January 1, 2026 - December 31, 2026
January 1, 2026
December 31, 2026
America/Chicago
2026 Exhibitions : We Hold These Truths
Introducing the 2026 Exhibition Theme
As we planned our exhibitions for 2026, the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the DAI team and a panel of regional arts professionals asked one powerful question: What is American art?
We reached a clear conclusion: American identity holds many truths—complex, diverse, and sometimes contradictory—and art uniquely expresses every story, perspective, challenge, and hope that shapes our nation’s past and present.
In 2026, we invite you to explore these truths with us. Throughout the year, we’ll host exhibitions, classes, and programs that celebrate the many facets of American art and identity.
Reflect, create, and share with us: What does your truth look like?
Read more about the theme
Exhibition Schedule
Q1: Truths of Culture and HistoryOn view January 12–April 3, 2026
Fur Trade Nation: An Ojibwe’s Graphic HistoryCarl Gawboy
Ojibwe Adornment In Ribbons, Cloth, Beads, and FurWendy Savage
Part of our 2026 "We Hold These Truths" programming.Funding provided by the Minnesota Humanities Center and the National Endowment for the Arts
Q2: Truths of Community
2026 Annual Member ShowTheme: We Hold These Truths
Part of our 2026 "We Hold These Truths" programming.Funding provided by the National Endowment for the Arts
Q3: Truths of Visual Language
Ish Meets a MermaidJonathan Thunder, Vera Bianchini, Camila Guillen
Send FlowersCody Paulson and Stephen Pestalozzi
Part of our 2026 "We Hold These Truths" programming.Funding provided by the National Endowment for the Arts
Q4: Truths of Self and Materials
Lauren Faherty, Robb Quisling, and Andrew Webster
Part of our 2026 "We Hold These Truths" programming.Funding provided by the National Endowment for the Arts
We Hold These Truths Events and Classes
[tribe_events tag="We Hold These Truths" view="list"]
Thank You to Our 2026 Exhibition Advisory Panel
Christina Woods, Deb Eagle, Tia Keobounpheng, Paul LaJeunesse, Wendy Savage, Jesse Switters, Madeline Kayser, Aurora Webster, Meg Litts, Robb Quisling, Jonathan Thunder, Sam Zimmerman
Duluth Art Institute
April 21, 2026 at 7:00pm - July 10, 2026 at 5:00pm
April 21, 2026
July 10, 2026
America/Chicago
Annual Member Show 2026
As we planned our 2026 exhibitions during the year of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, we came together with our advisory panel to explore a central question: What is American art?
No single answer could hold it.
America is not a singular voice, but a chorus—layered with histories, shaped by movement, memory, and multiplicity. Art becomes the vessel through which these truths surface, each work an offering, each artist a witness.
From this understanding, we grounded our 2026 classes and exhibitions in the theme: We Hold These Truths.
This year’s Annual Member Show invites artists into that inquiry—not to resolve it, but to deepen it. Through their work, they offer reflections drawn from identity, origin, experience, and process, contributing to an evolving conversation about what American art has been, is, and might become.
These works form a living dialogue about who we are and what we hold to be true within our community. Here, we witness what happens when expression stops being polite, or when a truth unfolds rather than being announced.
As you move through the exhibition, consider your place within it. Notice how these works, in conversation with one another, invite deeper reflection—where understanding is not fixed, but continually unfolding.
Add or renew your DAI membership to be a part of the next AMS
Congratulations to Natalija Walbridge, artist of the 2026 AMS People’s Choice Award-winning piece, “Green Heron.”
Timeline
April 21, 2026–July 10, 2026: Exhibition on view in the DAI Downtown Galleries
July 14, 2026, 9:00am–5:00pm CT: Artwork Pick-Up Day. Artworks must be picked up from the DAI galleries during this time by the artist. Contact the DAI Exhibitions Manager by email, if alternative pick-up plans are needed.
Duluth Art Institute
