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Please, muzzle the barnyard animals, nix the fireworks displays and deep six the sunsets. For its centennial show, the Minnesota State Fair wants the state's best artists to submit their very top quality paintings, drawings, photos, prints, sculpture, pottery, glass and other creative endeavors. Deadline to register for the juried competion is 4:30 p.m. Monday, July 11 and registration is online only. Rules and regulations, as well as the link to register can be found here or at http://www.mnstatefair.org/competition/fine_arts.html A cherished Minnesota institution, the State Fair art show has attracted some of the state's top talent over the years including artists and photographers whose work is featured in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Walker Art Center and other distinguished venues around the country. It has long been a terrific Pro-Am venue in which professional talents rubbed shoulders with skilled amateurs, their submissions judged impartially (and anonymously) by professional art jurors. Macalester College painting professor Jerry Rudquist was a regular competitor and often a "People's Choice," award winner. His entries typically struck a perfect balance between cornball populism and brilliant paint handling, as in his legendary portrait of "Petunia," a luxurious porker painted with the Rubenesque brio. He intended to submit his "Cow," painting, above, to the 2002 fair, but died before it was finished. The judge's high standards made the art show an invigorating and fun place to sample Minnesota creativity for decades. Unfortunately, something went awry in recent seasons, standards slipped or good entries didn't materialize, or the best people stopped caring. Whatever the cause, the event really bottomed out in 2010 when the art was a huge disappointment. The painting category was particularly awful, filled with treacly cliches that were an embarrasment to view and should not have gotten the judge's nod. It needn't be that way. A few years ago, the sculpture category -- usually a laggard -- was unexpectedly terrific (when judged by then new comer, Olga Viso, director of Walker Art Center). Photography, typically one of the strong categories, was astonishingly good the year that Doug Beasley picked the pictures. So kudos to the discerning eyes of great judges and top talent. Whoever the judges are this year, Minnesotans should put them to the test by submitting fabulous art. Note that the cash awards for winners have been increased too in honor of the centennial.