2025 Driftless Art Show

Description

Driftless: A Curated Exhibition
 Submission Deadline: Midnight, November 9, 2025Entry Fee: $10 River Arts Alliance Members | $15 NonmembersLocation: Winona County History Center | 160 Johnson Street | Winona, MNExhibition Date: December 6, 2025 – February 27, 2026
 Description
The driftless region along the great Mississippi river stretches from southeastern Minnesota and southwestern Wisconsin to the connecting borders of Iowa and Illinois. Markers of the land’s glacial history still exist in the majestic outcroppings of the sandstone bluffs, muddy backwaters,rolling hills, and deep valleys in the area. 
Left unscathed by the glaciers of the last ice age, the “driftless”has long been a source of inspiration for adventurers and artists. Its unique beauty and rich biodiversity inspires curiosity and shapes a multitude of perspectives, expressions, and emotions—especially those expressed through the visual arts.
As an artist...How are you connected to or inspired by the driftless region? How does your artwork reflect its power and mystique? Is your work an expression of emotions rooted in your experiences with the driftless region? INTRIGUED? Share your driftless expression of visual artistry with your community!

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Driftless: A Curated Exhibition--Terms & Conditions

 Venue   Slaggie Family Lobby Art Gallery, Winona County History Center, 160 Johnson St., Winona MN. The History Center is part of the Winona County Historical Society  (WCHS).
Eligibility and Requirements
Artists must live within 100 miles of the City of Winona, MN, or reside in a county in MN, WI, IL or IA that is partly or wholly within the Driftless region.  Visual arts media are accepted including painting, drawing, printmaking, digital art, collage, sculpture (such as wood, metal, stone, glass, ceramic, mixed media, etc.) ceramics, textile, stained glass, jewelry, and more. We cannot accommodate installation, video, works with audio, or digitally displayed entries. Contact Leah Diggins (digginsleah@gmail.com) or Rick Hall (rickhallcreative@gmail.com) if you are unsure if your medium is eligible.Entries must be accompanied by a brief Artist’s Statement, (up to 100 words) that helps viewers understand the connection of the artwork to Driftless.  2-D entries are limited in size to 24”W x 60”H. 3-D entries are limited to 24” x 24” x 48” H Works should be completed within the past two years, and not have been previously displayed at the WCHS or in an River Arts Alliance (RAA) exhibition. Hanging  works must be framed (if necessary) and ready to hang, with a hanging wire on the back. If the artwork needs special hardware, mounts or exhibit furniture, the artist is responsible for providing it. Works must be original, and not infringe on the rights of any other person. 
Curatorial Criteria
Entries will be curated by a committee of present and past River Arts Alliance Board Members and Staff. Curatorial selections will be based on:
Connection to the Driftless theme, as revealed by the artwork and the artist’s response in their Artist’s Statement (see details below). Artist’s Statement (limited to 100 words). Your artist’s Statement must describe how the submitted work reflects on any one or multiple topics connected to the Driftless theme, such as:How you are connected to the driftless region.How your work reflects the power, mystique, and majesty of the surrounding topography or waterways.How your work evokes emotions connected to or inspired by the region.How your work is an expression or exploration of your identity rooted in the history and heritage (including that of indigenous peoples) of the driftless region. Quality of artwork, including craftsmanship and use of materials.Adherence to Requirements, as described above.Submissions must be received by 11:00 PM, November 9, 2025.
Curators reserve the right to edit artist statements for clarity and usage.
To Enter
Artists may enter one work, using the online service ArtCall. Current RAA members may enter one piece for $10 and non-members may enter one piece for $15. Be sure to take high-quality photographs. This link, also on the ArtCall website, provides some tips on photographing your work. ArtCall accepts pdf or jpeg files.
https://artcall.org/pages/tips-for-photographing-artwork-for-digital-submissions
Each image should be identified with name of artist, title of work, medium, dimensions, and year completed, as well as the Artist’s Statement, all as part of the ArtCall submission.
Notifications
ArtCall will notify you immediately by email when your submission has been received, and whether your work is accepted for the exhibition. Notification of acceptance is: 11/24/2025.
Display and Sales Artists are encouraged to have their work available for sale, but this is not required. The WCHS will handle sales transactions from their gallery. Artists receive 70% of the sales price, the WCHS receives 20%, and RAA receives 10%. RAA will mail checks to artists after the exhibition ends, works have been delivered to the purchasers, payment is received by WCHS, and WCHS has paid RAA. Artwork that has been sold should be picked up at the History Center within a week of the end of the exhibition, by either the buyer or the artist, who then delivers it to the buyer. 
All works will remain on display for the duration of the exhibition. 
WCHS, RAA or the artist will not remove, lend, or sell artwork displayed without permission from each other, except that WCHS may sell artwork as provided in this agreement.
RAA reserves the right to reject artwork deemed inappropriate for any reason.

Photography of Artworks
Artworks may be photographed by the public for their personal use.

Calendar
ArtCall is live online 9/18/2025

Submission deadline Sunday, Midnight, November 9, 2025

Curatorial period Monday, November 10 through Sunday, November 23, 2025

Notification Monday, November 24, 2025       

Artists Deliver work Thursday, December 4, 2025 (noon – 3 pm) Artist shipping their submissions must  have work recieved by 12/4 at Winona Co. Historical Society.

Installation Friday, December 5, 2025  
            
Opening reception Saturday, December 6, 2025 (1-3 pm)

Dates of exhibition Saturday, December 6, 2025 to Friday, February 27, 2026

De-installation/Pick up work Saturday, February 28, 2026 (noon-3 pm)

Delivery and Pick-up of Work
Artists are responsible for delivery and pick up of their work, and are encouraged to hand-deliver work, and to pick it up in person, if possible. Another person may deliver or pick up your work for you, if RAA is notified. Artists will attach a tag (generated by ArtCall) with identifying info to their artwork. 
Artists who choose to ship pay for the reusable packing materials, shipping to WCHC, and provide a prepaid return shipping label to be used to return the work. Artists also pay for insurance while the work is in transit. Please notify RAA if you plan to ship. Artists shipping their submissions must  have work recieved by 12/4 at Winona Co. Historical Society.Shipping address:

Jennifer Weaver
Winona County Historical Society
160 Johnson St.
Winona MN  55987

Insurance
Artists are responsible for insuring their work while in transit. Subject to certain limitations, WCHS The WCHS’ liability insurance covers artwork that is in the WC History Center.  In no event shall WCHS or RAA be liable for loss, damage, theft, or other harm to artworks in excess of such insurance coverage. Artworks will be handled with the utmost care, by professionals. 

Events/Rentals of Lobby: WCHS 

Hold Harmless Clause The artist shall defend, indemnify and hold harmless, WCHS and its representatives, and RAA and it’s representatives, from and against any and all claims, demands, causes of action, damages, liability, judgements, loss, or costs and expenses, including attorneys’ fees and expenses of investigation, which may be suffered or incurred by any of them, or which may be claimed or alleged against any of them by any person or entity related in any way to the performance of this agreement.   
Agreement to Terms By applying through the ArtCall portal, the artist agrees to the terms of the Driftless: RAA Curated Exhibition, as outlined above.
User Entry Process Tutorial
You can leave this video on your call site's homepage (or embed it on any page) for a quick tutorial your users can watch to help them with the submission process.