Allison Page grew up in Thief River Falls and now is a playwright and comedy writer living in Nashville, Tennessee. Several comedic pieces that she wrote are in this year's TRFACT's An Evening of Short Comedies. 

Some background on Allison: Her plays include Terms & Conditions (2026/2027 ORIGINS play at Coachella Valley Rep), There Have Been a Series of Miracles at Shrieking Ridge (2025 Clubbed Thumb Biennial Commission Semifinalist), Roberta at the Bottom of the Pool (2024 Tennessee Playwrights Studio Fellowship), Over a Barrel (Paul Bunyan Playhouse), Sorry About The Galvanism (Duluth Playhouse), The Jersey Devil Play (Awesome Theatre Company), and many others. Her published works include The Pyramid (YouthPLAYS), Hilarity (EXIT Press), and Dear Philosopher (Penguin Australia). For 12 years, she worked regularly for San Francisco’s largest sketch comedy company Killing My Lobster, as a writer, head writer, director, award-winning performer, and from 2014-2022, she also served as Artistic Director. Her pilot script, Himbo, was a second-rounder at Austin Film Festival. She likes to write about monsters who are sometimes also people.

After the TRFACT show, her next production is also her first outside the United States — The Hello Girls when it gets its world premiere in Paris.

𝑨𝒏 𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒇 𝑺𝒉𝒐𝒓𝒕 𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒆𝒔 will be performed November 19-21 at 7 PM at the TRF Eagles Club. Tickets are available at https://tinyurl.com/TRFACTEOS.

Listen to the conversation to hear more about Allison’s background and current projects. Find Allison on her website at allisonpageishere.com.

A wall in the Self-Taught Artists, Self-Told Stories folk art exhibit is dedicated to “Polka Queen” Cathy Erickson of Middle River. The Cathy Erickson Band is nationally recognized with Cathy as the accordion player. She also played with The Alleycats. This spring she was inducted into the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame and was awarded the NW Star Award from the NWMAC a few years ago. Cathy received a grant from the NWMAC to purchase radio equipment to allow her to host radio shows from home. Learn how she came to host a show on Pioneer 90.1 and many more stories.

Metal Artist and Author Jeff Olson of Fosston has work in our current folk art exhibit — Self-Taught Artists, Self-Told Stories. Jeff owns Olson Iron Works. He’s also a blacksmith and co-founder of Pine to Prairie Folk School.

Jeff believes that we are all creative. When asked what folk art means to him, he shared, “Folk Art is defined as the traditional decorative or practical art created by ordinary people who usually lack formal artistic training. I believe it’s much deeper than that. Everyone has creativity baked into their DNA. We are all running on a 300,000 year old Ice Age Hard Drive. Our ancestors needed to be creative to survive extreme weather, hunt, process food and defend themselves. They made clothing, tools and weapons and archaeological evidence from that era show that they decorated those items. I believe our ancestral Hard Drive is still there. Many of us just do not take the time to access those gifts left to us by our ancestors. I encourage people to take time away from their busy, digitized life and do that creative thing that puts a smile on their heart.”

He spoke about blacksmithing, the exhibit, his work in the exhibit, tools, mentoring, how he works, the phrase “chase the skill,” and enjoying your journey. You can find him on Instagram @Jeff Olson Artist.

Listen to the conversation and visit the exhibit!

Xavier Tavera is a Mexican photographer and artist. Since 2001 he has traveled to Crookston once a year to work with In Progress teaching media to youth. Right now, he has work in the Fresh Voices exhibit at the Fournet Building.

Xavier spoke about the digital works in the exhibit and how they are a reflection in time. The photographers were his students who have grown and their kids are being taught by Xavier. He worked with Morgen Arguelles to capture the image “Service” – a Portrait of McKenzie Schmiedt for this exhibit. “McKenzie Schmiedt joined the National Guard while still in high school. Since then, she has trained, served communities in crisis, and responded during times of turmoil. Her service continues a long tradition of military service within her Latino family. Born and raised in Crookston, McKenzie now raises her own child in the community.”

Xavier’s photographs are inspired by interactions with strangers on the street, neighbors, and family members. His portraits emphasize individuals who are often marginalized, and he frequently focuses on members of the Latinx community. His work is based in prolonged engagement with his subjects. in his theory of photographic experience in which the process begins when the artist conceives an idea, continues over the course of multiple conversations with the intended subject (sometimes involving long-distance travel, culminating in one or more photography sessions, complete with the image post production. Xavier feels that the final image printed on paper is a byproduct or record of the photographic experience.

During the interview, Xavier and Phil discussed Xavier’s background, military service, photography, Crookston, and so much more. Xavier explained,“Our stories are getting diluted. This is the opportunity for us to tell our own story, how we are contributing. “

You can find Xavier’s work online. Google his name and you can find a website and his photographs that are displayed throughout the world.

Listen to learn more, visit the exhibit, and take in the Artist Reception and 30th Anniversary activities!