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The Madison Museum of Contemporary Art (MMoCA) is accepting applications for the 69th annual Art Fair on the Square, a juried fine art show and fundraiser.
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Get matched →The Madison Museum of Contemporary Art (MMoCA) is accepting applications for the 69th annual Art Fair on the Square. This event brings nearly 200,000 visitors to Wisconsin's Capitol Concourse and is one of the largest art fairs in the Midwest, rated among the top fine art shows by artists nationwide. It serves as MMoCA's most important annual fundraiser, supporting exhibitions, art education, and programming. In 2026, artists reported average sales of $9,500 or more per booth, with total artists' sales estimated at $3.7 million.
Every listing links to the organizer's official page. Always confirm deadlines, fees, and entry rules there before you apply.
Artwork will be evaluated on the criteria of skill, originality, impact, and design. Jurors use a remote process facilitated through Zapplication, assessing four images (three representative of your work, one clearly showing your booth). Images are the sole factor evaluated; names, prices, and residential information are not provided to jurors. Each of the artist's four images is viewed individually and then simultaneously side by side on a scoring page. Each juror scores every entry on a scale of one to seven. New jurors are selected each year. Artists applying in the 'Emerging Artist' category will undergo additional scrutiny, research, and review by MMoCA staff.
MMoCA supports early career artists by offering an "Emerging Artist" category for those with little or no experience exhibiting and selling at art fairs. This provides exposure, sales opportunities, and communication with potential patrons at an event attended by 150,000-200,000 art enthusiasts. Emerging artists should review general information and rules for this block at mmoca.org/event/art-fair-on-the-square/emerging-artist-block/.
Acceptable Canopy Dimensions: 10´ x 10´. Due to emergency lane access requirements, each booth space on the Capitol Concourse has specific layouts.
If MMoCA must cancel the 2027 Art Fair on the Square due to causes beyond its reasonable control (e.g., acts of God, public health crises, governmental acts), MMoCA will refund booth fees paid by artists less a $50 per refund processing fee.