Trailhead Gallery 2027: Minnesota Call for Local Photography and Wall-Ready Digital Art
The Loppet Foundation invites local artists to its 2027 Trailhead Gallery season
The Loppet Foundation is inviting artists from the Twin Cities and surrounding area in Minnesota to propose exhibitions for the 2027 calendar year at the Trailhead Gallery. The gallery is inside The Trailhead at Theodore Wirth Park in Minneapolis, a year-round meeting place for walkers, skiers, cyclists, runners, birdwatchers and other outdoor users. The programme gives local artists a place to show their work in a community setting, rather than in a conventional commercial gallery.
Priority consideration will be given to applications submitted from 15 October through 15 November 2026. The organiser's detailed call, distributed by Springboard for the Arts, says that later submissions may still be reviewed on a rolling basis where space remains. November 15 is therefore the priority date, not an absolute guarantee that all submissions made later are barred or that late applicants will find an open slot.
Who is eligible: Twin Cities and surrounding-area artists
The call welcomes emerging and established artists based in the Twin Cities and surrounding areas. It gives priority to Minnesota-based practitioners, especially those whose work reflects the experience of being outdoors and the surrounding community. This local emphasis should not be recast as a fully international opportunity offering travel or relocation support to artists on other continents.
The Loppet Foundation also encourages applications from artists whose backgrounds reflect the diversity of the communities it serves, including BIPOC and queer artists. The call is intended to welcome a range of creative perspectives; it does not publish a restricted age bracket, a required fine-arts degree or a specified minimum number of previous gallery exhibitions.
Suitable media: photography, prints, mixed media and other hangable works
Trailhead Gallery is primarily designed for two-dimensional work that can be hung from a wall: photographs, drawings, paintings, printmaking, fibre-based art and mixed media are among the examples given. Small three-dimensional or sculptural pieces may also be considered if they can safely be fixed to the wall. A photographic series or digital illustration produced as a physical print could fit this presentation format.
Digital production is not the same thing as permission to install digital equipment. The 2027 call does not guarantee monitors, software, video playback, interactive sensors, sound systems or projection facilities. Artists working in 3D modelling, generative systems or moving image should consider whether a thoughtfully produced, wall-ready still image or sequence would communicate the project, and should ask the gallery before assuming a screen-based installation is eligible.
Exhibition scale: 8–12 pieces, with clear size and weight limits
Exhibitions generally include eight to twelve pieces depending on their dimensions. The published guideline sets a maximum of 24 by 36 inches for each work and five pounds per piece. It also mentions that there may be scope to feature one or two larger pieces by agreement. These figures describe the expected physical art on the walls, not the pixel dimensions required for an email submission.
Works need frames or appropriate mounting hardware so they can hang securely using hooks or temporary hardware. For a photographer or digital artist, the framing material and print substrate therefore matter as much as the image quality. For a print larger than the standard limit, or a heavy object, the artist should request advance confirmation rather than presume an exception will be approved.
The exhibition is unpaid, and artists retain direct-sale proceeds
The organiser explicitly describes Trailhead Gallery as an unpaid exhibition opportunity. Artists receive exposure in a publicly used building but are not promised a fee or stipend for displaying their work. A prize or artist honorarium should not be inferred from the chance to exhibit in a high-traffic venue. The application notice also does not advertise a separate budget for printing, framing, shipping or installation materials.
Artists retain 100 percent of sales made directly to buyers. This is not a claim that the gallery will handle payments, shipping or sales administration on behalf of exhibitors: the transaction is directly between artist and buyer. Anyone planning to offer photographic prints or editions should consider clear prices, edition information, buyer contact and delivery arrangements.
Public themes: environment, local wildlife, inclusion and outdoor life
The organisers seek work connected to the Foundation's mission of bringing people into meaningful relationships with the outdoors. Themes specifically highlighted include nature and wildlife in Minnesota, habitat restoration, sustainability, community bonds, inclusion, outdoor health and wellbeing, and playful experiences outside. This is a curatorial invitation, not a requirement that every image depict an identifiable species or landmark.
A photographic project could explore local waterways, neighbourhood trails or human encounters in a park. A digital artist might create a series of prints using ecological data as a conceptual starting point, so long as the actual imagery is prepared for wall display. These are editorial examples, not promises that all AI-assisted, computational or technical methods will be accepted without curatorial review.
How to apply: one email, an artist statement and four to eight images
Applications go directly to art@loppet.org. The organiser requests the email subject 'Trailhead Gallery Submission – [Artist Name]'. The message should include an artist statement of up to 300 words, a short biography or résumé, and four to eight images of the proposed work. For each image, include the medium and approximate size. Links to a website, social media or online portfolio may be added but are optional.
It helps to send files that are easy to view and clearly labelled, and to check that links do not require a private account. Because the call is for a physical gallery show, documentation should show not only the composition of the artwork but also the likely display format. The call does not publish a universal maximum email attachment size, pixel count or number of pages for an artist CV, so applicants should not assume invented technical thresholds.
Selection, installation and the planned four-to-six-week exhibition
Shows are expected to run for approximately four to six weeks each during 2027. The Loppet's Art Committee makes the selections; its members are volunteers drawn from artists, local community members, Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board staff, and Loppet personnel. Neither a fixed month for every successful applicant nor a guaranteed number of exhibition slots is announced in the 2027 notice.
Loppet staff will collaborate with the selected artist to decide which works are appropriate and will assist with hanging and taking down the show on agreed dates. This is installation help for eligible physical artworks, not a commitment to fabricate new pieces or provide specialist AV engineering. Applicants should be prepared to discuss transport, framing and the safety of the proposed hanging method.
Priority deadline, 2027 source documents and organiser contact
Priority applications are those received between 15 October and 15 November 2026. After 15 November, proposals can be considered on a rolling basis if the gallery still has space. This is important because third-party directory listings can display a different end-of-month deadline; the detailed 2027 opportunity posted by Springboard for the Arts is more specific about the priority and rolling-submission arrangement.
The full 2027 call, including eligibility, wall requirements, selection and how to apply, is published by Springboard for the Arts: https://springboardforthearts.org/opportunity/call-for-artists-exhibit-at-the-trailhead-gallery-at-theodore-wirth-park/ . The Loppet Foundation's own gallery overview is at https://loppet.org/trailheads-trails/art-at-the-loppet/ . Submit to art@loppet.org with the requested subject line. Exhibition venue: The Trailhead, 1221 Theodore Wirth Parkway, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Follow the organiser's updated instructions if any details change.