The 96th Michigan Contemporary Art Exhibition continues a rich legacy of showcasing the work of Michigan artists, from talented beginners to accomplished professionals, at the Muskegon Museum of Art (MMA) from September 18 – November 19. A public reception and awards ceremony will be held on Thursday, September 18 at 5 PM.

 

The Michigan Contemporary Art Exhibition began in 1929 and is the longest-running juried show of its kind in Michigan. The exhibition presents a look at the issues, themes, and materials inspiring today’s Michigan artists. A visitor favorite, the exhibition engages, challenges, and inspires conversation and allows the public the opportunity to purchase artwork featured in the show.

 

In its 96th year, the Michigan Contemporary Art Exhibition features 150 Michigan artists from across the state with artwork ranging in media from painting, printmaking, drawing, sculpture, ceramics, textiles, jewelry, photography, installation, and more. Fifteen prizes are awarded to artists with the largest prize being $1,500 for Best of Show. Prizewinners will be announced on Thursday, September 18, during the opening reception and awards ceremony. Most works of art in the exhibition are available for the public to purchase.

 

Ayana Ross, a figurative realist painter and winner of the 2021 Bennett Prize, selected the works in the exhibition this year. Ross is a visual artist whose work combines traditional oil painting methods with the elaborate treatment of patterns and decorative design as a visual language to evoke nostalgia, elevate her subjects, and provide greater context into her work. She has been recognized as the 2021 winner of the Bennett Prize, the 2022 recipient of the National Black Art Festival Award in Visual Arts, the Pittsburgh Foundation’s Eben Demarest Award in 2024, and was a Spring 2024 Mellon Arts and Practitioner Fellow through the Center of Race, Indigeneity and Transnational Migration at Yale University. 

 

A public opening reception and artist award ceremony will be held at the Muskegon Museum of Art on Thursday, September 18 at 5 PM.

 

The 96th Michigan Contemporary Art Exhibition is sponsored by Warner Norcross & Judd.

 

For more information or questions, contact Kristina Broughton at kbrought@muskegonartmuseum.org or call at (231) 720-2574.