“I don’t think the way to succeed is by doing something aggressive. Aggression is weak-minded.” —Agnes Martin
Last weekend, I went up to Door County, Wisconsin’s peninsula “thumb” that juts out into Lake Michigan. The area is home to lots of farms, cheese shops, wineries, cherry orchards, art galleries, studio potteries, scenic state and county parks, touristy little towns, lots of condos and really cool homes—the earthen Dome House, for example, is now a residency—a renowned performing arts venue, a couple of arts and crafts schools, and this year, a contemporary art fair, too.
In the spirit of a lot of the small, boutique art fairs that have been popping up in Upstate New York, for example, a group of more than 20 contemporary art galleries from mostly Chicago, Milwaukee, and Minneapolis have been coordinated by a group of artist-entrepreneurs to stage the first commercial fair of this kind that the area has seen—“Art Basel without the stemware…and with antlers.” (We’re in golf-and-yacht land, not exactly the Northwoods, but sure!)
Modeled after Untitled., NADA, or, as the fair’s own flier suggests^, Basel, two contemporary classroom/exhibition spaces at Peninsula School of Art in Fish Creek were transformed into a series of booths, complete with clean, white walls and gallery address tags sticking out into the aisles. Outfits I’ve seen at big fairs elsewhere, like Portrait Society Galley, Hair+Nails, and Green Gallery, were refreshingly joined by a few that had never participated in a fair before, like James May Gallery and Real Tinsel.
The work was a little bit of everything, and galleries brought a wide array of mostly small pieces. And for a small showing, the caliber was fantastic—Hair+Nails brought works by Rachel Collier, Ginny Sims, Jonathan Herrera Soto, and Emma Beatrez, which incidentally may have been my favorite booth, tied with Devening Projects’ well-curated presentation of works by Guzzo Pinc, Alain Biltereyst, and more.
There was also a really wonderful little book/zine shop in between the two main spaces, where I snagged a risograph print by David Ryan that I had my eye on back in 2020 but, faced with buying art or a plane ticket home from abroad after lockdown started, I had to forego it at the time. What luck!
Overall, the vibe was wonderful; sophisticated yet relaxed, which is to be expected in a summer vacation destination where the main priorities tend to be relaxing while boating, relaxing while biking, relaxing while eating out… you get the picture. The demographics of Door County as a tourist destination have always been upper-middle-class white families and retirees. The year-rounders are middle class and working class folks who farm and keep things running when the tourist season dies down for the winter.
I’m not sure how much of a contemporary art market there is in Door County, but there has been, for a very long time, an art gallery presence in the area. People spend money, of course, but as is often the Midwestern way, art is often justified for its value as decor rather than an addition to what we think of as a contemporary collection because decor is immanently practical—collecting hasn’t much been a part of the culture here. But the goal, I think, is to challenge whether that still holds true or could change with a little nudge. Time will tell.
Long-established galleries in Door County typically show a mix of sculpture, painting, photography, and jewelry with an emphasis on more traditional subject matter like rural landscapes and maritime scenes. There were some murmurings among some long-time Door County folks that the show didn’t do much, if anything, to tie in existing Door County arts initiatives other than to rent the space where the organizers had some ties due to teaching there previously.
If you think of something like EXPO CHICAGO, the local presence is enormously felt there. So it’s an oversight, I think, especially in a comparatively small and niche place, to entirely exclude any locals (artists and galleries) in the fair itself—even just in some kind of secondary programming kind of way. If anything, it seems more important to do so if only to justify why it’s in this location (beyond the great scenery) and not in somewhere a bit more accessible with an existing fair-friendly contemporary art scene like, say, Milwaukee or Minneapolis.
An article in the arts and culture section of a local magazine seemed to create a little bit of a stir with a quote where one of the organizers said, “They (Door County) need some contemporary. It’s something that you can’t just do, because it’s a very kind of in-the-know world…” Essentially, I got the impression from a couple of people I spoke to that they felt like they were being told that what’s already there is not serious or rigorous enough, they’re not capable of doing it themselves, and they’re not involved.
