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Welcome to the 35th Northern National Art Competition (NNAC)

The 35th Northern National Art Competition will be held in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, from June 16 - July 28, 2022. This show is a cooperative venture between Nicolet College and the Northern Arts Council. The NNAC competition strives to showcase a cross section of contemporary art in a variety of two-dimensional mediums. Each year, hundreds of artists nationwide submit work to be considered for inclusion in this exhibition, and the art is always both visually exciting and intellectually stimulating. 

This reknowned national juried competition is open to all artists 18 years or older who are US residents. Each artist may submit images of recent, original, 2D hangable artwork in any medium including photography, fiber, and mixed media. There is no theme. The $35 entry fee entitles the artist to submit up one or two images (one image per artwork). Images must accurately represent the work entered.

More than $8,500 in prize money will be awarded, including three $1,000 Awards of Excellence. Awards are based upon the actual artworks. 

Artists selected as finalists will have their work exhibited (and available for purchase if desired) at Nicolet College Lakeside Center until Thursday, July 28. Entries may be hand-delivered on Friday, May 20 by appointment. Shipped work must arrive at Nicolet College Lakeside Center by Monday, May 23. Selected art must remain for the entire exhibition and awards will be distributed after the close of the show. All proceeds of sales are assigned to the artist.

This year, our juror is Emily Lanctot. Lanctot’s work explores themes of identity, the archive, the collection, memory, and institutional politics. Her work moves between media to examine cultural rituals and everyday practices. Lanctot received a B.F.A. in Drawing and Painting from Northern Michigan University in 2008, and an M.F.A. in Interdisciplinary Studio Arts from Vermont College of Fine Arts in 2010. Emily Lanctot lives and works in Marquette, Michigan, where she is the Curator of Collections and Outreach at NMU's DeVos Art Museum, and teaches in the Foundations program at the School of Art and Design.

Artists and their partners, friends, and families are encouraged to join us at our Opening Reception on Thursday, June 16. The Opening Reception is always a remarkable evening in celebration of of the artists whose work has been chosen for the exhibition, and the public is invited to experience that work. Everyone is invited to take a leisurely stroll to savor the exhibition while enjoying a glass of wine and a plate of hors d'ouevres and then join Juror Emily Lanctot in the Theatre as she shares her remarks on the curation of this prestigious national show. Tickets for the Opening Reception will be available closer to the date.

CALENDAR 2022

• Monday, January 3: Registration opens
• Friday, April 1: Registration deadline
• Monday, April 18: Acceptance notification
• Friday, May 20: Hand delivery by appointment
• Monday, May 23: All shipped work due
• Thursday, June 16: Opening Reception
• Thursday, July 28: Show closes
• Friday, July 29: Pick up hand delivered work by appointment
• Monday, August 1: Shipped work will be sent out

Application Requirements

Open to all artists 18 years and older who are US residents.

Eligibility Criteria

Each artist may submit images of recent, original, 2D hangable artwork in any medium including photography, fiber, and mixed media. There is no theme. Images must accurately represent the work entered. The Gallery reserves the right to delete from the exhibition any work that does not conform to the entry specifications or that involves possible copyright infringement.