About MAEP

The Minnesota Artists Exhibition Program (MAEP) is a curatorial program of the Minneapolis Institute of Art, dedicated to exhibiting and supporting artists living and working in Minnesota. It was founded in 1975 as a yearlong partnership between the museum and regional artists interested in creating an innovative exhibition and programming space—an agreement that has become a unique, ongoing relationship.

An elected artist panel representing the Minnesota visual arts community selects fellow artists to exhibit their work at the museum. All artists who live and work in Minnesota are welcome to participate: submitting exhibition proposals for panel review, nominating and electing artist panelists, and attending the MAEP’s annual meeting. Exhibiting artists are provided with a stipend, have access to the museum’s professional support services, and participate at every level of exhibition planning and installation.

The MAEP presents contemporary art within the context of an encyclopedic art museum, inserting the state’s artists into a broader discourse about history, art, and culture. The program has featured solo and group shows, site-specific installations, retrospectives, and the once-every-decade “Foot in the Door” exhibitions, and has often been the first major exposure for artists who have gone on to critical and commercial success.