Art in the Door
2026 Art in the Door Call is Open! Entry Deadline: May 22, 2026
Art in the Door returns with a new call for nominations—inviting the community to recognize artists whose work reflects exceptional talent, meaningful impact, and a deep connection to Door County. Whether they create on canvas, on stage, or through sound, this is your chance to spotlight the individuals helping define the region’s creative identity.
Categories
To honor the breadth of artistic talent across the county, finalists will be recognized in the following categories:
2D Design: Painting, photography, and digital art
3D & Sculpture: Woodworking, pottery, and large-scale installations
Music: Local composers and performers
Theatrical Arts: Puppetry, costume design, and set design
The Final Four
From the nominated artists, up to four finalists will be selected across categories.
Each finalist will receive:
A $2,000 award to support their artistic practice
A feature in a professional video series highlighting their work and connection to Door County
Promotion on doorcounty.com/artinthedoor and Destination Door County channels
Meet the Winners of 2025 Art in the Door
Rick Brawner
Fish Creek, Wisconsin
"Whitefish Dunes St Park" • Oil
"Being a lover of Door County nature and having a fascination with classical impressionistic seascape oil painting, I'm drawn to our scenic rugged shorelines. My entry for 2025, Early Morning Gulls At Whitefish Dunes State Park, captures the drama seldom seen by park viewers at this early hour of the morning. This 12x24" oil on canvas panel was painted live, plein air, just after sunrise before most of the park's visitors arrive. I did some touch up to the piece back in my home studio in Fish Creek. Hope you like it.
Thanks, Rick"
Olivia Donato
Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
"Peninsula State Park" • Oil
"My painting is inspired by the shoreline at Sven’s Bluff in Peninsula State Park. The moment was captured on a misty, cloudy day in early April; just before the leaves on the trees start to show any hints of green and winter still has a hold on the peninsula. I wanted to paint this scene to show the quietness and tranquility of Door County in the winter and spring, and how Peninsula State Park has beauty all year long– including the cold, gray and overcast days. I felt that the mist on the shoreline only accentuates the vastness of the water of Tennison Bay stretching into Green Bay."
Tom Afflerbach
Ephraim, Wisconsin
"Eagle Tower Ramp"• Acrylic
"Eagle Tower in Peninsula State Park has been a Door County tourist attraction as long as I can remember. I was sad to see that it had become unsafe and taken down. I knew as a Landscape Architect that if rebuilt it would need to conform with the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). I knew it would require an elevator or extremely long ramp.
When I saw the plans for the new tower I was amazed. The new design is a Landscape Architecture/Engineering marvel. The ramp begins near the base of the tower and heads in the opposite direction, slowly climbing from the forest floor, into the midstory, then the canopy, and finally emerges over the top of the trees to reveal the panorama of Eagle Harbor. Equally impressive is the wooden structure that supports the ramp, itself a work of art.
I always take visitors to Door County to the tower, and I always see numerous people climbing who would never have been able to get to the top of the old Eagle Tower. My painting is a tribute to the design and accessibility of the new tower where the journey is equal to the destination."
Kay McKinley
Ellison Bay, Wisconsin
"Liquid Gold Tennison Bay" • Pastel
"I was driving through Peninsula State Park when I happened upon a brilliant play of sunlight in Tennison Bay. The orange and golds in both the sky and water inspired me to hurry to find a place to park and take a reference photo with my iPhone before the "magic" disappeared."
Explore the Arts in Door County
Now that you have seen the artwork and met the award-winning artists, it is time to get in the act of Art in the Door yourself. Explore the ways Door County can inspire your artistic spirit and plan your trip.