



Submit to the 2026 30x30x30 EXHIBITION
Opens April 17th, 2026
at Var Gallery, Milwaukee, WI
Var Gallery's 30 x 30 x 30 Exhibition invites select 30 artists to make 30 pieces in 30 days in the month of January. Hosted in Milwaukee, WI, the show's goals are to stimulate an aggressive art-making marathon right away at the beginning of the year as well as provide gallery visitors the ability to collect small works from many artists. This is Var’s 12th year holding this exhibition, and overall interest for the showcase continues to grow for artists and gallery patrons. Last year’s submission count hit over 270 and has an estimated 1,000 visitors attending the opening reception, dwarfing the previous years' attendance—sales generated for artists for 2024’s exhibition totaling over $56K.
Submission Requirements
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$30 submission fee via the "Buy Now" button below.
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Works accepted are paintings, drawings, sculptures, ceramics, unique prints, photography, and collage.
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All 2D work must be 6" x 6", INCLUDING the frame, and all 3D work must be within or precisely 6" x 6" x 6". All work must be wall-hangable.
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All individual works must be for sale
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Selected participants from the previous year cannot reapply to the following year.
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Submit examples of your work,
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Provide a clear statement regarding the work you intend on creating in the month of January 2025. (150 words or less)
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Provide 3 image samples of current work that can reflect the media in which you intend on creating your 30. You may also submit an image of a sketch or sample of your intended 30.
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Both statement and images will be submitted via One PDF document file size less than 5 MB to info@vargallery.com titled, “YOURNAME_30x30x30_Exhibition_2026 Submission”
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DEADLINE NOVEMBER 16TH
2026 EXHIBITION JURORS




Jamál Currie is an artist and educator based in Milwaukee whose work explores the intersections of digital technology, embodiment, and diaspora. Using tools such as LiDAR scanning, photogrammetry, and 3D printing, he examines how digital processes extend and transform human presence in physical space. Currie’s practice bridges analog and digital media to reflect on authenticity, aura, and the evolving relationship between the body and technology. He is Chair of Fine Arts + New Studio Practice at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD), where he teaches courses in media, theory, and contemporary art practice.
Marilu Knode is an independent curatorial consultant and former museum director who works with non-profit organizations, public art programs, artists and architects. Her monograph STRIVE, a 40+ year history of the Phoenix-based Jones Studio, was released in 2024. She is helping to honor civil rights leader Vel R. Phillips with commissioned art works by Radcliffe Bailey and Karyn Olivier. She serves as an advisor to the Legacy Committee for the Rabkin Foundation, Maine, and on the Tosa Wildlife Habitat Committee to bring nature back to the city.
Joshua Hintz is the owner & director of Var Gallery & Var Studios. Var Gallery is a contemporary art gallery located in the Walker’s Point neighborhood of Milwaukee, Wisconsin with two locations on 2nd and 5th Street. The galleries are known for ambitious exhibitions, engaging events, and a social atmosphere to enjoy artworks and cocktails with friends. Var Studios houses 74 Milwaukee-based artists at both locations. In addition to our regular programming, Var Gallery’s 5th Street location promotes affordable artworks through our Small Works Gallery, and hosts rotating exhibitions through our other spaces Between Two Galleries and Hawthorn Contemporary. The gallery was founded by Josh Hintz in 2013, and today thrives as a center point for Milwaukee’s visual arts community.
Abi Grace is the manager of Var Gallery & Var Small Works Gallery. She also assists in managing The Drawing Room, Hawthorn Contemporary and it's project space, Gray Area. Abi Grace is an interdisciplinary creative working out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She started her artistic journey at a young age, and has been working as a gallerist, florist, and freelance designer since 2020. Abi received her Bachelors of Fine Arts in New Studio Practice with a minor in Arts Management from the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design in the spring of 2022.