Contemporary art à la Frieze or Basel is not something people historically come here for, though. A lot of the work would not be what you see there anyway—we’re talking paintings of dairy cows and farms or sculptures of rabbits and swirly metal things. All beautifully executed, of course, but no, it’s not what you’d expect to see in Artforum.
Admittedly, as an on-and-off Northeast Wisconsin resident for more than 30 years, I get a little protective—which is the other side of the same coin of my gratitude that an event like this was staged in Wisconsin at all. It’s about time! We don’t have much in the way of contemporary art culture because anyone who pursues it also usually pursues a path straight on out of here. What we have, we’re proud of, but we could also see so much more. It’s an immense amount of work to put something like this together—it doesn’t go unnoticed.
As I was leaving, a ladies-who-lunch type of group was heading in, decked out in dock shoes, cropped haircuts, and nautical striped tees—as you do. “Worth it?” one of them asked me. Hands down, it was exactly the tone I would expect from a casually art-interested Door County summertime resident. It’s a kind of classic Midwestern skepticism that’s the default setting for just about every single new thing—like, people will go begrudgingly check a thing out so they can be convinced to feel otherwise. That may be the case with some of the art-leaning locals feeling put out by the fair, too. It’s very likely also the case with me feeling protective of Door County’s particular culture.
I responded, “Yes!” It was of course worth it. And it will be very interesting to see if it returns for another year or more—the fair’s social media suggested they’ll be back in 2026. I would definitely check it out again to see what’s evolved.
See you next week.
—Kate
P.S. I’m always waffling back and forth about how trite it sounds talking about art fairs and things when there are obviously other significant socio-political issues that cannot be ignored. While I view Young Space (both my personal relationship to it and its purpose as a platform) as a bit of a respite—joy as resistance—my mind is on the L.A.—and now nationwide—protests and ways to support. Below are just a few resources and information. Plus—Women’s March is headed to Madison for their flagship Kick Out the Clowns event on Saturday, too, with other protests planned for around the country. Dress like the circus we’re in.
Protestors’ Rights / ACLU
Which other cities have joined LA’s protests over immigration raids? / BBC
Can’t Protest? Here are other ways to get involved in LA / Los Angeles Public Press
Heather Cox Richardson: Letters from an American / Substack
Rebecca Solnit on Bluesky (Facebook suspended her account yesterday)
Children in Gaza need life-saving support / Donate to UNICEF
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Just $6/month — or $5/month annually — gives you access all opportunities 24/7. To those who are already supporting the digest, my heartfelt thanks—it means a lot.
What you’ll find below:
Featured artist: Ami Park
Exhibitions to see in Atlanta, Laguna Beach, London, Los Angeles, New Canaan, New York, and Paris
Twelve opportunities for artists with deadlines coming up soon
Featured Artist: Ami Park
“I’m drawn to the unseen relationships between people, objects, and emotions—how everything carries its own kind of energy and vibration,” says Ami Park, whose textile and mixed-media works explore materiality and facets of the human condition, especially psychology and body-related cultural narratives.
“I approach my work through both science and spirituality, often thinking about how these forces interact and manifest in physical form,” she says. “I gravitate toward linear fiber materials like yarn and rope because they act as connectors—linking ideas, memories, and bodies across time and space.”
Find more on Park’s website and Instagram.
Exhibitions
NEW YORK CITY | C L E A R I N G
Xingzi Gu: Fluffing the Foliage
Ethereal figurative works by Xingzi Gu are made using diluted acrylic and oil-based pigment capture dreamy, intimate moments.
Runs through June 21
ATLANTA | JOHNSON LOWE GALLERY
Phuong Nguyen: She Is an Object of Beauty
“Nguyen draws from the visual languages of Orientalism and Ornamentalism to examine how the racialized, feminine body is aestheticized, archived, and abstracted—both within Western art history and her own lived experience as a Vietnamese diasporic artist.”
