Art in the Barn 2026

The 51st annual Art in the Barn juried fine art festival will be held September 26-27 on the grounds of Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington, IL, located 35 miles northwest of Chicago. The show runs from 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM both days. This open-air event features over 175 juried artists exhibiting work in rustic barns, farm buildings, and artist-provided tents, along with live music and entertainment, food vendors, and children's art activities.

Artists can submit applications online through March 31, 2026 with a non-refundable $30 jury fee. Submissions must include 5 images (a booth shot is required) representative of the artwork to be exhibited. Artists will be notified of acceptance status by June 1, 2026, with a deadline to accept invitations and purchase booth space by July 1, 2026. Setup begins at 9:00 AM on Friday, September 25th, with all booths required to be set up and vehicles removed by 9:00 AM Saturday, September 26th.

Eligibility is open to artists creating original work in the following categories: Acrylic, Ceramics, Fiber, Glass, Jewelry, Mixed Media, Oil, Photography, Sculpture, Watercolor, Wood, and a combined category of Drawing, Pastels and Printmaking. All artwork exhibited must be consistent with the style and quality submitted to the jury, and no commercially-processed, mass-produced, or "buy/sell" work may be exhibited. Artists must be present for the entire weekend. Artistic Excellence awards of $150 each are given in each category, and a Best of Show award of $500 is presented. Award winners receive automatic invitations to Art in the Barn 2026 with a waived jury fee. Booth sitters, complimentary coffee and pastries, reserved artist parking, security, and an artist reception at 5:00 PM on Saturday are provided.