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!

Artist Eric Twait has an exhibit at Warroad RiverPlace that is open through October with 45-46 pieces of his work. Born from grief, shaped by words, and painted into silence — Letters to the Void traces an artist’s journey through loss, what could not be said, and the slow discovery of a way forward.

Eric explained, “I've been making art since I was four. As an adult I settled on landscapes, mostly, wide open spaces. Three years ago, losing my wife to cancer closed all of that down. When I came back to the studio, what came out wasn't landscape anymore. It was words — things I couldn't say, letters that would never be sent, written and rotated and painted over until they nearly disappeared into color and texture. That's how Letters to the Void began.

It didn't stay there. What started as private letters became a way of working — I hold a sentence in my head while I paint it, like a mantra, with my brush. Somewhere along the way I realized this wasn't just about grief, it became my path forward. Now I use it on whatever's going on in my life — self-doubt about the work itself, an old farmhouse full of uninvited guests, the particular ache of being an optimist who doesn't always get what he hoped for. Each canvas holds one of those and argues with itself: chaos against order, private against public. A background settles over the top last, like weather, and the words disappear underneath, mostly unreadable. What's left is the form — color, texture, composition — a surface where the feeling can stay without needing to be explained. One piece in this show, “Words Are an Elixir,” is about that directly: not what the words say, but what the saying of them does. You can read the letters if you want, or you can try anyway. But it's more about the act of creating than the letters themselves.”

Eric will also be teaching a workshop on Saturday, October 17. The workshop, Painting Your Emotions with Eric Twait is open to beginners. Born from one artist's journey through love and loss, this workshop invites participants to explore what is waiting to be expressed within. Through thoughtful prompts and an intuitive painting process, participants will create from the truth of your present moment, painting what you feel rather than what you see. No painting experience is necessary for this class. Later that day is an Artist Reception from 3-5 PM. Everyone is welcome to attend. Meet the artist, enjoy light refreshments, and stay for the dinner theater comedy, Escanaba in da Moonlight, presented by Warroad Summer Theatre.

Exhibit info: https://www.warroadriverplace.org/events/letters-to-the-void

Find Eric at his website at erictwait.com or on Facebook @ Eric Twait Artist

Listen to the interview to learn more.

Cyndy Renfrow shared the upcoming schedule and details about the Northern Lights Concert Series in Roseau (Roseau School Theatre) and Warroad (Warroad RiverPlace). Season tickets are available for $45 (students are $10). This gets you into all the shows. Individual tickets are not available at the door. There are 6 performances this season — usually there are 5 in a season. Shows include an A Cappella group, comedian and magician, tribute bands, and ArcoStrum (violin, guitar, fiddle, flute, and piccolo).

Find out more info and buy a season pass on their website at northernlightsconcerts.com. You can also reach Cyndy at 919-645-8839. Listen to learn more!

Brianna Geer is the Goose Festival Committee Chair. Goose Festival is September 25-27 this and has an impressive lineup of music this year. The NWMAC has provided grant funding to help fund the music at the Middle River Sportsmen’s Club and on Main Street. Performers include Tennis Tyler, The WoodPicks, the Alley Cats Reunion Band, Cathy Erickson, Nathan Bukowski, Gracie Crocker, and Key Beat. Listen to the interview for details.