Arts News

Artist Spotlight with Cindy Kolling and Gail Ose July 24 at 1 PM — Please note rescheduled time.
Artist Spotlight, News Kristin Eggerling Artist Spotlight, News Kristin Eggerling

Artist Spotlight with Cindy Kolling and Gail Ose July 24 at 1 PM — Please note rescheduled time.

NWMAC Staff Kristin Eggerling and Trey Everett spoke with regional artists Cindy Kolling and Gail Ose on Wednesday, July 24 at 1 PM. PLEASE NOTE THE change in DAY and TIME. The conversation took place live on our Facebook and YouTube channels. The recording of the conversation is available here.

Kolling and Ose are featured in the current NWMAC Gallery Exhibit at NCTC in Thief River Falls — Awareness: within and without. The conversation will be about the exhibit, the inspiration of the artists, their body of work, and much more!

The exhibit Awareness: within and without is open until July 30 at the Northwest Minnesota Arts Council Gallery at NCTC in Thief River Falls. This exhibit features 54 pieces of artwork by Gully Visual Artist Cindy Kolling and Thief River Falls Visual Artist Gail Ose and is open through July at the NWMAC Gallery at Northland Community and Technical College in Thief River Falls.

Showcase Specialist Trey Everett shared, “Cindy Kolling is a master at capturing the life cycle of plants through her pen and ink and silkscreen artistry. Gail Ose's visionary and highly symbolic work is a fascinating process as well as mesmerizing to gaze into. This exhibit is a complementary combination of two distinct styles which give careful attention to the form and the formless, what is without and what is within."

Cindy Kolling’s work includes two sets of 12 silkscreen prints of the life cycle of native plants white sage and blazing star plus other work. These are different handprints of one plant in a continuing series originating from pen & ink drawings of Cindy’s that reference her field sketches, artist’s photos, and observation experiences.

No two handprints are alike and there are no more. These original prints may be released as high quality digital reproductions later, as determined by the artist ,but the original handprint is unique and unable to be done the same again.

Gail Ose is a visionary artist and founder of Serendipity Art Hub based in Thief River Falls, where she lives on a farm. In her studio classroom and workshops, Gail offers painting classes taught from the perspective of Heart, Soul, and Spirit while nurturing authentic, creative expressions regardless of talent or experience. Gail weaves her passion for creativity and spiritual connection into her painting practice and throughout her life and leads others into uncharted areas of their creativity, both inward and outward, to live and create more authentically.

Watch this video for a virtual tour of the exhibit at youtu.be/Rcys2dLpwlg

The NWMAC Gallery is located at Northland Community and Technical College in Thief River Falls. The gallery hours are Monday-Friday from 8 -5 PM and at other times when events are held at the college. Please check to make sure the college is open before making a special trip to see the exhibit. Summer hours can change. Enter through Door B, which is right next to the gallery.

Please let us know if you have questions about the Artist Spotlight.

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NWMAC Exhibit: Awareness: within and without featuring artists Cindy Kolling and Gail Ose
Art Exhibits, NCTC Gallery, Events Kristin Eggerling Art Exhibits, NCTC Gallery, Events Kristin Eggerling

NWMAC Exhibit: Awareness: within and without featuring artists Cindy Kolling and Gail Ose

The Northwest Minnesota Arts Council Announces

Awareness: within and without

May 30 – July 31

Featuring Artwork by Cindy Kolling and Gail Ose

Northwest Minnesota Arts Council Gallery

NCTC in Thief River Falls through July 2024

Artist Reception Wednesday, July 10 from 6 – 8 PM

The Northwest Minnesota Arts Council (NWMAC) is pleased to announce the opening of Awareness: within and without. This exhibit features 54 pieces of artwork by Gully Visual Artist Cindy Kolling and Thief River Falls Visual Artist Gail Ose and is open through July at the NWMAC Gallery at Northland Community and Technical College in Thief River Falls.

Showcase Specialist Trey Everett shared, “Cindy Kolling is a master at capturing the life cycle of plants through her pen and ink and silkscreen artistry. Gail Ose's visionary and highly symbolic work is a fascinating process as well as mesmerizing to gaze into. This exhibit is a complementary combination of two distinct styles which give careful attention to the form and the formless, what is without and what is within."

Cindy Kolling’s work includes two sets of 12 silkscreen prints of the life cycle of native plants white sage and blazing star plus other work. These are different handprints of one plant in a continuing series originating from pen & ink drawings of Cindy’s that reference her field sketches, artist’s photos, and observation experiences.

No two handprints are alike and there are no more. These original prints may be released as high quality digital reproductions later, as determined by the artist ,but the original handprint is unique and unable to be done the same again. Cindy explained, “I want to make new art that invites viewers to expand their participation in life by developing and sharing appreciation and to consider our local world with fresh insight.