Runs through June 28
NEW CANAAN | ARDEN + WHITE GALLERY
Heath Wae: School of the Flower
“This poignant and sensorial body of work marks a milestone in the artist’s evolving practice—one that places the flower not simply as a motif of beauty or fragility, but as an enduring emblem of transformation, offering a bridge between the visible and the unseen.”
Runs through July 13
More shows worth a peek:
Held Together at Folklore Studio, Laguna Beach, through June 14
A String in the Maze at Martha’s × Megan Mulrooney, Los Angeles, through June 28
Pieter Jennes: Le Bouquet Manquant at Semiose, Paris, through June 21
Kofi Perry: Circa, X at Cooke Latham Gallery, London, through June 27
Catherine Repko: Duets at Huxley Parlor, London, through July 5
Artist Opportunities
Young Space emphasizes fully-funded opportunities with low or no entry fees and programs that focus on creative and professional development for visual artists and curators. Deadlines are coming up soon to apply for these grants, fellowships, residencies, and more.
Paid subscribers, check out the whole list anytime at yngspc.com/opportunities and enter the password you received in your signup email. Can’t find it? Just shoot me a note. Thank your for your support!
S+T+ARTS "Aqua Motion" Artistic Residencies
Deadline: June 13
S+T+ARTS AQUA MOTION invites artists from all disciplines to apply for a unique interdisciplinary residency program focused on the future of water in Europe. This call seeks 25 artists to participate in a 9-month residency, followed by a 4-month "Scale-Up" program, hosted across four European regions: Italy, Portugal, The Netherlands, and Austria. Artists receive a €40,000 budget that covers fees, exhibition costs, and other relevant expenses; access to specialized resources and facilities; participation in a mentoring program, and more. Artists must have at least 5 years of artistic practice and a documented portfolio.
Submission fee: none
Badlands National Part Artist-in-Residence
Deadline: June 15
The Artist in Residence (AIR) program at Badlands National Park was founded in 1996 and is open to all artists. Writers, composers, and all visual and performing artists are invited to interpret this wind-swept environment through their work. Artists are encouraged to interact with park visitors as they work among the natural features of the park. Two residencies are offered per year, each for a period of four to six weeks to occur between September 15 through May 1. The park offers an apartment located in a small housing complex at park headquarters at no cost to the artist. Additionally, the park provides a reimbursement for personal expenses not to exceed $300.
Submission fee: none
Jerome Early Career Printmakers Residency 2025/2026
Deadline: June 16
Three artists are selected annually to participate in the Jerome Early Career Printmakers Residency at Highpoint Printmaking in Minneapolis. The year-long residency begins in September and features an exhibition in June. Residents receive 12 months of access to a state-of-the-art printshop, technical support, $500 credit toward Highpoint classes and/or individual instruction, a $3,500 stipend, and more.
Submission fee: none
Pine Meadow Ranch Center for Arts and Agriculture Artist Residency
Deadline: June 20
Artists, ecological scientists, and scholars wanting to explore connections to nature, land conservation, historic preservation, agriculture and community building projects are invited to PMRCAA’s Residency Program, which offers a space where cultural practitioners, scientists, and creative thinkers can immerse themselves in their work and research through access to studios, open spaces, and beautiful scenery. This year's theme is "adaptation." Residents receive a private room with a shared or private bathroom, kitchen, dining and laundry area on the ranch. Stipends are provided to offset living and travel expenses for out-of-town residents. Residents are expected to commit themselves for the entire residency session, with the stipend being $200 per week.
Submission fee: none
Open School East Open Call for Associate Artists 2025-26
Deadline: June 20
Open School East (OSE) is seeking applications from emerging artists and practitioners to join the twelfth year of its independent and outward-facing artist development program. This free artist development program offers a critical and non-competitive environment in which artists can develop their practice and expand their professional networks. Artists are expected to move to the Margate area.
