The first “Foot in the Door Show” was the brainchild of the Artist Panel of the Minneapolis Artist Exhibition Program (MAEP), a curatorial program of Mia dedicated to exhibiting and supporting artists living and working in Minnesota. Early MAEP critics had expressed concern that the artist-run program would “let anyone into the museum.” The panel’s response was to do just that—invite all Minnesota artists to join the “Foot in the Door Show,” as long as each work was no larger than one cubic foot.
In 1980, the first “Foot in the Door” featured work by 740 artists. It was a fantastic success—a whirlwind of images and ideas coalescing into one gallery. And so was born an arts community event. In 1990, “The Other Foot in the Door Show” grew to include works by nearly 900 artists. By 2000, the exhibition featured the work of over 1,700 artists. In 2010, “Foot in the Door 4” officially became the state’s largest art exhibition, presenting nearly 5,000 works; these included video and multimedia works.
Held once every 10 years, “Foot in the Door” is an open exhibition for all Minnesota artists. Now marking its fourth decade, this exhibition celebrates the talent, diversity, and enthusiasm of Minnesota’s visual artists. This is an important event for the arts community and a great opportunity for artists to display their work at Mia. The sole curatorial criteria? Each submission must fit within one cubic foot.