The History of the INT'L Juried Competitions

The INT'L Juried Competitions originated in 1970, when art faculty at the Minot State College in north central North Dakota introduced a juried exhibition to the art program with the intent of enhancing the visual arts experiences of students, the campus and the regional art community, with exposure to contemporary trends. This original "National Print and Drawing Show" would also be the source a quality contemporary fine art collection.

In 1976, a dedicated gallery space was established in Minot State University's Hartnett Hall for the display of art to the public. The juried competition continued annually and was retitled "Works on Paper" in 1986.

In 1992, a second gallery was added in the new Gordon B. Olson Library, and the Northwest Arts Center and its supporting Art Friends membership and board of directors were established to help guide the growing program. The juried competition was opened to international entries in 1993 and became "Americas 2000." In 1995, a second annual competition for an all media category was added.

The "Best of the Best" exhibition, featuring the Best of Show Award winning artists from previous Americas 2000 competitions, ushered in the new millennium in 2000. The "Best of the Best" toured throughout the state and neighboring states. A second "Best of the Best" exhibit helped Minot State University celebrate its centennial in 2013, and also toured throughout North Dakota.

Americas 2018: Paperworks was the inaugural exhibition to be held in the new Northwest Arts Center, a 6,700 square foot state-of-the art facility in the lower level of the Minot State University Gordon B. Olson Library completed that year.

For 2022 and onward, the shows were retitled to the "INT'L Juried Exhibitions" in an effort to better represent the multi-national appeal and numerous international entrants.

Fifty-one years after the original call for entries, the competition is attracting cutting-edge contemporary art from every state in the union plus international entries with two alternating annual exhibitions, "Paperworks" and "All Media." We are grateful to the many, many artists who have shared their work and their passion for art with our audiences throughout the years and look forward to the future!