Inspired by La Crosse

Annual Art Competition presented by Pump House Regional Arts Center

Thank you for Applying to the 2026 Inspired by La Crosse Art Competition! A jury will review all applications and artist will be notified by the end of the month.

Winners will be announced and awarded publicly at Artspire, on Saturday, June 13 at 3:45 PM.

Inspired by La Crosse is an annual juried art competition celebrating the creativity and spirit of the La Crosse region. This art competition is coordinated in conjunction with Artspire La Crosse, the largest annual arts celebration in downtown La Crosse, produced by the Pump House Regional Arts Center.

This competition encourages creation of diverse interpretations of what it means to be inspired by La Crosse, from scenes of local topography and river life to cultural reflections and personal stories rooted in the region. Submissions are open to artists working in a variety of media, and selected pieces help enliven public spaces while connecting the community through the power of visual art.

Selected artworks announced publicly at Artspire on June 13, 2026 and will be displayed at the La Crosse City Hall.

Application Requirements

Submission How-To Guide

Please view this .PDF document for a Step-By-Step Guide if you come across any questions in your application process.

Topic: The jury is looking for wall pieces that are inspired by La Crosse- the area, culture, topography, etc.
Quantity: 1 submission per artist.
Jury Fee: $25
Size limit: Submitted work will be no larger than 60″ wide and 48″ tall, and no heavier than 40 lbs.
Display: Pieces must be ready to hang and already framed, if necessary. No 3D artwork should be submitted.
Sale: Pieces may be for sale. A label will be displayed next to work with artist information and price which you will provide in your application. All sales go through Pump House.
Artwork will display bi-annually. ‘Display Timeslot 1’ selected pieces will be displayed June 2026-December 2026 and ‘Display Timeslot 2’ selected pieces will be displayed December 2026-June 2027. Work sold during the duration will not be available for pick up until following the selected display timeline. Artwork may not come down early.
Winning Artists must sign an agreement for liability.

Timeline

Submissions accepted via online application March 5 – May 5, 2026.
Pump House will jury artwork May 6 – May 21, 2026
Applicants contacted May 22, 2026
Selected winners for Display Timeslot 1 will need to drop off their artwork at the Pump House by June 6
All winners for both display timeslots will be announced and awarded $200 cash prize at Artspire on Saturday, June 13. (Award time to be announced)
Artwork selected for ‘Display Timeslot 1’ will be shown at Pump House from June 15-30, 2026 (closed 15-17)
Artwork selected for ‘Display Timeslot 1’ will be taken to City Hall on July 1 and there until December 21, 2026
Selected artwork for ‘Display Timeslot 2’ will need to drop off their artwork at the Pump House by December 16, 2026
Artwork will be taken to City Hall on December 21 and there until June 30, 2027

Inspired by La Crosse 2025 Winners

Inspired by La Crosse is an art competition put on by the Pump House Regional Arts Center to publicly showcase our areas artists and enliven our public spaces! Three winners will be announced and their pieces will be displayed in City Hall for one year. This project is sponsored by the City of La Crosse – Arts Board.

Joni Welda

“Floodplain Forests”

Canvas Photograph

$250 – SOLD

My photography is a culmination of images through my travels through the driftless. I follow the seasons of flora and fauna year round in an attempt to capture all the beauty that is in our area and I am driven by a lifelong passion for life along the Upper Mississippi River.

Sophia Fox

“Mississippi Pearls”

Embroidery, felt, pearl buttons on salvaged cotton

$200 – SOLD

I am a visual artist based in La Crosse, Wisconsin and Minneapolis, Minnesota. Quilting traditions are foundational to my work. I was taught how to sew at a young age, and those generational skills and stories shared by my grandmother embedded themselves into my art practice at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Needlework is a quiet, laborious process where a certain affection and care develops between myself and the material I hold over time.

Jennifer Rehberg

“The Meandering Miss”

Watercolor Painting

$450

Jennifer Rehberg is a self-taught watercolor artist. Over the years, she practiced and learned from other artists who specialize in watercolors. As a result, she has come to understand the importance of composition, effective use of colors, and creating various textures. Her paintings are a mix of landscapes, birds, rusty tractors, and old buildings.

Inspired by La Crosse 2024 Winners

The 2024 Inspired by La Crosse winners were announced at Artspire on Saturday, June 8. Their pieces will be displayed and for sale in City Hall for one year.

This project is sponsored by the City of La Crosse – Arts Board.

Marlie Voigt

“End Scene”

Woodcut Relief Print

$300

Marlie Voight is an artist based in La Crosse, WI. After the death of the artist’s maternal grandmother, their family histories went silent. Faced with a constant, fervent desire to know more about the people they come from, Marlie explores the cycles of love, death, and the greater world around them in “end scene.” Voigt has used art throughout their life as a form of communication, coming more naturally than words. They use art to process major life events and to connect with their family history.

Pete Mutschler

“La Crosse Reflection”

Photography

$300

Pete Mutschler is a Winona Minnesota-based photographer. His current focus is capturing the energy and passion created by communities. Pete’s goal is to create images that capture what makes a community special. Pete believes strongly in Ansel Adam’s statement; “You don’t take a photograph, you make it.”

Jandi Small

“Checking the Ice”

Oil Painting

$350

Oil painter Jandi Small currently lives in the beautiful Driftless area of Southeast Minnesota and aims to capture the grandeur and allure of nature in this unique area. Her current technique involves working in oils on canvas mounted to birch panels, utilizing a more impressionistic style over realism. Jandi seeks to convey a strong sense of the magic that she feels in nature, that sense that there is another more vibrant and colorful reality that not everyone can glimpse.