2014

Loren Younggren Exhibit-January-February 2014
Student Art Showcase-February-March 2014
Sherri Kruger and Lynne King, March-April 2014
Erin Nelson and Karlee Westrem, June 2014
Trey Everett and Tom Brosseau: July 2014
Candace Osborn and Brett Lysne: August 2014
Chris Lane: September 2014
Bruce Flaig and Janet Johnson: October 2014
Northwest Schools Student Showcase: November 2014
4th Annual Winter Holiday Exhibit: December 2014-January 2015

January - February 2014 Loren Younggren

Kittson County Scenes

Featured Artist Photographer Loren Younggren January - February 16

During this exhibit of Hallock Photographer Loren Younggren’s body of work — Kittson County Scenes, the Sweet Art Celebration and Sale (Feb 13-16) was held at River Walk Artists. Bluegrass music was played by Tom and Jeanne O’Neil and refreshments were served.

February - March 2014 Student Art Showcase

Annual Student Art Showcase

February 19 - March 23, 2014

The annual Student Art Showcase at the River Walk Artists Gallery in East Grand Forks featured art from two East Grand Forks High Schools, Sacred Heart High School and East Grand Forks Senior High. The students at Sacred Heart worked under the tutelage of Jessica Gennet. The students at East Grand Forks High worked under Erin Nelson and Josh Perkerewicz. The exhibit reception was held on February 22, 2014. The students were from grades 9 - 12. Their art included paintings, drawings and ceramic sculpture. Subject matter ranged from wild animals to self-portraits to impressionistic work and still life expressions. Various forms of media showed how in-tune these students were with their surroundings. There were contrasts of color, texture, balance, movement, harmony, shape and form. The Student Art Showcase ran through March 23, 2014 at the Arts Council Gallery inside the River Walk Artists Gallery.

March - April 2014 Sherri Kruger and Lynne King

Picture This!

Sherri Kruger and Lynne King

March 26 - April 27, 2014

Sherri Kruger of Badger Minnesota and Lynne King of Alvarado, Minnesota shared their artwork in the exhibit Picture This!

Everyone was invited to attend an artist reception at River Walk Artists Gallery on Saturday March 29, 2014. Sherri Kruger is a glass artist creating mosaic items of every shape and size, out of stained glass, recycled metal and cement. She has participated in many shows and won many awards, including Best of Show at the Grand Cities Art Show in Grand Forks. She was a member of Artists on Main in Roseau and displayed her works there and she is also the Art Club Advisor at Badger High School. Lynne King hails from Muncie, Indiana but made Northwest Minnesota her home. She is a photographer with a keen eye for landscapes that tell a story, wildlife, and birds. She also loves "old things" and is inspired by barns, houses and cars. As a former librarian, she is of the firm belief that a picture is worth a thousand words and a good story is hard to resist! Both artists have benefitted from the Northwest Minnesota Arts Council by either receiving grant money or participating in workshops designed to help artists with their business.

June 2014 Erin Nelson and Karlee Westrem

SEASIDE VISIONS

JUNE 4-29, 2014

Erin D. Nelson & Karlee Westrem, Mentor and Student

Artist Reception June 21 during the Art and Wine Walk

East Grand Forks residents, Erin D Nelson and Karlee Westrem, Mentor and Student, brought their work together under one roof. Seaside Visions was their interpretation of what one would find in their environment at a seashell-strewn oceanside.

Erin Nelson teaches visual arts at East Grand Forks Senior High. She has an appreciation of 70's artists such as Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns, and Jean Michael Basquait, as well as by the environment she dearly loves, the ocean. Many of her paintings incorporate the use of numerals or lettering into her designs. The paintings she selected for this exhibit are in honor of her grandmother who introduced her to the ocean's beauty from her earliest childhood. Nelson added, "I hope this collection gives the viewer a sense of that environment my Grandma taught me to love so much.”

Karlee Westrem is a 2014 graduate of East Grand Forks High and was a student of Erin's for several years. Karlee received a mentorship grant from the Northwest Minnesota Arts Council during the summer of 2013, and participated in area student art exhibits, earning top scores. She was inspired by her teacher, Mrs. Nelson, who introduced her to famous artists and styles of art, and experimented with color and design along side her mentor.

The 'Seaside Visions' exhibit and the artists were featured during the Art & Wine Walk on Saturday, June 21.

July 2014 Trey Everett, Crookston and Tom Brosseau, Thief River Falls. Drawings & Carvings

Nibs and Knives

July 2014

The exhibit Nibs and Knives was featured in NWMAC’s East Grand Forks gallery from July 12 to July 31, 2014. The pen & ink drawings of Trey Everett of Crookston, and the woodcarvings of Tom Brosseau of Thief River Falls, were showcased. Trey was a contributing artist to the Northwest Minnesota Arts Council's 2013 Community Supported Art program. His inspirational pen & ink "holy doodles" were "images that came to mind from meditating on scripture passages, books, past events, conversations with friends and family, and from simply trying to be attentive to God in my everyday life," he said. Trey also facilitates healing through art sessions throughout the northwest Minnesota region. Tom Brosseau has always enjoyed working with wood, beginning wood carving when he was about 19 years old. His love of the outdoors inspired him to carve birds and wildlife. Then a few years ago he "picked up a chainsaw and tried [his] hand at carving with it" and discovered he loved it. Through the Northwest Minnesota Arts Council, Tom received grant money to purchase tools and expand his carving work. The Nibs and Knives exhibit, opened July 12 and was featured during the Art & Wine Walk on Saturday, July 19.

