Driftless: A Curated Exhibition

Submission Deadline: Midnight, November 9, 2025
Entry Fee: $10 River Arts Alliance Members | $15 Nonmembers
Location: Winona County History Center | 160 Johnson Street | Winona, MN
Exhibition Date: December 6, 2025 – February 27, 2026

Description
The driftless region along the great Mississippi river stretches from southeastern Minnesota and southwestern Wisconsin to the connecting borders of Iowa and Illinois. Markers of the land’s glacial history still exist in the majestic outcroppings of the sandstone bluffs, muddy backwaters,rolling hills, and deep valleys in the area.
Left unscathed by the glaciers of the last ice age, the “driftless”has long been a source of inspiration for adventurers and artists. Its unique beauty and rich biodiversity inspires curiosity and shapes a multitude of perspectives, expressions, and emotions—especially those expressed through the visual arts.
As an artist…How are you connected to or inspired by the driftless region? How does your artwork reflect its power and mystique? Is your work an expression of emotions rooted in your experiences with the driftless region? INTRIGUED? Share your driftless expression of visual artistry with your community!

Eligibility and Requirements
Artists must live within 100 miles of the City of Winona, MN, or reside in a county in MN, WI, IL or IA that is partly or wholly within the Driftless region.
Visual arts media are accepted including painting, drawing, printmaking, digital art, collage, sculpture (such as wood, metal, stone, glass, ceramic, mixed media, etc.) ceramics, textile, stained glass, jewelry, and more. We cannot accommodate installation, video, works with audio, or digitally displayed entries. Contact Leah Diggins ([email protected]) or Rick Hall ([email protected]) if you are unsure if your medium is eligible.

Entries must be accompanied by a brief Artist’s Statement, (up to 100 words) that helps viewers understand the connection of the artwork to Driftless. 2-D entries are limited in size to 24”W x 60”H. 3-D entries are limited to 24” x 24” x 48” H

Works should be completed within the past two years, and not have been previously displayed at the WCHS or in an River Arts Alliance (RAA) exhibition. Hanging works must be framed (if necessary) and ready to hang, with a hanging wire on the back. If the artwork needs special hardware, mounts or exhibit furniture, the artist is responsible for providing it.
Works must be original, and not infringe on the rights of any other person.

To Enter
Artists may enter one work, using the online service ArtCall. Current RAA members may enter one piece for $10 and non-members may enter one piece for $15. Be sure to take high-quality photographs. This link, also on the ArtCall website, provides some tips on photographing your work. ArtCall accepts pdf or jpeg files.

https://artcall.org/pages/tips-for-photographing-artwork-for-digital-submissions

Each image should be identified with name of artist, title of work, medium, dimensions, and year completed, as well as the Artist’s Statement, all as part of the ArtCall submission.

Notifications
ArtCall will notify you immediately by email when your submission has been received, and whether your work is accepted for the exhibition. Notification of acceptance is: 11/24/2025.

Display and Sales Artists are encouraged to have their work available for sale, but this is not required. The WCHS will handle sales transactions from their gallery. Artists receive 70% of the sales price, the WCHS receives 20%, and RAA receives 10%. RAA will mail checks to artists after the exhibition ends, works have been delivered to the purchasers, payment is received by WCHS, and WCHS has paid RAA. Artwork that has been sold should be picked up at the History Center within a week of the end of the exhibition, by either the buyer or the artist, who then delivers it to the buyer.
All works will remain on display for the duration of the exhibition.