Kohler Arts Center: Midsummer Festival of the Arts 2026

The Midsummer Festival of the Arts remains committed to “generating a creative exchange between artists and the public.” Held at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center in downtown Sheboygan, WI, a few blocks from Lake Michigan, the Festival, now in its 56th year, nurtures connections between artists and community. This highly anticipated event draws thousands of festivalgoers annually.  

This weekend event also offers live music and performances, exhibitions, hands-on art making, demonstrations, food, and fun on the grounds of the Arts Center and Sheboygan’s City Green. To ensure the continued participation of as many interested artists as possible, exhibiting artists’ fees are kept moderate and many amenities are provided including cash prizes, vouchers for food, and delivery of food directly to artist booths.  

This year’s festival will be July 18-19 (3rd weekend of July). The event will feature up to 100 juried artists including returning award winners from last year. The Arts Center will also host an emerging artist area for up to 5 artists to offer an opportunity for collegiate and rising artists to learn about business in the arts. The Arts Center may also designate additional spaces for local and community partnerships coordinated and selected by Arts Center staff.  

Please read this information in its entirety. Artists applying are responsible for the information contained herein.   

 

TIMELINE 
  
Monday, March 2, 2026 
Application deadline. 
Nonrefundable jury fee checks deposited as received. 
  
Tuesday, April 7, 2026 
Artist notification. 
  
Tuesday, May 5, 2026 
Artist acceptance must be complete, and all booth fees paid. 
  
Tuesday, May 19, 2026
Booth assignments announced. 
Booth fees are nonrefundable after this date. Please see below for cancellation policy. 

Friday, July 17, 2026
Artist registration is open 1:00–7:00 p.m. 
Artists MUST register before setup. 
Friday registration is strongly encouraged. 
  
Saturday, July 18, 2026 
Artist registration continues: 6:30–9:00 a.m. 
Booths MUST be set up by 9:00 a.m. 
Art Patron pre-festival shopping opportunity: 9:00–10:00 a.m. 
Festival hours: 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. 
 
Sunday, July 19, 2026 
Festival hours: 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. 
 

 ARTIST AWARDS  
Cash awards will be given based on the artist’s entire body of work. Excellence, regardless of medium, will be the determining factor. Judging will take place Saturday, July 18, between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Awards will be announced and presented on Sunday, July 19; prizewinners who do not return to exhibit on Sunday forfeit the award. 
 
 
AMENITIES FOR ARTISTS  

• Complimentary booth-sitting service will be provided, subject to availability. 

• Artists receive $50 in vouchers to purchase food and beverage. 

• A detailed or complete view of one image from each artist’s slides will be shown on the Arts Center’s website. Artists can choose to have their contact information displayed as well. (The Arts Center does not release this information to patrons.) 

• Artists will be able to purchase Festival T-shirts through ZAPPlication. 

• Security guards patrol the grounds Friday and Saturday nights. 

• Our advertising, digital marketing, billboards, newspapers, television coverage, radio ads, Festival newspaper inserts, day-of-Festival program, cooperative advertising, Arts Center website, and the Art Patron Program reach local and regional buyers.  

  
  JURY NOTES 

• This year’s Midsummer Festival of the Arts will feature up to 100 juried artists including returning award winners from last year. The Arts Center will also host an emerging artist area for up to 5 artists to offer an opportunity for collegiate and rising artists to learn about business in the arts. The Arts Center may also designate additional spaces for local and community partnerships coordinated and selected by Arts Center staff. 

• Artists will be juried through the ZAPPlication system. 

• The jury normally consists of a minimum of six jurors selected for their experience and expertise in the arts. A diverse group is sought including artists, gallery owners, curators, educators, and others. At least half of the panelists are new each year. 

• The jury process includes two rounds. Scoring is 1 (low) to 5 (high). Scoring is based on originality and creativity, design, technique, artisanship, and production methodology. Scores are not released. All scores are combined and averaged. 

