MIA on Facebookr Foot in the Door on Flickr MAEP on Twitter Foot in the Door Group on Vimeo MIA on YouTube
Visit the MIA website
About the Exhibition

Held once every 10 years, "Foot in the Door" is an open exhibition for all Minnesota artists. This ever-popular exhibition celebrates the diversity and enthusiasm of Minnesota's visual — and, new this year, audio/video — artists. It's an important event for the arts community and a great opportunity for artists to display their work at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. The sole curatorial criteria? Each submission must fit within one cubic foot.


The History of "Foot in the Door" Exhibitions


The first Foot in the Door Show was developed by the MAEP's Artist Panel in 1979. Early critics of the MAEP were concerned that a program in which artists chose exhibitions would "let anyone into the museum." The panel's response was to do just that: invite all Minnesota artists to participate in the Foot in the Door Show at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, as long as each work was no larger than one cubic foot.

In 1980 the first Foot in the Door Exhibition featured work by 740 artists. It was a fantastic success—a whirlwind of images and ideas coalescing into one gallery. And so, an exhibition and arts community event was born. In 1990 The Other Foot in the Door Show grew to include works by nearly 900 artists. And by 2000, the exhibition had become legendary, featuring over 1700 artists, many of whom had participated in the previous two exhibitions.

Today, we're proud to present Foot in the Door 4 at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. It has grown to be the state's largest art exhibition, with nearly 5,000 works registered for the current show. This year, Foot in the Door 4 introduces video and multi-media works, which can be seen at vimeo.com/groups/footinthedoor4. Immerse yourself in Foot in the Door 4 and experience the creative energy of the Minnesota arts community.