M State Fergus Falls Opens 52nd Annual Invitational Art Show This Spring
M State's Charles Beck Gallery opened its 52nd annual Invitational Art Show today, featuring 148 works by 80 artists from more than two dozen area communities.
148 works by 80 artists from more than two dozen area communities arrived at the Charles Beck Gallery on the M State Fergus Falls campus this week, marking the opening of the 52nd annual M State Invitational Art Show. "This year's invitational features 148 works by 80 artists from more than two dozen area communities, representing a rich mix of materials and approaches," says Lori Charest, M State ceramics instructor, art collection curator and longtime organizer of the invitational.
The 2026 Invitational Art Show opened at the Charles Beck Gallery this Thursday, March 26, and will remain on display through Saturday, May 16. Works will be displayed during M State's spring choir and band concerts, theatre production, Empty Bowls fundraiser and campus commencement ceremony, giving the exhibit exposure to a broad cross-section of campus visitors throughout the spring.
"Each year, this show offers something new, and it's rewarding to see how the exhibit comes together as a collective reflection of our region's creative energy," Charest added. Charest has been the ceramics instructor at M State since 2003, and she and her husband have owned The Potter Daughter pottery store and studio on Otter Tail Lake.
Accepted media include original paintings, drawings, sculpture, printmaking, jewelry, collages, pottery, photography, wood turning and textiles; AI-generated or NFT works are not accepted. No entry fee is charged, nor does M State take any commission on works sold while on exhibit, making the show a no-cost sales opportunity for participating artists. Each artwork must carry identification and a price, or an estimated value if not for sale.
An artists' reception will be held on the final day of the exhibit, May 16, from 1-3 p.m. in Legacy Hall on the M State Fergus Falls campus. Artwork pickup is scheduled for after 3 p.m. that same day.
The gallery is free and open to the public during regular M State Fergus Falls campus hours. Artists and viewers with questions can contact Lori Charest at lori.charest@minnesota.edu or 218.736.1653.
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