Rockford Art Museum proudly presents its 78th Rockford Midwestern Biennial, a juried survey of recent contemporary art in the Midwest. The 2026 Rockford Midwestern is on view May 22–September 27, 2026 at Rockford Art Museum, at 711 North Main Street, Rockford, Illinois.
October 20: Applications Open
January 29: Entry Deadline
March 2: Jurying notifications sent out
March 30–May 1: Artwork delivery window
May 22 (5-8 PM): 78th Rockford Midwestern Biennial Opening/Awards Ceremony
May 22-September 27: Exhibition Dates
The Dean Alan Olson Purchase Award ($2,000)
Best of Show ($750),
Two Juror’s Choice awards ($500 each)
One juror is selected for each Rockford Midwestern; they are not employed by the museum. Jurying will be based on the digital images artists submit. Please note: Your images must represent the actual artwork competing for display May 22–September 27, 2026, in the 78th Rockford Midwestern Biennial at Rockford Art Museum; substitutions are not allowed.
The Juror for the 2026 Rockford Midwestern Biennial is Laurie Hogin.
Laurie Hogin received her MFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and her BFA from Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, where she also studied cultural anthropology. Her work is exhibited regularly across the country and is in numerous private and public collections, including the Addison Gallery of American Art, Andover, MA, the Illinois State Museum, The United States Federal Reserve, The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Brauer Museum, Valparaiso, IN, the Racine Art Museum, WI, among many others. She is currently Professor with Tenure and Chair of the Painting and Sculpture Program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. (https://littlejohncontemporary.com/laurie-hogin)
Artists who are current residents of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio or Wisconsin, and at least 18 years old are eligible to enter. Up to 3 original works of art executed by the applicant within the last two years are eligible; work created before 2023 will be disqualified for consideration by the juror. Types of work may include paintings, sculpture, prints, drawings, photographs, or digital media. No dimension may exceed 96 inches (8 feet) and no weight may exceed 150 pounds.
How to Apply
Complete the fields below (up to three original works can be submitted for jurying). Please be sure to submit the application fee (link at bottom of the form). Your application will not be juried without payment.
