Arts News

Welcome the Whimsical Exhibit is Open May 21-August 15
The Northwest Minnesota Arts Council Announces
Welcome the Whimsical
An Exhibit Featuring Your Imagination
Open May 21 - August 15
Artist Reception June 26 from 6 to 8 PM
NWMAC Gallery
Northland Community and Technical College
1101 State Highway 1, Thief River Falls
The Northwest Minnesota Arts Council (NWMAC) is pleased to announce the opening of Welcome the Whimsical, a fun exhibit open May 21 – August 15 at the NWMAC Gallery at NCTC in Thief River Falls. This exhibit includes 103 pieces of art created by 70 artists in acrylic, oil, watercolor, pen and ink, fiber art, printmaking, colored pencil, photography, ceramics, written material, marker, and mixed media. Some of the art is for sale.
Twenty-six adult and 44 student artists from throughout the region -- Lake Bronson, Thief River Falls, Hallock, East Grand Forks, Badger, Williams, Karlstad, Roseau, Crookston,
Gatzke, Warroad, Lancaster, Gully, Red Lake Falls, Ada, Fertile, and Warren, contributed to this showcase with 55 adult pieces and 48 student pieces of art.
Welcome the Whimsical features other worldly experiences. Think playful, unusual, odd, quaint, imagination, or fanciful art.
Karlstad Artist Alicia Spilde shared, “I hope you enjoy my sense of humor. Sometimes I feel like my art style doesn’t belong in an exhibit. I am an untrained artist who often makes pieces that may look a bit messy and not done in the best techniques. Lately, I’ve been leaning into the folky-ness of my style, inspired by folk artists of the past. We all have a message to share through our artwork, whether it is fine art or not.”
Artist Debbie Aune said, “I am a collector of weird and wonderful stuff and have been since I was a kid. About 15 years ago I was going through an exhausting stage in life trying to juggle work, family, and my own aspirations. During one of my daily walks, I found this mask shape, hairy piece of truck thread and envisioned dolls. It transformed into a ‘Tired Doll.’ It was coincidental that the medium matched my disposition at the time.”
Finally, Aliza Novacek-Olson explained, “Traditional techniques and functional purpose are the foundation of my work with textiles. Every once in a while, a different side of me shows itself in my art. The result is a piece that turns out mythical, a bit ugly, and sometimes . . . strangely cute. The theme of this exhibition is a perfect opportunity for my curious little wooly creatures to show themselves and see if they can make you smile.”
You won't want to miss this interesting exhibit open through August 15 at the NWMAC Gallery at NCTC in Thief River Falls. There will be an Artist Reception on June 26 from 6 to 8 PM at the gallery. This event is free and open to all and held in conjunction with a community play Seussical Kids being held in the college theater at 7 PM that evening.
Watch for a video with a virtual tour of the exhibit on our website and social media accounts.
The NWMAC Gallery at Northland Community and Technical College in Thief River Falls is at 1101 State Highway 1, Thief River Falls 56701. The gallery is open during Monday-Friday from 8 – 4:30 PM and at other times when events are held at the college. Please call to make sure the college is open before making a special trip. Hours can change, especially during the summer. Enter through Door B, which is right next to the gallery. Visitor parking is free.
For more information about this exhibit, or if you are an artist interested in exhibiting a body of work with NWMAC, please contact Trey Everett at (218) 280-4917 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.

Northwest Minnesota Art Exhibit Winners Announced
Northwest Minnesota Art Exhibit Winners Announced
The Northwest Minnesota Arts Council is excited to announce the Northwest Minnesota Art Exhibit Winners. Student and adult artists residing in a seven-county region including Kittson, Marshall, Norman, Polk, Pennington, Roseau and Red Lake recently entered the Northwest Minnesota Art Exhibit and competed for $2,300 in cash awards. The winners were recognized at the Northwest Minnesota Artist Reception in Crookston on April 27. It was a wonderful day to celebrate these artists and the arts in northwest Minnesota.
Exhibit cash award winners were chosen while the exhibit was on display at the University of Minnesota in Crookston by qualified juror Glen Henry.
Henry is a versatile and accomplished Indigenous artist whose creative journey spans a variety of mediums, including drawing, painting, and graphic design. He is the Director of Exhibitions at Minnesota State University Moorhead. He received his BA and MFA from the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks. His artwork often explores themes of identity, culture, and the complex intersections of the past and present, while using bold, expressive color palettes and innovative design methods. As an Indigenous artist, he incorporates aspects of his culture into his work, allowing for a unique narrative that resonates with both personal and universal experiences.
He explained that “jurying an exhibition can be a difficult process. There are numerous deserving artworks, with many exhibiting interesting subject matter, style, creativity and skill. However, these attributes are not the only ones considered when choosing artworks. I also consider aesthetic, ambition, insight and original thought. Congratulations to all the artists (the award winners and to the artists who were not selected) for their skill, ambition, and courage to submit artworks. Perseverance is key when creating and submitting art. Good luck to everyone in their future artistic endeavors. It was an honor to be the juror for the 2025 NW Minnesota Arts Exhibition.”
Walk through the exhibit at https://youtu.be/QJeYb-pkZ-A?si=uAr8Rz1hzoX4PtJY
Exhibit Awards include:
Adults:
1st Place $500 Elizabeth Kitchell-Rockstad of Ada in mixed media for "In My Nature"
2nd Place $300 Denise Jenson of Badger in photography for "Underwater Pac-Men"
3rd Place $200 Jessica Lundeen of Thief River Falls in acrylic for "Bee's Marigold"
Merit $100 Cindy Kolling of Gully in pen and ink for "Slough pumper in Habitat"
Merit $100 Dennis Kinkead of Hallock in watercolor for "Where Are You Guys Going?"
Merit $100 Fred Hartmann of Thief River Falls in folk/traditional fine craft for "Country Church"
Merit $100 Jodi Peterson of Moorhead in fused glass for "The Wave"
Merit $100 Marj Mercil of Mentor in textile for "Little Boxes"
People’s Choice $100 Beau Bakken of Hallock
Students:
1st Place $300 Alyssa Foster of Thief River Falls in drawing for "One Act Matters"
2nd Place $150 Melody Voeltz of Lancaster in watercolor for "Field Bunny"
3rd Place $100 Addison Severts of Grygla in sculpture for "Serenity"
Merit $50 Ava Halvorson of Goodridge in drawing for "Grandpa Lewie"
Merit $50 Autumn Osse of Wannaska in digital photography for "Tank"
Merit $50 Mahli Holter of Red Lake Falls in photography for "All You Have to Do"
Merit $50 Issybelle Johnson of Fosston in sculpture for "The Well"
Merit $50 Aimee Ross of Fisher in mixed media for "Alaskan Dolly Varden"
People’s Choice $50 Aimee Ross of Fisher
Fourteen exhibit pieces of student and adult art were chosen to be included in the Traveling Art Exhibit, which will travel this next year to area libraries. Watch our website and social media for the schedule to be announced and for it to arrive in your community. Five exhibit pieces of student art were also chosen to be hung in the hallway of Senator Mark Johnson’s office in St. Paul. These students and their work include Courtney Webster of Lancaster “Sunflower,” Kyleigh Halvorson of Erskine “Existential,” Aimee Ross of Fisher “Kachemak State Park, AK,” Autumn Osse of Wannaska, “Tank,” and Addison Pal, of Crookston “Reflection.”