AVA Mission: We envision an arts-based community partnership in which every citizen has opportunities to explore, experience, and develop an appreciation for the visual arts in order to maximize their potential.

Membership Forms: If you are interested in becoming a member of AVA you may stop by the AVA Gallery at the Langlade County Historical Museum, 404 Superior St., Antigo and pick-up an application form. While you are at it, visit the gallery. You will probably see where your art work would fit in perfectly. Membership forms can also be downloaded here.

AVA Artists: Antigo Visual Arts is a group of diversified artists. Currently our membership includes painters working in mixed media, acrylics, oils, watercolors, pastels, pencil, mosaics and more. We also have potters, photographers, sculptors, woodcarvers, fabric artists, even metal fabricators. As you can see, regardless of your medium you are welcome to join AVA.

2024 AVA Gallery Shows: In 2024, AVA is sponsoring 3 judged art shows. The judged shows are open to the public. You do not have to join AVA to enter your work in a judged art show, but entry fees are reduced for AVA members. AVA is also sponsoring a 2023 Holiday Gift Shop. The Gift Shop is only open to AVA members.

Sell Your Work: Entries for all AVA shows must be priced. Details are on each show entry form. While AVA receives some income from its membership dues, it also depends on income from the sale of artwork to meet expenses. For this reason, we cannot accept entries that are NFS (not for sale). We ask our artists to price their work realizing that they will receive 75% of the price. The remaining 25% goes to AVA. Antigo Visual Arts then gives half of this amount or 12.5% to the Langlade County Historical Museum.

AVA Awards: All judged shows feature ribbons and cash awards for first, second and third place. Honorable mention ribbons are given at the discretion of the judge. The amount of the cash awards is determined by the number of entries. Entry fees are the primary source of funding for the cash awards.

WRAP: Our spring AVA gallery opening is a Wisconsin Regional Arts Program (WRAP) exhibit. The WRAP program consists of many artist workshop/exhibits that meet throughout the year statewide. Each one has a different artist demonstration or slide lecture and may have a different judge to lead a critique. You may enter as many WRAP workshops as you like. Your artwork will be on exhibit in different communities. If your work is selected for the state exhibit at 2 different workshops, you may choose which ONE you want to submit to the state exhibit. For more information contact WRAP Coordinator, Rose Bauknecht.

WRAP-Teen: Wisconsin Regional Arts Program - Teen (WRAP-Teen) is designed similar to WRAP, but provides artists ages 13-19 an opportunity to exhibit their work in both regional and state exhibits. Antigo holds a WRAP-Teen exhibit at the Antigo Public Library (APL) yearly. For more information contact WRAP-Teen Coordinator, Danna Gabriel. More information can be found on WRAP and WRAP-Teen on the Association of Wisconsin Artists website: https://wiscartists.wildapricot.org 

AVA Receptions: Every judged show has a reception. AVA receptions are always open to the public. Cash awards along with a ribbon are presented to the winning artists at the reception. If the artist is not present he/she will receive their cash award by mail within 15 days. The ribbon remains with the artwork in the gallery until the next show. AVA receptions also provide an opportunity for all AVA artists to get together to visit, discuss art, their families, life in the North Woods and just about anything else that happens to come up.

Holiday Gift Shop: For the past several years, the AVA Gallery has hosted a Holiday Gift Shop. Participation in the Gift Shop is only available to AVA members.

Art in the Library: AVA also coordinates the Antigo Art in the Library program. We provide artists who work with the library staff to assist in displaying and changing-out artwork several times a year. You do not need to be an AVA member to display your work in the Library. If you are interested, you can download the Art in the Library exhibit form here.

Art in the Senior Center: Several AVA artists have their art hanging in the Senior Center of Langlade County. There is no commission on art sold in the Senior Center. The artist receives 100% of the sale price. The center is located in the old Family Video building at 904 Fifth Avenue. Art in the Senior Center changes out twice a year.

AVA Members: An AVA member is an artist who has elected to join AVA by paying their annual dues. AVA memberships are $25 for a single membership, $35 for a family membership, or $15 for a student membership. Student memberships are open to artists 13 to19 years of age. They can be full-time students enrolled in an accredited school or home schooled. Scholarships are available for student artists.

AVA Meetings: AVA members meet at the Antigo Public Library located at 617 Clermont Street at 6 PM on dates listed, unless otherwise noted on our Facebook page (see us on Facebook under Antigo Visual Arts). NOTE: For any number of reasons this schedule can change. Please scroll to the bottom of our AVA Events page for up to date information.

AVA Art Center: Introducing our newest venture! We have secured a lease with the Hogan Street Cottages and are thrilled to announce the opening of the AVA Art Center in February of 2024. Conveniently situated within the complex's community building at 1350 Hogan Street, the center welcomes AVA members to participate by staffing open studio sessions or leading classes to share their art expertise.  

Community Benefits: Your AVA membership offers, not only AVA artists, but all area artists several benefits. Funds generated by dues-paying artists has allowed AVA to. . .

• Provide an identity to area artists
• Provide a learning experience for artists at all levels
• Host judged shows with cash award
• Provide funds for cash awards and ribbons
• Provide opportunities to create larger scale art through our public art program
• Provide opportunities to mentor youth through AWA's STAMP program.
• Provide opportunities for area artists to showcase their work at AWA's Statewide WRAP conference.
• Contribute to Art in the Library through a cash donation to the Library Foundation