West Michigan Area Show 2025

This longstanding juried exhibition showcases exceptional work in all media, drawing hundreds of entries from a 14-county region in Michigan. Each year, an experienced juror selects work from more than 300 submitted entries. The 2025 juror is Detroit artist and teacher Hubert Massey, an award-winning Kresge Fine Arts Fellow known for his distinctive fresco murals at the Flint Institute of the Arts, Detroit Athletic Club, and Grand Valley State University. Massey studied at the University of London's Slade Institute of Fine Arts and learned the centuries-old fresco technique from former assistants of Diego Rivera.

Eligibility is open to all artists 18 years or older residing in the following Michigan counties: Allegan, Barry, Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, Cass, Eaton, Ionia, Kalamazoo, Kent, Muskegon, Ottawa, St. Joseph, and Van Buren. Artists may submit up to 3 original works completed within the last 2 years. Digital media, 2-D, and 3-D works in any medium are accepted, with a maximum size of six feet on any side. Entry fee is $15 for the first work and $8 for each additional work. All wall-hung works must be framed with proper hanging devices (wires and/or "D"-rings) attached; stretched canvases are acceptable. Work must be on view for the entire duration of the exhibition.

Over $5,000 in awards will be awarded, including a $1,000 Helen Sheridan Memorial Grand Prize, $500 for second place, $400 for third place, $300 for fourth place, and $200 for fifth place. Additional awards include the $1,000 Portage Community Art Award, $750 Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo's People's Choice Award, and category-specific awards for ceramics, mixed media, printmaking, glass, quilts, and book arts. The exhibition opens Saturday, June 14 and runs through Sunday, September 14, 2025. Artist notification is Friday, May 16. Artist drop-off is Friday, May 30 through Monday, June 2. Awards and opening reception are Friday, June 13.