Crop Art Is For Everyone!

The Minnesota State Fair isn’t just about food. In fact, one of the most popular attractions is the Crop Art Exhibit. Every year, fairgoers line up at the Agriculture Horticulture building to view the wildly creative displays of submitted crop art.

Thinking about the popularity of the exhibit, Nam Pham, MPS Community Education Coordinator at Ella Baker, added a Crop Art 101 session in Winter 2026. This hands-on class taught by Marta Shore, an award-winning crop art artist, educator, and Superintendent for the MN State Fair Crop Art competition, guides participants through tips, tricks, and rules to enter the State Fair competition, while also providing a take-home kit with everything needed to make their first piece.

Pham initially planned for a single session, but quickly realized he needed to contact the instructor for additional classes. In just a few minutes of registration opening, the session had hit its full cap size—and later that day, 100 participants were on the waitlist. Three more sessions were added in the same month, and all hit max capacity. In the Spring/Summer catalog, four more classes filled up.

Across the Davis Center, Ella Baker and Kenwood sites, the classes drew a total of 150 participants ranging in ages from 23 to 78, proving that crop art is for everybody. Due to overwhelming demand and a waitlist full of hopeful artists, more sessions continue to run, with three additional classes set for December 2026.

If you would like to sign up for a Crop Art class and get thinking about what to submit for next year's State Fair exhibit, register on September 2 at 9 am!