Cindy continued, “I am not a medium purist and incorporate carefully researched information into the creation of my works, most of which are created in series. Much of what I do involves fine line technical pen drawing. My drawings almost always begin with some kind of in-field observations and sketches; and very often reference my photographs. The drawings are not meant to be technical or even very realistic renderings but do have interpretive accuracy to start with and evolve from there. Many of my drawings are taken further into hand printed pieces. I often work on carefully selected recycled fiber paper with quiet colors of hand-screened inks. My frames are repurposed “thrift store finds”, or custom-made by an area woodworker from reclaimed wood. I like mixing the old and new concepts to create something fresh. It is the result of experimenting with what one has; what one knows, and where one wants to go. The process is a work in progress.

Gail Ose is a visionary artist and founder of Serendipity Art Hub based in Thief River Falls, where she lives on a farm with her husband, LeRoy, and their two Great Pyrenees dogs Carly and Thor. In her studio classroom and workshops, Gail offers painting classes taught from the perspective of Heart, Soul, and Spirit while nurturing authentic, creative expressions regardless of talent or experience. Gail weaves her passion for creativity and spiritual connection into her painting practice and throughout her life and leads others into uncharted areas of their creativity, both inward and outward, to live and create more authentically.

She explained, “I am honored to be paired with Cindy Kolling as one of the showcase artists in this exhibit and very grateful to the Northwest Minnesota Arts Council for supporting me and working with me in my endeavor to bring this dream of mine into the light as an emerging artist. It is my sincere hope that my paintings touch and inspire something inside visitors as they explore their unique images. Each of my portal paintings are sacred acts of allowing myself to be a vehicle for sharing an energetic message and each is infused with symbolic meaning designed to carry a specific energy of intention cohesive to its message. Each of my portal paintings are exercises in communing with spirit to bring forth the unseen realm and bridge it with the visible in the form of a painting. My portal paintings usually have a lot of symbology that usually invites the onlooker into wonderment and curiosity. They usually provoke introspection.

Watch this video for a virtual tour of the exhibit at youtu.be/Rcys2dLpwlg

An artist reception at the gallery will be held at Northland Community and Technical College on Wednesday, July 10 from 6 – 8 PM. Everyone is welcome to join us for this free event. Many pieces of art in this exhibit are for sale. You are welcome to purchase at any time and pick up when the exhibit ends.

The NWMAC Gallery is located at Northland Community and Technical College in Thief River Falls. The gallery hours are Monday-Friday from 8 -5 PM and at other times when events are held at the college. Please check to make sure the college is open before making a special trip to see the exhibit. Summer hours can change. Enter through Door B, which is right next to the gallery. Visitor parking is free.

If you are an artist interested in exhibiting a body of work with NWMAC, please contact Trey Everett at (218) 745-8886 or email NWArtsCouncil@gmail.com. Please sign up for our e-newsletter on our website home page to see the latest news and grant announcements. Email director@NWArtsCouncil.org or call 218-745-8886 to reach our office during regular business hours.

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Art series exhibit at Fosston’s Aurora Center for the Arts — Presentations on Feb 28
Events Kristin Eggerling Events Kristin Eggerling

Art series exhibit at Fosston’s Aurora Center for the Arts — Presentations on Feb 28

Area Artist and Area Naturalist will present at the Sorenson Art Gallery at the Aurora Center for the Arts in Fosston on Wednesday, February 28.

"Inspired by Nature '' is the theme for a special gallery event featuring Artist Cindy Kolling, Gully and Native Prairie Botanist Donna Spaeth of Waubun. The event will feature Kolling's current exhibit featuring White Sage and the Rough Blazing Star plants, which are part of an ongoing series called "It's Not Nothing. Those aren't Weeds!"  The art exhibit and her discussion of prairie nature art will be accompanied by Spaeth's presentation of prairie ecosystems with plant samples. 

This event will be held at the Sorenson Gallery in the Aurora Center for the Arts at 403 North Foss Avenue in Fosston. Daytime presentations will be held promptly from 12:30 pm to 1:10 pm, then 1:15 pm to 1:55 pm and 2 pm to 2:40 pm (to accommodate school student schedules) and a more relaxed, open session from 3:30 pm to 6 pm.   

Several students are expected to attend the early session, but both are open to the public.  You can come and go as you need, or hang out and learn; the Fosston Library (same building) has pulled a selection of related books to browse and check out and there will be opportunity for questions and sharing.   

The activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board thanks to legislative appropriation from the arts and culture heritage fund.  

There is no charge to attend. Light refreshments will be served. This special event is sponsored by the Aurora Center for the Arts in Fosston.

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