About the Open Call

The Northwest Arts Center is excited to announce the 54th year of the Paperworks juried exhibition at Minot State University. Founded to enhance the study and appreciation of contemporary visual arts in our region, the exhibitions attract excellence in works on paper each year. INT'L Paperworks 2026 continues to welcome entrants from around the world. We are grateful to the many artists who have shared their work and passion for art with our audiences. It is our honor to invite you to contribute to this enduring dialogue of creative exploration and exchange. INT'L Paperworks Juried Exhibition will run from February 12 through March 26, 2026, at the Walter Piehl Gallery, Northwest Arts Center, Minot State University, Minot, North Dakota. Juror: Dave DiMarchi, New Hope, PA. Dave DiMarchi is a queer, multi-disciplinary artist working in printmaking, papermaking, and sculptural book forms. He has exhibited works on paper, installations, and books in the US and internationally. He serves as the Arts Council’s Studios Manager and Master Printer and lead Printmaking Instructor, in addition to leading the Printmaking Curriculum at Mercer County College. He also publishes fine art prints as 9INHANDPRESS. A juried exhibition shows artwork selected through a competitive process. Artists submit images and information for the artworks they hope will be selected by the juror. A juror is responsible for reviewing all the submissions, and determining which of the artworks will be declined, accepted, or awarded additional prizes. At the Northwest Arts Center, the initial submissions are reviewed electronically, and often the juror makes their final decisions about awards while looking at the artwork in person. The Juried Exhibitions at Minot State University were started by faculty and students in 1969 to bring contemporary artwork of merit to our region for the enrichment of audiences, and to start a teaching collection through purchase awards. The Northwest Arts Center invites guest jurors for the INT’L Juried Exhibitions; typically an artist, curator, museum or gallery director, or other arts professional. Our jurors are not provided with the names of artists or any other identifying information, a process known as a “blind jurying.” The entry fee is used to support the juried exhibition and provides for exhibition expenses, including awards, juror costs, marketing materials, and a printed catalog.

What is Offered

Cash and Purchase Awards: five Merit Awards and one Best of Show. Best of Show earns a future solo exhibition and an invitation to the Best of the Best exhibit. Opportunity to exhibit artwork in a juried exhibition and contribute to a dialogue of creative exploration and exchange. The Northwest Arts Center encourages sales, and has a 30% commission for sales.

Requirements

All artworks must be original, meaning not a reproduction, replication or copy (e.g., a one-of-a-kind print from a digital drawing is original; a digital print from a photograph of an oil painting is a reproduction). Submissions from mediums working in multiples must be from an edition. Transformative appropriation artwork, such as collage, is considered original. Artwork must arrive presentation ready (framed or with appropriate installation materials). Artists are responsible for arranging shipping, delivery, and pickup if selected. Work for sale must be priced by the artist, with the Northwest Arts Center taking a 30% commission on sales. Video entries are accepted in .mp4, mpeg, or .mov format via cloud storage download or a link to a hosting site (e.g., Vimeo, YouTube). For new media or time-based artwork, audio and visual equipment and installation can be provided. For sculpture and installation work, a range of bases and pedestals, as well as wall-mounted shelves, are available. Work cannot be attached to the floor but may be attached to the ceiling at the discretion of the NAC. Mountable 3D assemblage may be attached directly to the wall and can weigh up to a maximum of 50 lbs, with appropriate installation hardware provided by the artist. If generative AI is used in the creation of an artwork, the generative AI model must have been trained on copyright-free materials or images copyrighted by the artist, and generative AI usage must be detailed in the artwork medium.

How to Apply

Artists are invited to submit entries for the juried exhibition. The process involves downloading and filling out the INT'L Paperworks 2026 Prospectus (PDF), either by printing or using Adobe Acrobat DC or another PDF reader. Entry fee payment can be made online via the provided link. Artists submit images and information for the artworks they hope will be selected by the juror.