Roseau Jewelry Artist and Winner of the NW Star Award Becky Rosenkrans talked about receiving the award, creating jewelry, her creative process, her shop, and more!

She received the award on Saturday, April 25 at Warroad RiverPlace in Warroad during the NW Art Exhibit Awards Reception and Program for her jewelry artistry.

Rebecca (or Becky) has been creating one-of-a-kind jewelry for over 30 years since 1994. . Becky handcrafts new pieces of jewelry or recreates old into new with Greek and Italian leather, beads, crafted chain maille, glass, stone, silver, crystal, and vintage goods.

Becky is the owner of Bead Gypsy, a shop in Roseau where handmade goods and original art from over 20 artists are sold. Located in a 1905 former bank building, the store is a haven for artists and arts lovers who live and visit the region. She readily shares her knowledge, creativity, and talents and is a tireless advocate for fellow artists. 

Rosenkrans grew up in a creative family , including her mother Frances Karlsson who was a well-known painter from the region. For over 14 years she worked with the court system as a Guardian ad Litem, which was an intense and sad job. She had always loved jewelry and found that creating it helped her relieve stress and worry from that position.

Becky especially enjoys creating the design and repurposing items. She’s made earrings from old, galvanized steel she collected from the old, torn down Roseau grain elevator and vintage cookie tins. She reshapes old silverware to magically transform into beautiful pendants and bracelets. Another example of this is when her husband discovered her mom’s copper boiler buried behind the garage. Becky and her siblings bathed in this boiler as toddlers and later used it to soak their clothes before washing as they grew up. After digging up and cleaning the vessel, Becky flattened it out and created hundreds of pieces of jewelry from it. One of the pieces was on display at Warroad RiverPlace. She admitted, “it was the most fun and creative things that I could do.”

Becky shared advice for aspiring artists. “Just start and let the creativity just flow. Find a mentor. Come and ask me and I’ll help you. Don’t be disappointed if it doesn’t work out. It makes you happy to create something with your own hands.”

The NW Star Award comes with $5,000. Artists can only receive it once as a lifetime achievement award. Funding for the Northwest Star comes from The McKnight Foundation. Three awards are given each year to recognize artists and arts advocates within our seven-county region who stand out in terms of artistry or volunteerism in the arts. Of the Year Award winners were nominated by area residents.

Congratulations, Becky! Listen to hear their entire conversation.

NW Artist of the Year Samantha Harrill spoke about her introduction to clay and pottery and how she continued and continues the practice. Originally from Red Lake Falls, Samantha is now a gifted ceramic artist who lives in Warroad. She studied Design and Art at Bemidji State University. She creates a variety of functional and decorative pottery pieces.

She shared, “A surprising fact about me is that I’m a bit of a metalhead. After 20-some years, it’s just part of my process — when I sit down at the wheel, that’s what I listen to. There’s a rhythm to both pottery and metal — it can feel intense and even a little chaotic, but also really grounding and almost hypnotic once you get into it.”

Samantha has a downtown studio in Warroad where she creates her pottery. She sells at occasional pop-ups, a local store, vendor shows, and on her website. You can find her at her FB page Northern Spruce Studio or her website www.northernsprucestudio.com.

Samantha is also the Executive Director of Warroad RiverPlace. In that position, she works tirelessly to affirm and bring the arts to northern Minnesota, while advocating for all art mediums, theater, art workshops for children and adults, music, and cultural and celebration events. 

Harrill gave this advice to aspiring artists, “Be patient with yourself. It takes time to develop your skills and find your voice, and that’s not something you can rush. You think you need to have everything figured out, but you don’t. Don’t be afraid of mistakes — they’re honestly one of the most important parts of the process. Especially in pottery, things don’t always turn out how you expect, and that’s where a lot of the learning happens. I would also say to stay curious and open to trying new things. Just keep showing up and doing the work.”

Samantha will receive the Artist of the Year award on Saturday, April 25 at our NW Art Exhibit Awards Reception and Program at Warroad RiverPlace. This award can be given to any discipline artist including visual, performing, or creative writing who are emerging or at a mid-way point in their artistic endeavors. It is a cash award of $500. Funding for the Northwest Artist of the Year comes from The McKnight Foundation. Three awards are given each year to recognize artists and arts advocates within our seven-county region who stand out in terms of artistry or volunteerism in the arts. Of the Year Award winners were nominated by area residents.

Listen to Samantha and Phil’s conversation to learn more. Congrats, Samantha!

TRFACT’s former Executive Director Jane Anderson of Thief River Falls is this year’s Northwest Arts Advocate of the Year Award. Jane and Phil spoke about Jane’s background,  theater, meeting Ethel Merman and more!

Jane is a theater artist – actor, singer, director, costumer -- and former Executive Director and founding member of the Thief River Falls Area Community Theater (TRFACT). Her decades of service, leadership, and advocacy have had a profound impact on area actors and audiences. Jane believes in nurturing young artists for their development and to sustain a vibrant arts community. Her unwavering commitment to the arts and arts education and her extraordinary ability to strengthen and expand the local theater community can be felt throughout our region. 

This award will be presented on Saturday, April 25 in Warroad at Warroad RiverPlace University of Minnesota. Three awards are given each year to recognize artists and arts advocates within our seven-county region who stand out in terms of artistry or volunteerism in the arts. Of the Year Award winners were nominated by area residents. Our Arts Advocate of the Year award is $500 and includes arts from all disciplines. Funding for this award comes from the Minnesota State Legislature. Congratulations, Jane!

Listen to the conversation to learn more and join us on April 25 in Warroad.

Alice Blessing was the juror of the NW Art Exhibit in Warroad this year.

Alice Blessing is a socially engaged artist based in Bemidji whose work is deeply informed by principles of intersectional feminism. Over the past two decades, Blessing's portraits have been exhibited in numerous galleries across the state, earning her multiple awards and grants. She is also an experienced educator, having taught at Bemidji State University for 13 years, as well as conducting painting workshops throughout Minnesota. Currently, Blessing serves as Gallery Director at Bemidji State University, where she teaches courses in Drawing, Painting, and Color Theory. She has a BFA in painting from Bemidji State.

As a juror she looks at each piece objectively, as well as the level of skill and experience. Part of the level of success is when a piece really hits you. Art is universal and can present any point of view. She spoke about fingerprinting and her own project on non-conformity. “Thirteen: Nonconformity” is a portrait series that explores intersectional feminism, gender, and the consequences of systemic oppression through finger-painted portraits of children aged 6-13 and includes 13 large portraits.

About the exhibit she shared, “Walking through this exhibit, I felt a genuine connection to the care, creativity, and individuality present in each piece. Here we have a beautiful balance between technical skill and imagination, where our participants’ unique approaches show us the limitlessness of art. I was especially moved by the range of expression; all of these pieces are full of curiosity and exploration. This collection highlights both seasoned expertise and emerging talent and offers a hopeful glimpse into the future of art. Thank you so much for inviting me to play a small part in this wonderful exhibition.”