Northwest Arts Center

INT'L Paperworks Call For Entries

The Northwest Arts Center is excited to announce the 54th year of the Paperworks juried exhibition at Minot State University. Founded to enhance the study and appreciation of contemporary visual arts in our region, the exhibitions attract excellence in works on paper each year. INT'L Paperworks 2026 continues to welcome entrants from around the world. We are grateful to the many artists who have shared their work and passion for art with our audiences. It is our honor to invite you to contribute to this enduring dialogue of creative exploration and exchange.

» INT'L Paperworks 2026 Prospectus [pdf]
» Entry Fee Payment

Download Prospectus from browser and print or 
fill out using Adobe Acrobat DC or another PDF reader

INT'L Paperworks Juried Exhibition
February 12 through March 26, 2026
Walter Piehl Gallery
Northwest Arts Center
Minot State University
Minot, North Dakota

Juror: Dave DiMarchi, New Hope, PA.

DAVE DIMARCHI is a queer, multi-disciplinary artist working
in printmaking, papermaking, and sculptural book forms. Nurturing ideas into singular and editioned works, he engages in a relentless material practice. As a multi-disciplinary artist, he has exhibited works on paper, installations, and books in the US and internationally. In addition to teaching printmaking, papermaking and book forms throughout the New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania area, he maintains a collaborative studio and art space, the Judith K. Brodsky Printmaking Studio, at the Arts Council of Princeton. In autumn of 2022, he was selected as the Arts Council of Princeton’s Anne Reeves Artist-in-Residence, through which he developed a practice of collage-based multimedia and print works. He serves as the Arts Council’s Studios Manager and Master Printer and lead Printmaking Instructor, in addition to leading the Printmaking Curriculum at
Mercer County College. For nearly 16 years, he has created his own work, curated exhibitions, provided print exchange opportunities, and published fine art prints as 9INHANDPRESS, a fine art printmaking and education studio.

Awards:

Cash and Purchase Awards: five Merit Awards and one Best of Show. Best of Show earns a future solo exhibition and an invitation to the Best of the Best exhibit.

FAQ:

What is a Juried Exhibition?

A juried exhibition shows artwork selected through a competitive process. Artists submit images and information for the artworks they hope will be selected by the juror. A juror is responsible for reviewing all the submissions, and determining which of the artworks will be declined, accepted, or awarded additional prizes. At the Northwest Arts Center, the initial submissions are reviewed electronically, and often the juror makes their final decisions about awards while looking at the artwork in person.

Why do you have a Juried Exhibition?

The Juried Exhibitions at Minot State University were started by faculty and students in 1969 to bring contemporary artwork of merit to our region for the enrichment of audiences, and to start a teaching collection through purchase awards.

How are Juried exhibitions selected?

The Northwest Arts Center invites guest jurors for the INT’L Juried Exhibitions; typically an artist, curator, museum or gallery director, or other arts professional. We provide the juror some basic guidelines: an ideal range for the number of pieces they select, number and type of awards and purchase recommendations. Then, the juror determines and uses their own criteria for selection. In this way, a juried exhibition is always created to a large degree by a subjective sets of standards and individual taste. Our jurors are not provided with the names of artists or any other identifying information, a process known as a “blind jurying.”

Why do you have an entry fee?

The entry fee is used to support the juried exhibition and provides for exhibition expenses, including awards, juror costs, marketing materials, and a printed catalog. Entry fees do not underwrite any other programming or activities at the NAC.

Are there additional expenses beyond the submission fee if selected?

There is no additional exhibition fee, beyond paying for shipping/transportation of your art to and from the NAC.

Does my fee get refunded if I’m not selected?

Submitting to the juried exhibitions does not guarantee you will be curated into the exhibition, and the NAC does not refund entry fees for unaccepted artist submissions.

What happens if I am selected?

You will be contacted by the selection notification date with shipping/delivery details and artist information. Artwork must arrive presentation ready (framed or with appropriate installation materials).

Who is responsible for delivery, handling and installation of work if selected?

Artists are responsible to arrange for shipping, delivery and pickup if selected. NAC staff receives, handles, designs and installs the exhibition.

Can my artwork be for sale?

Work for sale must be priced by the artist. The Northwest Arts Center encourages sales, and has a 30% commission for sales. This commission contributes to supporting the mission, programming and sustainability of Northwest Arts Center.

What does ‘All artworks must be original’ mean in your eligibility requirements?

Original artwork, for the purposes of the INT’L Juried Competitions, means that the submission is not a reproduction, replication or copy. For example, a oil painting is original, but a digital print produced from a photograph of the oil painting is a reproduction. A one of a kind print made from a digital drawing or painting is considered original. Submissions from mediums working in multiples must be from an edition. Transformative appropriation artwork, such as collage, is considered original.

Each INT’L submission is examined to ensure it meets eligibility requirements. The NAC Director maintains approval rights for submissions and exhibitions.  If you have questions about the eligibility of individual submissions, please contact nac@minotstateu.edu.

Do you accept video entries?

Yes. There are no file size limitations. Submissions can be provide in .mp4, mpeg, or .mov format via download from cloud storage or a link to a hosting sight such as Vimeo, Youtube, etc.

What are the restrictions for A/V equipment?

For new media or time-based artwork, we are able to provide audio and visual equipment and installation. Please reach out with any questions before or during submission.

What are the restrictions for sculpture and installation work?

The gallery has a range of bases and pedestals, as well as wall mounted shelves. Work cannot be attached to the floor, but may be attached to the ceiling at the discretion of the NAC. Mountable 3D assemblage may be attached directly to the wall, and can weigh up to a maximum of 50 lbs, with the appropriate installation hardware provided by the artist.

Are there restrictions or rules for AI generated images or work incorporating AI elements?

If generative AI is used in the creation of an artwork in any capacity, the generative AI model must have been trained on copyright free materials or images copyrighted by the artist. Generative AI usage must be detailed in the artwork medium. The Northwest Arts Center does not consider images created by a generative AI trained on copyrighted materials to be original.

For More Information
Phone: 701-858-3264 or 800-777-0750 (ex.3264)
E-mail: nac@minotstateu.edu

History
» The History of the Northwest Arts Center
» The History of the Annual Juried Competitions