North of the 45th: Upper Midwest Juried Art Exhibition

The North of the 45th is an annual juried exhibition of artists living in the geographical area north of the 45th parallel in Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota. This line is known as the halfway point between the Equator and the North Pole, and crossing this line from the south is often associated with being “up north.” This exhibition showcases the breadth and depth of artists living in this upper Midwest region from both rural and urban areas. Each year a different juror is asked to select pieces for the exhibition from an open call for entries.

This year’s juror, Kevin Buist, is an artist, writer, and exhibitions director for ArtPrize living in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He has exhibited artwork in solo and group exhibitions in New York City and Grand Rapids, and has been featured in numerous print and online publications including the Art:21 blog, where he was a blogger-in-residence, as well as Walker Art Center's mnartists.org, Solace Magazine, Art Hack, and SpoutBlog. At ArtPrize, Buist oversees exhibitions and cultural programming. He organizes world-class speakers and panel discussions that coincide with the event, that have included lively and provocative lectures by John Waters, Jerry Saltz, and Theaster Gates, among others. He selects the jurors who award over $200,000 in prizes at the annual event.