Northwest Arts Center opens with multiple exhibits
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The Northwest Arts Center opens the fall semester at Minot State University with multiple exhibitions featuring a diverse range of artwork. It is the 31st year for the INT'L All Media annual juried exhibition, on display concurrently with “What The Print?,” drawn from the MSU Collections, and the annual MSU NOTSTOCK Exhibition later in September.
INT'L All Media 2026, sponsored by the Northwest Arts Center, features 34 artworks by artists from the United States, Canada, Japan, Indonesia and the United Kingdom. From the first call for entries in 1995, the competition has brought diverse artwork in all mediums, traditional and experimental, to the university campus and greater Minot community. In addition to drawings, photography, sculpture and painting, this year's exhibit also includes an animated artist book and a short film.
Juror for INT’L All Media 2026 is ceramic sculptor Sarah Conti of Boise, Idaho. Conti’s sculptures use birds as an access point to discuss social and environmental issues and spark conversation about climate change and humanity’s impact on Earth. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts from the University of Idaho, completed post-baccalaureate studies at the Oregon College of Art and Craft and the University of Montana, and co-founded Wildfire Ceramic Studio and Gallery in Missoula, Montana.
"When sorting through the submissions to make my final selections, I considered the technical prowess of the work and the conceptual fortitude of the ideas," Conti stated in a news release. "I continually asked myself: what is this work doing that is important in this time and in this place?"
Conti is visiting the MSU campus through Friday, Sept. 11. On Friday, a public reception and online viewing of INT'L All Media 2026 with the juror will be held at 6:30 p.m. Conti will be giving a juror's talk at 7 p.m., with an awards presentation to follow.
Prior to the reception, Conti will also be presenting on her own artistic journey in the Art Seminar Series on Friday at noon. Held in Hartnett Hall in room 106, Art Seminar presentations offer students and the public the opportunity to learn about the work, lives and experiences of guest artists visiting the university. The lecture is open to the public.
Two other exhibitions share the galleries in September. “What The Print?” is an exhibition drawn from the Minot State University permanent collection. It showcases different printmaking techniques, such as relief, silkscreen, lithography and intaglio. These artworks are part of the MSU Permanent Art Collection, which consists of more than 1,500 items, including works on paper, paintings, sculpture, ceramics and textiles.
The latter half of September sees the return of NOTSTOCK. On view from Sept. 17-Oct. 3, the exhibition is part of the annual MSU Arts Festival. It will feature prints, pottery and poetry from this year's guest artists: screenprinters Jake Rathkamp and Max Wesoloski, ceramicist Heather Lepp and poet Grace “Ge” Gilbert.
The exhibitions will be available for viewing Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and Saturday 1-5 p.m., until Saturday, Oct. 3. The Walter Piehl Gallery is located on the lower level of the Gordon B. Olson Library at Minot State University, with its own entrance on the south side of the library. The exhibition and related events are free and open to the public.