Sep. 16—The Fine Arts Show at the Minnesota State Fair is called the state’s largest juried art exhibition. It usually features 300 or more works from thousands entered by artists across Minnesota.
A little math indicates that a leaves behind a lot of “rejected art.” Some of those pieces are on display through Sept. 26 in the annual “Rejected Exhibition” at AZ Gallery in Lowertown St. Paul. This year’s show has photography, paintings and some sculptures.
Organizer Jeff Henningsgaard explains in an email: “It all began when local photographers started posting their rejected images on social media. Some amazing images were shared and it was a great way for the community to rally around fellow artists and give support. The idea of starting their own show was brought up and Tomas Alvarez and (I) took on the challenge. This year, the show has opened to all types of art media, bringing a new excitement to the Minnesota art community. Painting, sculpture, mixed media and, of course, photography are all now included.” This is the fifth year for the exhibition, which took a COVID break in 2020.
The Rejected Exhibition is running in conjunction with The Art Bike Show curated by artist Amy Clark, which features classic bikes and art that celebrates all things on two wheels.
AZ Gallery is located at 308 Prince St. The exhibition is open during gallery hours: 5-8 p.m. Fridays and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. For info: theazgallery.org.