August 2014 Candace Osborn, Ada & Brett Lysne, Moorhead Textiles & Drawings

Drawn and Needled

August 2014

Drawn and Needled included the drawings of Brett Lysne of Moorhead and needle felting of Candace Osborn of Ada. The exhibit was open from August 6 to August 31, 2014. Brett Lysne is a visual artist working in drawing, printmaking, artist books, and writing. Born in Fargo and raised in Crookston, Brett attended college at the University of Minnesota, Morris for studio art with an emphasis in printmaking. He earned his MFA in printmaking and drawing from Washington State University, and participated in artist residency programs in Washington, Vermont, Finland, Minnesota, and at North Dakota State University in Fargo. Lysne's exhibited work featured "text-based drawing projects" created out of his "desire to clarify and organize complex memories, sentiments, and connections.” Candace Osborne grew up on a farm in northern Minnesota which she said, "gave me an appreciation for nature and wildlife, as well as a love of domestic animals." She showed artistic ability "probably as soon as I could hold a pencil." Candace pursued both art and nature in college, earning a degree that lets her teach both Biology and Art. She taught in Nebraska before moving back to Ada with her family. Candace said, "Drawing led to painting, sculpting clay led to carving, and the combined skills have emerged in felting." Her needle felted animals and nature scenes are skillfully reproduced with wool in miniatures of authentic wildlife. The Drawn and Needled exhibit, opened August 6th, and was featured during the Art & Wine Walk, Saturday, August 16.

September 2014 Chris Lane, Newfolden, Photography Unseen Splendor

Photographs by Chris Lane of Newfolden

September 5 - September 28, 2014

Art & Wine Walk September 20

River Walk Artists Gallery, East Grand Forks

Unseen Splendor brought visitors into a secret, more intimate place, where minute details of flowers can be seen, as captured by macro photography. Always seen as a natural form of beauty, flowers are typically viewed from a certain, comfortable distance. These images, primarily of so-called weeds, are meant to show the inherent beauty of seemingly unnoticed things in the world. Formerly, a traditional media artist, Chris Lane began to focus more on photography. He owns a photography and graphic design business and creates artwork as frequently as his schedule allows. The Unseen Splendor exhibit, opened September 5, was featured during the Art & Wine Walk on September 20.

October 2014 Janet Johnson, Roseau and Bruce Flaig, Fertile Photography

Natural Renditions

October 2014

Natural Renditions featured ceramic work by Janet Johnson of Malung along with the nature photography by Bruce D. Flaig of Fertile. These touching works were featured throughout the entire month of October from the1st until the 31st. Janet Johnson grew up in northern Minnesota, and retired from teaching Visual Art and English classes in grades 7 - 12 in Warroad. Janet exposed her students to many mediums and opportunities to show their work, and she developed her own community and artistic skills, too. Janet served on the statewide Arts Best Practice and Quality Teaching networks to help art teachers better connect and collaborate. She has also participated in the NWMAC Community Supported Art program, worked with the Region 1 Arts Council, and supports arts at the Roseau County Fair. Janet is a skilled ceramist who received a grant from the NWMAC to furnish her studio with a new kiln and potter's wheel. Minnesota native Bruce D. Flaig has degrees in chemistry, physics, and meteorology; however, his passion is photographing nature in all its forms. Although he's lived in seven states and two foreign countries, Flaig said he "has photographed in a bunch more" for over twenty years. His work has been published in many magazines including Birder’s World, Bird Watcher’s Digest, Wild Bird, Ranger Rick, and Outdoor Photographer. While his collection of images now numbers over 60,000, the Arts Council gallery featured eleven framed prints and a video of a collection of Bruce's finest works. The Natural Renditions exhibit was featured during the Art & Wine Walk, Saturday, October 18.

Art work by Janet Johnson and Bruce Flaig in a NWMAC exhibit.

November 2014 Student Showcase

The All Autumn Student Art Exhibit was a smashing hit. Art teacher April Symes of Warroad and Deb Aune of Middle River/Greenbush attended with some of their students and their parents. East Grand Forks students from Central Middle School came, along with some of their classmates and a few parents.

December 2014 – January 2015 Winter Holiday Showcase

4th Annual Winter Holiday Art Exhibit

NWMAC Holiday Exhibit featuring work by 18 NW Minnesota regional artists

18 regional artists from all over Northwest Minnesota participated in the 4th Annual Winter Holiday Art Exhibit. The exhibit included paintings, ceramics, pottery, repurposed wood, wood carvings, photography and so much more. Visitors viewed hand-crafted ceramic tiles and pottery glazed to celebrate the season; watercolor, oil, and acrylic paintings expertly depicting family and holiday themes; photographs capturing sparkling winter moments; and even found objects styled into whimsical sculptures. Artists included: Erin Nelson, Brenda Baumer, Jessica Pribula, Julie Elick, Deb Aune, Carolyn Meisel, Kim Wilson, Courtney Jacob, Karen Engevik, Kathy Comstock, Robin and Lorrie Foster, Kate Hammer, George Rinde, Kathryn Rynning, Dave Bruner, Frank A. Joen and Ron Woolever. An artists reception was held Friday, December 12 at the gallery. This exhibit ran through January 11, 2015.

2014 Exhibits at the NWMAC Gallery Space at the River Walk Artists in East Grand Forks