Commemorative Art

2023 Minnesota State Fair Commemorative Artist is Announced!

Photo by Michele Vevang

Minneapolis crop artist Liz Schreiber has been selected to create the Official 2023 Minnesota State Fair Commemorative Art. Her original interpretation of the Great Minnesota Get-Together will be unveiled at the State Fairgrounds in June.

The crop art competition is a Minnesota State Fair tradition, and we are thrilled to highlight this intricate and unique artform by commissioning blue ribbon-winning crop artist Liz Schreiber. Crop art is thought to have originated on farms, where people had an abundance of seeds and were less busy in the winters, so they glued seeds to boards to make pictures. In 1965, the State Fair introduced crop art as a new competition category, and only seeds that can be grown in Minnesota can be used. The Minnesota seed requirement is a hallmark of our competition, and in the true spirit of State Fair crop art, Schreiber will only be using Minnesota seeds, which will make this commemorative art piece truly extraordinary.

Schreiber has been creating, teaching and exploring the craft of crop art for more than 20 years. Her first exposure to crop art came after she moved to Minnesota in 1995 to attend graduate school at the University of Minnesota. “My background in fine arts gave me the confidence to finally give it a try, and I’ve been hooked ever since,” she explained. The main focus of her pieces has been portraits of individuals who she admires, with an emphasis on exclusively using natural-colored seeds. “My career as a freelance artist has been deeply enriched by my crop art creations submitted to the fair’s competition. And over the years, I have been fortunate to share my love of crop art by teaching how-to classes, as well as creating crop art commissions for numerous publications,” she said.

“I’m honored to create the 2023 commemorative artwork. The piece I have in mind features vintage-inspired imagery of timeless elements of the fair,” she said. “For me, the Minnesota State Fair represents my love affair with Minnesota itself and all it has to offer.”

Schreiber has entered the fair’s crop art competition for 20 years and won more than 10 ribbons. Her crop art has been featured in several local publications, including Vita.mn Magazine’s Minnesota State Fair issues from 2007 through 2013, which earned her the Society of News Design’s Award of Excellence in 2010; Edible Twin Cities; Growler Magazine; and UPPERCASE Quarterly. In addition to the print features, she has taught crop art workshops and classes at The Walker Art Center, Minneapolis Institute of Art, Hennepin History Museum and Marine Mills Folk School. She worked with the University of Minnesota College of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS) to design and create an interactive crop art map in the Agriculture Horticulture Building during the 2022 State Fair. Schreiber, who also works in a variety of mediums, has had her artwork included in gallery shows locally at VeVang MPLS, Hennepin History Museum’s Homegrown exhibit and, most recently Rosalux Gallery. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Virginia Commonwealth University, where she studied sculpture and printmaking, and a Master of Fine Arts in costume and set design from the University of Minnesota.

Schreiber will unveil her original interpretation of the Great Minnesota Get-Together in June. The commemorative poster, a limited number of signed prints and other merchandise featuring the art will be available for purchase after the June unveiling. During the State Fair, posters will also be available during the fair at State FairWear Gift Shops, Fine Arts Center, J.V. Bailey House and Bargain Book and State Fair Poster Carts around the fairgrounds. Proceeds will support the Minnesota State Fair Foundation 501(c)(3) mission to preserve and improve State Fair buildings, fairgrounds and educational programs.

The 2023 Minnesota State Fair Official Commemorative Art is the 19th in a series of artwork created annually by Minnesota artists for the Great Minnesota Get-Together. In past years, artists have included: Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher (2004), Mary GrandPré (2005), Nancy Carlson (2006), Michael Birawer (2007), Edie Abnet (2008), Leo Stans (2009), Deborah Voyda Rogers (2010), Steve Thomas (2011), Joe Heffron (2012), Marie Olofsdotter (2013), Emily L. Taylor (2014), Adam Turman (2015), Michael Sweere (2016), Ta-coumba Aiken (2017), Kristi Abbott (2018), R. J. Kern (2019), Kevin Cannon (2021) and Leslie Barlow (2022). Check out gallery of past artwork.