Feature image: Door County Contemporary at PenArt, Fish Creek, Wisconsin. Photo: Artdose magazine.
By Frank Juárez
The air was buzzing with excitement. Galleries were ready to showcase their presentations with the public and each other. If you attended last year’s Door County Contemporary (DCC), you could see a difference in the increase in art, galleries, programming, sponsorships; to name a few. Events like this take a lot of time, energy, and resources. The picturesque Door County was the ideal backdrop for this annual art fair organized by Jaymee Harvey Willms, Josh Hintz, Shane Walsh, and Shane McAdams. Each contributing their skill set to create a memorable art experience for art fair goers, gallerists, and artists.
A broader art experience
A new energy was felt during the 2026 Door County Contemporary art fair at PenArt in Fish Creek, Wisconsin, June 4 – 7, with curiosity, connection, and optimism. In speaking with returning gallerists, attendees, artists, and non-profit arts organizations, there was a sense of familiarity with some unexpected additions such as the transformation of the rotunda showcasing project spaces, activating the grounds with public art, interviewing guests on the Bad at Sports Podcast, a make-n-take tent facilitated by the John Michael Kohler Arts Center, and a dedicated outdoor space for programming.
Designing an educational component to the art fair where attendees can hear first-hand about the Wisconsin art landscape, ranging from sustaining the arts in Door County Arts to collecting art, Bronzeville Center for the Arts to learning about Claire Ashley’s inflatable artworks as DCC’s inaugural artist in residence, presented a local and statewide representation of diverse perspectives that continue to nurture creativity, community, and embrace what the Midwest has to offer. Embedding this to an event is an effective way for engagement and for others to connect to a cultural experience, gaining another outlook into contemporary art.
New exhibition space
In the Rotunda, there were 4 galleries that were part of a new addition called Project Space, which featured Addendum, Artdose projects, One-Off Exhibitions, and Real Tinsel. The booths measured 8 x 8 feet; smaller in comparison to the other booths. The location became a meeting point for many as they went from West Hall to North Hall. In total, 24 galleries from Colorado, Denmark, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, and Wisconsin participated in this year’s art fair. 14 galleries returned and 10 were new. They were 65 Grand (Chicago, IL), Abel Contemporary Gallery(Stoughton, WI), Addendum (Bay View, WI), Andrew Rafacz (Chicago, IL), Artdose projects (Sheboygan, WI), CANADA NYC (New York City, NY), crosswalk (Chicago, IL), Devening Projects (Chicago, IL), HAGD Contemporary(Denmark, UK), Hair + Nails (Minneapolis, MN), Kim Storage Gallery (Milwaukee, WI), Nick Ryan Gallery (Denver, CO), No Instructions (Bay View, WI), Oliva Gallery (Chicago, IL), One-Off Exhibitions (Milwaukee, WI), OS Projects(Racine, WI), Portrait Society Gallery (Milwaukee, WI), Real Tinsel (Milwaukee, WI), Special Effects (Kansas City, MO), Tandem Press (Madison, WI), The Green Gallery (Milwaukee, WI), The Plan (Chicago, IL), Var Gallery (Milwaukee, WI), and Western Exhibitions (Chicago, IL).
Along the perimeter of the Rotunda were non-profit arts organizations such as Björklunden, John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Miller Art Museum, Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, Trout Museum of Art, and Sculpture Milwaukee. This provided a glimpse of what Wisconsin institutions offer to their communities.
Traveling from afar
People traveled from Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, and from across Wisconsin to attend the art fair. For 4 days, DCC felt like the center of the art world. Some came for a day whereas some attended multiple days like local artist and gallery director Ginnie Cappaert from Cappaert Contemporary (Egg Harbor, WI). She said, “I believe in what they are doing in bringing collectors from all over to experience Door County and contemporary art. It was well organized and well represented by galleries from across the Midwest and beyond. It hopefully raised awareness of contemporary art. It really is wonderful to share our “Door County” with others. We are an art mecca here and between the Plein Air Fest and the Contemporary Art Fair it just keeps getting better.”
DCC’s social media presence, published interviews, signage, and a billboard gained the interest of Maggie Pavão and Jessica Kooiman Parker, KP Cultural (Traverse City, MI). My first encounter with KP Cultural was on Instagram, so meeting them in person was a pleasure. DCC has become a conduit for people to gather.
“Amid the area’s natural beauty and PenArt’s unique architecture, Door County Contemporary’s relaxed and intimate atmosphere fostered authentic connections and dialogue. The opportunity to meet gallerists, artists, arts workers, and collectors–all dedicated to nurturing the Midwest’s burgeoning creative economy–left us inspired and full of energy. The region is experiencing incredible momentum, and we are thankful to DCC for shaping an art fair to both witness and support the work being created here. We found the work to be accessible yet uniquely experimental; we were excited to see the risks artists are taking and the boundaries they are pushing across disciplines. The fair’s programming was well-considered, touching on all of these themes and sparking timely conversations about how to better support artists and the arts in our communities.” – Maggie Pavāo and Jessica Kooiman Parker.
