Juried by Laurie Hogin, acclaimed artist and Professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the 2026 Rockford Midwestern is the 78th presentation of the museum’s survey exhibition of new work by contemporary artists from across the Midwest. Hogin selected 98 pieces by 98 artists to be included in this year’s exhibition. First choice and two Juror’s Choice awards will be announced at the opening – as well as the 2026 Dean Alan Olson Purchase Award, to the artist whose work has been selected for inclusion in the Rockford Art Museum permanent collection.

Exhibition-related programs—
July 23, 5:30 PM | Lecture with exhibiting artist (free, public)
September 11, 9 – 10 AM | Coffee with the Curator (free, public)

The Rockford Midwestern Biennial is organized by Executive Director/Chief Curator Carrie Johnson and juried by Laurie Hogin. This exhibition and its related educational programming are sponsored by the Dean Alan Olson Foundation and partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.

Featured artists: Luke Achterberg, Deidre Argyle, Nelson Armour, Karen Azarnia, Heidi Bailey, Patricia Baldwin Seggebruch, Michael Banning, Audrey Barcio, Jason Beck, Victoria Bein, Lauren Bertelson, Lois Bielefeld, Jill Birschbach, Rebecca Bissi, Sharon Bladholm, Mark Blassage, Jennifer Bock-Nelson, Mark Brautigam, Deborah Brooks, H. Buchholz, Roy Cacek, Rebecca Carlton, Danielle Casali, Ethan Chan, Bob Cholke, Bobbye Cochran, Brent Cole, Bridget Conn, Benjamin Cook, Kevin Corotis, Dragana Crnjak, Gary Cudworth, Geornica Daniels, Anita Dawson, Jacob Del Negro, Sessah DelaRue, Brian DePauli, Jason Dunda, Darlys Ewoldt, Deirdre Fox, Rhonda Gates, Shelley Gilchrist, Tanya Gill, Rita Grendze, Camryn Gulledge, Denis Hagen, Fletcher Hayes, Alan Hobscheid, Ellen Holtzblatt, Larsen Husby, Jeff Ignatius, Shane-Jahi Jackson, Noah Kashiani, Paula Kloczkowski Luberda, Kara Knutson, John Kurman, Diane Lamboley, Isaiah Lee, Braydon Letsinger, Diane Levesque, Tanya Lunina, Lisa Madden, Ellen Mahaffy, Valerie Mangion, T. Michael Martin, Madeline Martin, Aeron Maxwell, Don McCurdy, Tom McHale, Nancie King Mertz, Renee Meyer Ernst, Ryan Peter Miller, Zach Mory, Therese Mulgrew, Louisa Murzyn, Catherine Nelson, Dan Oliver, Robert C Osborne, Mark Pack, Mielle Park, Lorraine Peltz, Denise Presnell, Jessie Rebik, Jason Reblando, CoCo Ree Lemery, Kimberly Rodey, Kurt Schabell, Edwin Shelton, Dan Simoneau, DeAnna Skedel, Kathy Snow Stratton, Shalen Stephenson, Dan Swanson, Tori Tasch, Ron Testa, Ged Trias, Mark Weller, A M Yeager

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Tags: A M Yeager, Aeron Maxwell, Alan Hobscheid, Anita Dawson, Audrey Barcio, Benjamin Cook, Bob Cholke, Bobbye Cochran, Braydon Letsinger, Brent Cole, Brian DePauli, Bridget Conn, Camryn Gulledge, Catherine Nelson, CoCo Ree Lemery, Dan Oliver, Dan Simoneau, Dan Swanson, Danielle Casali, Darlys Ewoldt, DeAnna Skedel, Deborah Brooks, Deidre Argyle, Deirdre Fox, Denis Hagen, Denise Presnell, Diane Lamboley, Diane Levesque, Don McCurdy, Dragana Crnjak, Edwin Shelton, ellen holtzblatt, Ellen Mahaffy, Ethan Chan, Fletcher Hayes, Gary Cudworth, Ged Trias, Geornica Daniels, H. Buchholz, Heidi Bailey, IL, Isaiah Lee, Jacob Del Negro, Jason Beck, Jason Dunda, Jason Reblando, Jeff Ignatius, Jennifer Bock Nelson, Jessie Rebik, Jill Birschbach, John Kurman, Kara Knutson, Karen Azarnia, Kathy Snow Stratton, Kevin Corotis, Kimberly Rodey, Kurt Schabell, Larsen Husby, Lauren Bertelson, Lisa Madden, Lois Bielefeld, Lorraine Peltz, Louisa Murzyn, Madeline Martin, Mark Blassage, Mark Brautigam, Mark Pack, Mark Weller, Michael Banning, Midwestern Biennial 2026, Mielle Park, Nancie King Mertz, Nelson Armour, Noah Kashiani, Patricia Baldwin Seggebruch, Paula Kloczkowski Luberda, Rebecca Bissi, Rebecca Carlton, Renee Meyer Ernst, Rhonda Gates, Rita Grendze, Robert C Osborne, Rockford, Ron Testa, Roy Cacek, Ryan Peter Miller, Sessah DelaRue, Shalen Stephenson, Shane-Jahi Jackson, Sharon Bladholm, Shelley Gilchrist, T. Michael Martin, Tanya Gill, Tanya Lunina, Therese Mulgrew, Tom McHale, Tori Tasch, uke Achterberg, Valerie Mangion, Victoria Bein, Zach Mory