Minnesota Artists Exhibition Program (MAEP)
Minneapolis Institute of Art
The Minnesota Artists Exhibition Program (MAEP) is an artist-led program at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Founded in 1975 as a yearlong partnership between the museum and regional artists, it has become a unique, ongoing relationship lasting fifty years. Today, the MAEP presents exhibitions in the 2,500-square-foot U.S. Bank Gallery.
Over the past five decades, the MAEP has been a platform for artists to explore a wide range of topics and artistic styles. Events like MCAD@Mia, the MAEP Loading Dock concert series, and the MAEP Artist Talks expanded artists’ opportunities to engage new audiences. Hosting more than 200 exhibitions, the program has featured notable artists, including Kinji Akagawa, Ta-Coumba Aiken, Harriet Bart, Leslie Barlow, Andrea Carlson, Jim Denomie, Alison Hiltner, Frank Gaard, Ruthann Godollei, Nicole Havekost, Jonathan Herrera Soto, Alexa Horochowski, Seitu Jones, Warren MacKenzie, George Morrison, Dougie Padilla, Alec Soth, Xavier Tavera, JoAnn Verberg, and Tetsuya Yamada.
Artists who live and work in Minnesota are encouraged to apply to an open call. The MAEP Open Calls are posted three times a year—February, June, and October. An elected panel of Minnesota-based artists, the MAEP Artist Panel, selects one application per open call. Selected artists are provided with a stipend and participate at every stage in planning and installing their exhibition.
Support for MAEP is provided by RBC Wealth Management.
The MAEP Open Calls run from the first day of the month to the last Friday at 11:59 PM every February, June, and October. Applicants receive decisions 6 to 8 weeks after the deadline. One application is selected to exhibit within one year; for example, the October 2024 Open Call will be exhibited from November 2025 to February 2026.
- October 1–25, 2024
- February 1–28, 2025
- June 1–27, 2025
- October 1–31, 2025
The Application
The application consists of five sections
- Artist statement (500 words)
- Exhibition proposal (500 words)
- CV/Resume (2-page PDF)
- 10 work samples
- Floor Plan and/or Elevation Plan
The MAEP Application is hosted on Submittable’s application platform. Submittable is designed for Chrome and Firefox browsers.
Resources
- Floor Plans
- Videos of Past Exhibitions
- Schedule an appointment with the MAEP Coordinator, Nicole Soukup
Questions?
Email the Global Contemporary Art Department at contemporary@artsmia.org.