Call for Art! 2nd Annual Paint Wisconsin Exhibition

Submissions OPEN NOW Until Sunday, June 21, 2026, 11:59 pm

Theme:

Artistic works that capture the essence and aesthetics of life in Wisconsin. Paint Wisconsin is a celebration of the state’s essence through any visual medium—whether rendered in clay, with a brush, a lens, or a digital stylus. “Paint” is a metaphor.

Overview:

Paint Wisconsin is an annual, themed, juried exhibition of original artwork, showcasing traditional, physical media alongside digital artwork in a traditional yet innovative in-gallery experience, together with online display of all accepted work. While the theme of the artwork must relate to Wisconsin, artists do not need to be residents of Wisconsin. The exhibition has two divisions, the Traditional Salon and the Digital Salon. The key conceptual difference between the two salons is that for the Traditional Salon, the images submitted by the artist represent the artwork while in the Digital Salon, the images submitted by the artist are the artwork.

The Traditional Salon: The Traditional Salon is dedicated to the enduring impact of physical artwork.
- Experience: Accepted works will be displayed in a traditional gallery exhibit and a concurrent online exhibit.
- Mediums: We welcome all traditional 2D and 3D mediums including painting, photography, sculpture, drawing, illustration, and mixed media. Also welcome are digital mediums that have been rendered and prepared for physical display.
- Requirement: Open to artists in the contiguous United States. Artists are responsible for delivery/shipping of wire-hung, framed work.
The Digital Salon: The Digital Salon is an electronic showcase of screen-based fine art.
- Experience: Accepted work will be exhibited electronically in-gallery via high-definition display and featured in a global online exhibit.
- Mediums: We welcome 2D visual art mediums such as digital painting, digital drawing, digital illustration, digital mixed media, and photography. Also welcome are works in traditional mediums that have been prepared for digital reproduction.
- Requirement: Open to artists worldwide. This is a digital-only submission process; no physical delivery of work is required.

Key Dates:

Exhibition: Thursday, August 13 – Friday, September 18, 2026.
Submissions Open: March 22, 2026
Submissions Close: Sunday, June 21, 2026, 11:59 pm
Notification to Artists: Monday, July 13, 2026
Drop-Off Dates: Saturday, August 1, 2026 – 12 pm to 4 pm; Friday, August 7, 2026 – 12 pm – 4 pm
Artist Reception: Friday, August 14
- Roberta’s Art Gallery, UW-Whitewater campus, 3pm-4:30 pm
- Cultural Arts Center, 402 W. Main St., Whitewater, 5 pm-7 pm.
Pick-Up Dates: Saturday, September 19, 2026 – 12 pm – 4 pm.