Returning gallerist, Amy Kligman, Special Effects Gallery (Kansas City, MO), said, “I loved the cohort! The organizers have pulled together a strong and well-curated group of galleries. They (who are all accomplished artists as well as arts workers) bring their passion to this project- the result is an accessible, warm, welcoming experience highlighting contemporary art primarily made and exhibited in the Midwest. It’s wonderful to be in such great company.”
Rasmus Fischer‘s, HAGD Contemporary (Denmark, UK), first experience was motivated by curiosity. He said, “I have exhibited at and visited a great many art fairs over the years, and it has become quite clear that the more prominent fairs often strive to be as large as possible. Many feature more than 100 or even 200 galleries, and for me that takes away some of the intimacy and charm. That is why I have consciously focused on smaller fairs this year, and Door County Contemporary fits perfectly with what I am looking for: small-scale, manageable, featuring strong galleries, and offering a much greater sense of closeness and connection.”
Having the space to have conversations and getting to know artists and gallerists is typically something you do not experience at larger art fairs. Personally, this is what I enjoyed the most. It isn’t always about what sells, but what you leave with.
I was able to find the time to walk around to see how things were going. What I learned is that every gallery had its own goals for participating in DCC. For some, it wasn’t always about selling art but testing a new art market. It was an opportunity to put the spotlight on emerging artists or introduce young galleries that have entered the art world such as Crosswalk Gallery (Chicago), One-Off Exhibitions (Milwaukee), and Addendum (Milwaukee). However, participating in an art fair comes with expenses. Galleries need to recoup those expenses. But this isn’t always the case. About 66% did not sell art or sold a minimal amount resulting in not breaking even whereas 34% sold art to break even or made a profit. This is the nature of selling art. It is unpredictable. Which brings the question, how will this impact 2027? Will galleries return? Adapt? Or, decide to become attendees?
For HAGD Contemporary, Fischer said, “I thought it was a very good fair, and I am ready to participate again. I now have a much better understanding of the dynamics and challenges of DCC, and I can clearly improve both my own approach and the design and presentation of our booth.”
Returning gallerist, Kimberly Oliva, Oliva Gallery, (Chicago, IL) said, “I did have meaningful content and discussions with artists, students, curators and collectors about the Oliva Gallery roster and that is a win. Plus, I got to have FaceTime with so many in the industry and hopefully continue to develop relationships with so many that I had not known prior to our DCC launch in the opening year.”
Leaving with optimism
“This year was even better than last, and I am sure, will keep growing and surprising people. Everything just flowed, it didn’t feel like a fair in year 2. There were exciting talks and events scheduled throughout the fare, Bad at Sports set up shop and interviewed many, many participants. It was just amazing. And what I liked very much was meeting gallerists like me. I made a good number of new friends in the industry, with whom I will be keeping in contact moving forward, from start-ups like Chicago’s Crosswalk to CANADA NY who have been around for 20+ years.” – James Stepanek, No Instructions Gallery, (Milwaukee, WI).
“The fair still feels new, which means there is a lot of potential for growth. Building a network of community members who care about supporting the creative economy in Wisconsin is paramount to the fair’s success. I hope that DCC continues and hope that with each year the participants and attendees continue to show the art world that there is a market for contemporary art here in the Midwest, and that it’s one you don’t want to miss.” – Rachel Hausmann Schall, artist and co-editor of Artdose.
Conclusion
Having experienced last year’s DCC and this year through the lens of a sponsor to an exhibiting new gallery, I have a greater appreciation for what Jaymee, Josh, Shane, and Shane are doing to amplify contemporary art in the Midwest. I felt that last year’s DCC piqued curiosity. This year piqued curiosity and criticality. I have a couple of wonderings in response to DCC 2026. My initial thought of the art fair was that participating galleries were Midwest-based. I was confused to see some national and international galleries. The layout of the art fair felt comfortable considering the additional project space and non-profit arts organizations. Can we expect the same experience for 2027? If there is another expansion, what would this look like for the PenArt campus? I know, it is too early to tell. Knowing them, things will continue to evolve and that is something I am paying attention to and excited about.
I have always felt that the magic of this experience occurs after the event is over. Now, is the time to develop those new relationships, continue to support artists and galleries, and find ways to become an active participant in your art community.
See you in 2027.
Frank Juárez is an award-winning art educator, curator, arts writer, and arts advocate based in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Known for his commitment to elevating contemporary art and supporting Wisconsin artists, Juárez has spearheaded numerous initiatives, including the Midwest Artist Studios Project and the 365 Artists 365 Days Project. In addition to his roles as publisher of Artdose magazine and editor-in-chief of SchoolArts magazine, Juárez has curated exhibitions and juried art shows throughout the Midwest. His dedication to art education and advocacy has earned him numerous accolades, making him a pivotal figure in Wisconsin’s art community.
Connect with Frank at @artdosemagazineweekly.