Bryce Dailey, a University of Wisconsin–Madison junior, has found significant success exhibiting his artwork on campus. His pieces have twice been featured in a competitive art show at Memorial Union.

But Dailey wanted to get his work — and the work of his fellow student artists — in front of a broader audience. So he got creative. The result: an independent, off-campus, multi-artist show with a low financial bar for entry and a focus on building community among artists, especially undergraduates.

It’s exactly the kind of thing the university encourages.

“It’s part of the rite of passage to leave the comforts of academia and put it all on the line in a professional space,” says Professor Leslie Smith III, chair of the UW–Madison Art Department.

The 17-artist Midwest Print Showcase, undertaken by Dailey with zero money but a lot of initiative, will run Feb. 26-March 4 at Common Wealth Gallery, 100 S. Baldwin St., Madison.

“As an artist and a student, I know how hard it is to build a résumé,” says Dailey, of Montfort, Wisconsin, a village about an hour west of Madison. “I could have done a solo show, but I wanted to help other artists, too.”

Dailey is majoring in consumer behavior and marketplace studies through the School of Human Ecology, with certificates in studio art and entrepreneurship. He has an eye on a marketing career, with a long-term goal of starting an arts-related business.

Dailey became interested in screen printing as a kid and attempted to make art like Andy Warhol, one of his heroes. A side hustle making T-shirts in high school got off to a rocky start.