Submission fee: none
Baltan Laboratories Situated Creative Practices for the Pluriverse (SIT-PLU) Residency
Deadline: June 20
Situated Creative Practices for the Pluriverse (SIT-PLU) is a Creative Europe Cooperation project tackling socio-ecological challenges through cross-disciplinary research and context-specific artistic interventions. The project includes a program of residencies (SIT-RES) happening in 2026 and 2027, where selected artists and creative practitioners will be invited to engage with a specific context (social, geographical, historical) for one year. SIT-RES 2026 starts in January 2026 and SIT-RES 2027 in November 2026. The selected residents will receive an artist fee of €13,500 (travel excluded) and a production budget.
Submission fee: none
British Council Connections Through Culture Grants
Deadline: June 23
The British Council expects to award approximately 90 grants of up to £5,000 or £10,000 to support new collaborative projects fostering cross-cultural exchange.
Submission fee: none
Wassaic Project 2026 Residencies (Summer and Winter)
Deadline: June 23 (extended)
The Wassaic Project accepts proposals for the 2026 Residency program, which includes the Winter Residency program (January to April 2026) and the Summer Residency program (June to September 2026). This call is for individual artists, collaborative teams, groups of two or more individual artists, and artists applying through our Family Residency program. The residency fee is $900 (the fee is per artist/collaborative group/artist team/family). Artists receive a semi-private studio space(s); private room in a shared house (the Family program receives a private house); access to a wood shop, print shop, and kiln; staff support; and programming such as our visiting artist program, artist talks, studio visits, open studios, artist presentations, etc. The residency fee is $900; fellowships are available.
Submission fee: $25
Grants for Artists' Progress for Artists in Washington
Deadline: June 23
Grants for Artist Projects (GAP) are unrestricted project-based grants of $1,500 awarded to 65 artists working in all disciplines across Washington State. Funding may be used for but not limited to artist fees, materials, equipment, space rental, travel for research, documentation, professional development opportunities, marketing and promotion, support to continue a current project, support to start a new project, and many other needs related to your project.
Submission fee: none
Linden New Art — Juncture Art Prize 2026 for Artists in Australia
Deadline: June 29
Established in 2023, JUNCTURE is a biennial prize, awarded to two mid-career artists by Linden New Art. It is a national open callout, with the artists selected by a panel of industry professionals. The two artists will each receive a cash prize of AUD$20,000, to support exciting new directions in their practices, culminating in an exhibition at Linden New Art in 2026.
Submission fee: none
Centrum 2026 Emerging Artist Residency for PNW-based Artists
Deadline: June 30
The Emerging Artist Residency provides a $1,500 stipend, multiple resident gatherings, visiting artists and curators, studio visits, and an open studio event. This residency is aimed at visual and interdisciplinary artists in the Pacific Northwest who are towards the beginning of their creative paths and can benefit from the time to focus and receive support from a community of peers and specialists in their fields. This residency is always in October and lasts for four weeks.
Centrum's "In the Making" residency and self-directed residencies are also open via the same application.
Submission fee: none
Nest 2025 Heritage Craft Prize for Texas-based Artists
Deadline: June 30
The Heritage Craft Prize celebrates artists and craftspeople who blaze their own trails by reimagining heritage craft techniques through the use of innovative motifs and materials. Open to artists and makers across Texas, the prize provides the winner with financial resources to advance their craft pursuits and/or craft-based business. The winner receives a grant prize of $25,000, wil additional grant funding awarded to four finalists.
Submission fee: none
See all opportunities
Paid subscribers can access a full list of all current opportunities anytime—updated at least a couple of times each week.
Whether you’re a free or paid subscriber, you can also browse through listings in earlier digests in the archive.
If you are part of an organization or art business that offers opportunities or services you think artists should know about, consider a featured listing or post. Email me at kate@young-space.com or just reply to this email for more info.
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