Upcoming Exhibits:

Bonifas Membership Show    

July 11 – September 4, 2025            

Reception: July 11, 6 - 8 pm

A 50+ year tradition, the Bonifas Membership Show has encouraged members to share their creative explorations at every level of ability. It is a rich and varied exhibit where emerging artists show side-by-side with our experienced and professional artists. This exhibit is a community favorite and worth taking a walk through.  Enjoy!

We would like to thank the Dorothy Vogt Family for sponsoring the 1st and 2nd place prize money.

And for those artists looking to further their artistic career, we offer the Barb Symon Scholarship, which is awarded to one artist a year to use the funds towards a workshop. to apply click on the following link: 

More Than a Uniform

September 11 - October 16, 2025

More Than A Uniform exhibit returns with new artists and works to be viewed. This exhibit will highlight artwork created by service members, veterans, close family members and caregivers. 

This exhibit will give a voice to those who have served our county by displaying their artworks and show the viewer that they are more than a uniform. We hope you will support our local veterans by visiting this exhibit.

In preparation for this exhibit the VA has collaborated with the Bonifas Arts Center and other art centers across the U.P. and Northern Wisconsin to create opportunities for Veterans to connect through art.

If you are a veteran, you can take any Bonifas Arts Center class for free. Please call us to register today at 906-786-3833. 

NORTHERN EXPOSURE XXXII

November 6 – December 31             

Reception: November 6, 6 - 8 pm

Northern Exposure enters it's 32 year and has always been a crowd favorite. This juried show always delights as you never know what you might see.  We are happy to announce the that we have widened the submission area to include Northern Wisconsin. The Bonifas Arts Center supports its annual regional competition, Northern Exposure, to both encourage artists to create new artworks and to showcase the artwork being created in the Northern Mid-west. This regional show is a must see!

Thank you to our Gallery Partners

Previous 2025 Gallery Exhibits

All MIXED UP 2.0:

AN EXHIBIT FOR ALL THINGS MIXED MEDIA

January 9 - February 20, 2025

Reception: January 9; 6 - 8 pm with awards at 7 pm

All Mixed UP made its debut in 2022 and returns as one of our competition shows. The exhibit is for our mixed media artists. What is mixed media? Artwork that was created using more than one medium. Assemblages, collages, and sculpture are three common examples of art using different media. Come see how artists use materials in unique ways to create a work of art.

The winners for All Mixed UP 2.0 were:
Honorable Mentions, sponsored by Nook & Cranny Studio, went to the following artists:
Mary Penet for "Carrier of the Sacred Bundles"
Kara Stahl for "Rising Spirit"
Rose Peltier for "Birches"
Lynn Wakefield for "Ayan the Eater"

3rd Place went to Carrie Welch for "Can You Find the 7 Hidden Pockets"

2nd Place went to Naomi Moes for "Snake Horse"

1st Place went to Michelle Nooyen for "Life" and "Grief"

YOUTH IN ART

February 27 - March 27, 2025

Open Houses 3 - 6 pm:

March 12 for K - 5 Grade

March 13 for 6 - 12 Grade

Come celebrate with us as we fill both our Powers and Studio galleries with artworks made by artists in grades Pre K-12th. Nearly 700 pieces of children’s artwork brighten up the gallery spaces and herald the coming of spring with a flourish of color. Awards will be announced via a facebook video on Tuesday, March 11th and everyone is invited to the open houses from 3 - 6pm on March 12 and March 13 with award ribbons ready for pickup. You will surely leave with a smile on your face after viewing this annual celebration of young talent.

Thank you to our Youth In Art Gallery Partner: Billerud. And to our Award Sponsors: Billerud, Escanaba Kiwanis Club, Michigan Education Association Coordinating Council #17B, GFWC - Escanaba Woman’s Club, Delta-Schoolcraft Intermediate School District, and the Bonifas Arts Center

U.P.CYCLE

April 18 - May 22, 2025

Reception April 18: 6 - 8 pm

Artists are showing off their repurposing skills by making artwork out of recycled materials, which helps the planet by reducing waste in local landfills—a perfect exhibit to have during Earth Day month! The artwork is comprised of at least 85% recycled material and will feature a variety mediums. Be sure to stop into the exhibit to see how Art can save the Earth!

St. Vincent De Paul Sponsored three awards:

3rd place award of $25 Gift Certificate: Stella Larkin, for “Peace Dove”
2nd Place award of $50 Gift Certificate: Kara Stahl for “Warrior Spirit”
1st Place award of $100 Gift Certificate: Larry Godfrey for “Sky Watcher”

People's Choice Award: Gorky the Rooster by Rose Peltier

Judge Awards and Words:

Honorable mention: Snowy Egret by Dawn Ertl
The snowy egret, a beautiful representational work constructed with Styrofoam and button collections, this beautiful composition resonated with me for the spirit of the show. The Styrofoam shapes cut and placed so perfectly evoked the delicate lightness of feathers, and the buttons created the textural surface for the ground or water.

Honorable mention: Deer by Tony Hirn
I kept returning to this piece, marveling at the detail that was cut out of a brass shell, and the artist’s ability to cut and shape the brass into recognizable forms. I find its strength in its simplicity. It was good that artists were able to submit up to four works, in this way I could have a better understanding of the work as a body of work and to see the relationship between works.

3rd place: Gorky the Rooster by Rose Peltier
The representational sculptural form, heavily embellished with findings and odds and ends and wire wrapped legs, and conveys the quirky character of a rooster.

2nd place: Hanger Lamp & Ornaments by Diane Kribs-Mays
The hanging sculpture made of plastic hangers stood out to me right away. The assemblage resulted in a unique contemporary design made by the plastic hangers connecting to each other, no other fastening methods appeared to be necessary in its construction. and its resulting form is exquisitely unique.

1st place: Sky Watcher by Larry Godfrey
This Sculpture embodies so many technical aspects of sculptural assemblage beyond the welded components are other embellishments of neatly coiled wires and connections of so many found scavenged or collected parts that all come together to make a powerful figure.