Lanesboro Arts is excited to invite Minnesotan artists in any stage of their career to submit work for the upcoming group exhibition Carrying Each Other. This exhibition celebrates creative labor and the many ways artists hold their communities together. Artists are asked to submit work exploring these visible and invisible forms of support, exchange, and mutual care that shape community life and why it matters to them.

What does it mean to Carry Each Other? As we have seen in our state, community care and support can be an active, artful, and defiant connector. Holding space, sharing burdens, bearing witness are all forms of deep care particularly held by artists and culture bearers as carriers of stories, traditions, imagination and memory. The loads carried by artists are shaped by experience: this show seeks to shine a light on the unequal loads and historic inequities placed upon marginalized communities as it celebrates community care. This show also holds space for carrying each other into a shared future.

The application deadline is Monday, April 20, 2026. The group show jury will prioritize applicants from Minnesota who identify as LGBTQIA +, Two-Spirit, BIPOC, disabled, and/or rurally located artists (including those in southeast Minnesota). Submissions can include, but are not limited to: 2D art, sculpture, multimedia works, and interactive art. Direct representations as well as more abstract expressions are welcome and encouraged.

Applications are open now! To apply, artists may complete the online application available at the bottom of this page. The deadline to apply for this opportunity is April 20th at 12:59 pm.

To complete the application, artists are asked to submit images via Google Drive or Dropbox. All visual arts media are eligible – both 2-D and 3-D. For those who prefer, you may submit a video application to gallery@lanesboroarts.org, with the subject line “Carrying Each Other Application”.

Wall pieces chosen will need to be framed and include a hanging wire in the back; all work in the exhibition that is made available for sale will be for sale as per Lanesboro Arts’ consignment agreement (40% gallery, 60% artist). Transporting the work to and from Lanesboro will be the responsibility of the artist. The deadline for work delivery will be Saturday, May 30, 2026. Carrying Each Other will open on Saturday, June 6, 2026, with an artist reception from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Lanesboro Arts Gallery.

Important Dates:

• Application Deadline: April 20th, 2026 at 12:59 pm
• Work Delivery Deadline: May 30th, 2026
• Exhibition Opening Reception: June 6th, 2026 from 6 – 8 pm

The Lanesboro Arts Juried Sales and Exhibition Galleries strive to be a public gathering space where artists are uplifted and visitors are inspired. In line with Lanesboro Art’s mission to serve as a regional catalyst for artistic excellence and educational development in providing diverse art experiences for all ages, the Galleries present exhibitions, programming, and sales opportunities that initiate discussion and connection. For more on Lanesboro Arts’ mission, vision and values, click here. The Lanesboro Arts Gallery is located at 103 Parkway Ave. N. in Lanesboro, MN.

Lanesboro Arts is a multi-disciplinary arts organization in the small town of Lanesboro, Minnesota that serves both emerging and established artists, revitalizes public spaces, and builds a sense of community among the 754 people who call Lanesboro home. Lanesboro is a rural hub of artistic and outdoor activity, nestled in the bluffs of southeastern MN along the Root River. Lanesboro Arts has brought innovative arts experiences to community members and visitors alike for nearly 45 years, becoming a national model for empowering communities through the arts. Our women and non-binary-led team of passionate individuals is committed to uplifting rural communities through the arts, and to the idea that supporting artists and culture bearers is essential to that goal.