any commission on work sold. Artwork must remain on site until the exhibition’s final date.
LIABILITY 
All work selected for the exhibit will be insured by the ArtStart against damage and theft while in the gallery's care. The artist is responsible for insuring work while in transit to and from the exhibit. All work must remain in the gallery for the entire show. Art Start cannot insure any artwork for an amount exceeding 70% of its retail value. Any irregularities must be reported within 30 days of the artwork’s return. 
Questions about entering the exhibition, for membership information, about the exhibition, its installation, and programming, please email Christine Style, WVA NORTH Chapter chair at nechapter@wisconsinvisualartists.org or call/text her at 920-246-1322
About this exhibit and WVA:

Wisconsin ART from the NORTH is organized by WVA (Wisconsin Visual Artists) NORTH Chapter. WVA is a not-for-profit statewide artist member organization that began in Milwaukee in 1900. WVA currently has three chapters: Southeast (SE-Milwaukee area), South Central (SE-Madison area), and the North Chapter (the counties of this exhibit). WVA is member-run with a WVA State governing board and an Executive Director (Shannon Kupfer). A few of the recent projects that WVA State has organized are: the Wisconsin Artist Biennial exhibition open to all artists in Wisconsin, that is held at the Museum of Wisconsin Art (MOWA) in Westbend; Perspectives exhibition held at the Thelma Center for the Arts in Fond du Lac, and open to only to members of WVA statewide; WVA Member Catalogs are produced every other year online, with a printed catalog coming out in 2026; and a book about the History of WVA written and researched by Annemarie Sawkins, one of the co-authors of A Creative Place: The History of Wisconsin Art.  Each Chapter meets monthly, in person or via Zoom, and hosts chapter-run exhibits, studio visits, artist talks, demonstrations, and more.  Any artist aged 18 or older may join WVA at the member level and apply for professional membership status, and with significant service to WVA, become a lifetime member.
Wisconsin Visual Artists' mission is to 'Connect. Educate. Empower.' WVA champions and supports visual artists working within the state by forging partnerships that make creative opportunities possible.
The North Chapter used to be the Northeast Chapter, but recently changed its name in order to be more inclusive of the area that, in reality, it includes.  
To learn more about WVA, join or ask questions.Contact:
North Chapter chair Christine Style
nechapter@wisconsinvisualartists.org or call/text her at 920-246-1322
CLICK HERE to JOIN WVA

User Entry Process Tutorial
Watch a quick tutorial about using ArtCall here.