Artability Solo Exhibition Sponsorship
Artability Solo Exhibition Sponsorship
Each year, Artability sponsors one participating artist to present a solo exhibition, supported by People Incorporated and a local gallery. This annual initiative is designed to celebrate artistic excellence within our community while expanding professional opportunities and public visibility for artists engaged in the Artability program.
The solo exhibition reflects Artability’s commitment to supporting artists who find healing through the arts—not only in their creative practice, but also in professional development, public presence, and meaningful recognition of their work. The selected artist will receive support from Artability staff in planning, promotion, and coordination of a solo exhibition at a community gallery partner.
Featured Solo Exhibition
Each year, Artability selects one artist to receive a sponsored solo exhibition, providing an opportunity to showcase a cohesive body of work in a professional gallery setting.
Our inaugural featured artist, Jane Gerus, presented SkyScraping in 2026—marking the launch of this annual initiative. Her exhibition reflected the depth, resilience, and creative evolution that define the Artability community.
We are grateful to Jane for helping establish this program and set the tone for future featured artists.
The next featured artist will be announced in early 2027 and will be held at Flux Arts in Northeast Minneapolis.
2505 NE Howard St, Minneapolis, MN 55418, USA
2120 2505 NE Howard St, Minneapolis, MN 55418, USA
Jane Gerus is the inaugural featured artist of the Artability Solo Exhibition Sponsorship program. Jane Gerus arrived in Minnesota from Ohio in 1979 at the age of 24, navigating both substance use disorder and a new diagnosis of schizophrenia. After being ejected from addiction treatment and a 12-step halfway house due to the severity of her mental illness, Jane spent much of 1980 hospitalized in a psychiatric ward while actively suicidal and struggling to find stability.
During that time, Jane experienced a profound artistic awakening that would ultimately save her life.
“I’m a breath and sky worshipper. When I had my artistic awakening—one morning in the pre-dawn while in the psych ward—it came from the sky. All the colors of the sky infused in me. And they were alive. And they breathed and they moved. I have that in me. That’s how I got out of the hospital, and how I stay alive.”
Following this experience, Jane began drawing one picture a day using magic markers, teaching herself to paint through library books—despite never having previously considered herself an artist. She established a daily painting practice that has endured through decades of life’s complexities, including hospitalizations, medication changes, births, deaths, and challenges in relationships.
Over time, Jane participated in exhibitions facilitated by organizations supporting artists with disabilities. In recent years, her work has evolved into a more intentional and meaningful practice. While her sensitivities remain, her clarity has deepened, and painting has become less obsessive and more grounded.
Today, Jane is focused on maintaining a healthy lifestyle, nurturing relationships, engaging with the arts community, and continuing her career as a visual artist—painting as both discipline and devotion.
Solo Exhibition Sponsorship Program
Artists are invited to apply annually for consideration.
The selected artist will be announced each January, with the solo exhibition taking place later that year.
Applicants must:
- Be a current or recent Artability participant (within the past 12 months)
- Demonstrate an ongoing commitment to their artistic practice
- Be able to produce a cohesive body of work suitable for a solo exhibition
- Be available to collaborate on exhibition planning and promotion
Application Process
Applications will open each November and close in mid-December. Artists will be notified of the selection in January. Applications will be made available online and can be submitted electronically or by printing and mailing the application. Application submission instructions and deadlines will be provided closer to the application opening date.
Applicants will be asked to submit:
- Artist name and contact information
- Length of time participating in Artability
- Medium(s), type, and average size of artwork
- Number of completed works available for exhibition
- 5–10 images of recent artwork
- Artist bio (300 words max)
- Artist statement (200 words max)
- Statement describing their connection to Artability and how participation has influenced their artistic growth (100 words max)
- Short statement describing why a solo exhibition is meaningful to them at this time (100 words max)
Selection Criteria
Applications will be reviewed by a selection committee that may include Artability staff, leadership, and guest arts professionals. Artists will be evaluated based on:
- Artistic originality
- Cohesion and readiness of a body of work
- Commitment to artistic practice
- Engagement in the Artability community
- Willingness and ability to engage with media (in written, spoken, or on-camera formats) prior to and during the exhibition
- Alignment with the goals of the solo exhibition initiative
Artability is committed to a fair and thoughtful selection process that reflects both artistic merit and the values of our community.