West Michigan Area Show 2026

This annual juried exhibition showcases work in all media by artists in a 14-county region surrounding Kalamazoo. Each year, a renowned artist, educator, or museum specialist selects the works to be exhibited and over a dozen works to be awarded over $5,000 in prizes, including a $1,000 grand prize. This year’s juror is Xuxa Rodríguez, Patsy R. and Raymond D. Nasher Curator of Contemporary Art at Duke University’s Nasher Museum.

The 2026 West Michigan Area Show will be open from Friday, May 29 through Sunday, September 27, 2026

This longstanding juried exhibition has showcased exceptional work in all media, drawing hundreds of entries from a 14-county region. Each year, an experienced juror chooses the work from more than 300 submitted entries. Over $5,000 will be awarded, including a $1,000 grand prize. 

This year’s juror is Xuxa Rodríguez, Patsy R. and Raymond D. Nasher Curator of Contemporary Art at Duke University’s Nasher Museum. Prior to her role at Duke, Rodríguez served as the Associate Curator of Contemporary Arts at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and earned a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Rodríguez will present an ArtBreak lecture on Wednesday, May 27, at noon in the KIA auditorium. 

The 2026 West Michigan Area Show will be open from Friday, May 29 through Sunday, September 27, 2026

CALENDAR

• Applications Open: Monday, February 23 - 11:59 pm Sunday, March 29
• Artist Notification: Tuesday, April 22
• Artist Drop Off: May 15-16-17-18 (Fri, Sat, Sun, and Monday)
• Awards and Opening Reception: Thursday, May 28
• Exhibition Opens: Friday, May 29

Anticipated 2026 AWARDS
  $1,000  Helen Sheridan Memorial Grand Prize
  $ 500  Second Place
  $ 400  Third Place
  $ 300  Fourth Place
  $ 200  Fifth Place
  $1,000 Portage Community Art Award
  $ 750  Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo's People's Choice Award 
  $ 350  The Martin Maddox Prize for Imaginative Realism
  $ 300  Ninth Wave Studio Award for Ingenuity in Mixed Media or Intermedia
  $ 250 Kalamazoo Art League Award for Excellence in Any Media
  $ 250  West Michigan Potters Guild Award for Ceramics
  $ 200  Eclectic Glass Guild of Southwest Michigan 
  $ 200 Kalamazoo Log Cabin Quilters' Art Quilt Award 
  $ 200  Southwest Michigan Printmakers Excellence in Printmaking Award
  $ 150 Kalamazoo Book Arts Center Book, Print, and Paper Award
 
  The Ward H. and Cora E. Nay Director's Purchase Prize

Art Requirements: 

• Only original work of the artist’s own design (no AI generated images), completed within the last 3 years should be entered (2024-2025-2026).
• Digital media, 2-D, and 3-D works in any medium will be accepted.
• Work may not exceed 6 feet (72”) on any side.
• All wall-hung works must be framed with proper hanging devices (wires and/or “D”-rings) attached. Unframed, stretched canvases are okay.
• Work must be on view for the entire duration of the exhibition.
• The KIA reserves the right to refuse any work that is framed inadequately, damaged upon delivery, or misrepresented by entry image.

Entry Fee: A maximum 3 works may be submitted. The fee is $15 for the first and $10 for each additional.

Only one image file is allowed per work. Consider using a collage/grid image to show multiple angles if needed. 

Eligibility: All artists 18 years or older residing in the following Michigan counties: Allegan, Barry, Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, Cass, Eaton, Ionia, Kalamazoo, Kent, Muskegon, Ottawa, St. Joseph, and Van Buren.

Award Eligibility: 

Quilt Award: Art quilts must be free-hanging (unframed), fabric-based, original compositions formed by hand
Mixed media/intermedia Award: Combining traditional and/or non-traditional media, eligible works stretch conventions of art and composition.  
Printmaking Award: The awarded print is required to illustrate a hand-worked element as part of the process in its making (no exclusively digital prints are eligible).
Book Arts, Print, and Paper Award: Can include handmade books, handmade paper, prints, and work involving letterpress.
Glass award: Over 50% of the work must be composed of glass, but work may include some sculptural component in metal or other media.
Portage Community Art Award: Winning work must be available to hang in the City Hall lobby following the close of the WMAS for one year. The artist must be a Portage resident and able to install a minimum of 12-20 additional works in Portage City Hall in the fall of 2026.

Condition of Entries: All wall-hung works must be framed with proper hanging devices (wires and/or “D”-rings) attached. Please note “top” where necessary. No clip frames are permitted. The KIA reserves the right to refuse or withdraw any work from the exhibition at its discretion.