• The first-round highest numbers are invited, the lowest numbers are juried out, and the midrange numbers are juried a second time to form a waitlist. Images are viewed one at a time. Position on waitlist is not released. 

ARTS FESTIVAL RULES 

• The Festival is open to all artists eighteen (18) years of age and older. 

• All works on display must be for sale. No commission will be taken by the Arts Center. All sales are between the artist and the purchaser. A Wisconsin seller's permit must be submitted each year, and the number must be recorded by the Arts Center before the artist can exhibit or sell work. Artists must collect and pay 5.5% sales tax on all sales made at the Festival. 

•  Artists may exhibit works in up to two categories if they are accepted in those two categories. Artists may only show work in categories and the body of works selected by the jury. Please see details under “Booths and Fees” in the application description for information on how to apply in two categories. 

• All works must have been created by the accepted artist or artist collective and must be "hand" originals. No work may be exhibited that has been made from commercial molds, kits, patterns, stencils, plans, or forms. 

• Because we seek to provide a unique experience for our guests, artists who create work available in national retail outlets (online or brick and mortar) may not be accepted for inclusion in the festival. 

 
REPRODUCTIONS POLICY 

• Offset lithographs and giclées of original works on display are acceptable only if each one is labeled REPRODUCTION. Reproductions may not be framed or hung on the walls of the booth. They may be displayed in one bin in a nonprominent area of the booth. Reproductions in the form of postcards and note cards of work may be displayed. No other types of reproductions are allowed. All reproductions may consume no more than twenty-five percent of the entire booth space. 

• Digital art is defined as an original work for which the artist used a computer to execute the original image. Such works must be in limited editions, signed and numbered, and on archival quality materials. 

• Exhibitors' booths will be screened by the Rules Committee during the Festival to make certain that they comply with the rules and that the works do not differ from the slides submitted. If an artist does not comply, he/she/they will be asked to leave; no refund or recourse will be possible. 

• Artists must register on Friday or Saturday (see Timeline). Artists must remain in their booths each evening until the Festival officially closes. 

• Artists must display the booth number sign provided during registration in their booth where it can be easily viewed.  

• One digital image from each accepted artist will be retained by the Arts Center to aid patrons in contacting artists about purchases after the Festival. 

BOOTHS AND FEES 
 
Application Fees 
$35 ZAPP Jury Fee (nonrefundable per application). A separate application and fee are required for each category. Artists must create a separate and distinct ZAPP profile in order to apply to the show in multiple categories. 
 
Booth Fees 
$200 for John Michael Kohler Arts Center members (nonrefundable after May 19, 2026; see below for cancellation policy) 
$250 for nonmembers (nonrefundable after May 19, 2026; see below for cancellation policy) 
$500 for a double booth (nonrefundable after May 19, 2026; see below for cancellation policy) 
 
Booth space dimensions: 10’ x 10' 
Acceptable canopy dimensions: 10’ x 10’ x 10' 
All booths are on blacktop / cement. 
 
-Artists must supply all of their own display materials as well as chairs, canopies, carts, etc. 
-Electricity is NOT available. 
-Booths are assigned on the basis of one artist per space except in the case of artistic collaboration. 
-Artists are limited to the 10’ x 10' area; any artist extending their sales space beyond the 10’ x 10' area will be charged an additional booth fee. 
-The Arts Center makes a substantial effort to give accepted artists their preferred booth spaces, but this cannot be guaranteed. 
-Security personnel are on duty during the night. Artists may leave display materials on-site at their own risk, but leaving art is not recommended. 
 
DO NOT SEND BOOTH FEE WITH APPLICATION FEE. 

 

 

 

CANCELLATION POLICY  
Artists providing written cancellations on or before Tuesday, May 19, 2026, will receive a booth fee refund minus a $50 cancellation processing fee. You may submit your cancellation either by email (midsummerfestival@jmkac.org) or through regular mail (608 New York Ave., Sheboygan, WI 53081). Artists canceling after May 19, 2026, will not receive a refund. No exceptions will be made.