The Minnesota Artists Exhibition Program (MAEP) at the Minneapolis Institute of the Arts hosts a show every 10 years called Foot in the Door, an open exhibition for all Minnesota artists.  It is unjuried, the only requirement is that the finished work be less than 12″x12″x12″.  Today, I dropped off the vessel I display on the front page of my website and as the header in this blog, Painted Vessel.

This is 5″x3.5″x3.5″, a self-supporting vessel in brick stitch.  I completed it in 2007.  This and perhaps 3,000-4,000 other works will be on display at MIA from February 19th-June 13th.  All pieces will be displayed in the three MAEP galleries.

I am very glad I was able to be in line shortly after it opened, as I had to wait only 45 minutes.  The line was perhaps 2.5 hours long when I left.

This is a large circular rotunda.  At the upper left, you see people bent over the receiving tables; there were perhaps 8 staff accepting works.  The line wrapped 2.5 times around this rotunda when I started waiting in line — at this point, I am on the last leg of that wait.  You see the line continuing downstairs through the railing, so it was around the rotunda 2.5 times on the 2nd floor, down the steps (these are tall ceilings, so a good number of steps), twice around the lower rotunda, and out the door into the exterior courtyard!