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8.26.26 Elizabeth Rockstad and Deb Alexander
Ada Artists and Residents Elizabeth Rockstad and Deb Alexander spoke about the process from start to finish in creating a community mural in Ada. The idea came from the historical society to acknowledge and celebrate Ada’s 150th birthday. It was painted inside on sign board and then installed outdoors. Barn quilts, mosaic butterfly wings for photo ops, and many other images are included. The project received funding from the NWMAC, as well as donations. Listen to the conversation for details!
9.2.26 Jerry Amiot Pioneer Day
Here’s an event to put on your calendar — September 13 is Pioneer Day in Crookston. Jerry Amiot spoke with Phil McKenzie about the yearly event, its history, and this year’s arts line up, including Project Constellation, The WoodPicks, Dean & Peggy, blacksmithing demonstrations, and wheat weaving.
The 2026 Pioneer Day will be held at the Polk County Museum and in various buildings on its grounds located at 719 East Robert Street in Crookston. The event begins at 11 AM and ends at 4 PM.
12:30 PM "Dean and Peggy" a musical duo from the Bemidji area, with guitar, mandolin, banjo and jaw harp, will perform Celtic and fiddle tunes.
1:45 PM "Project : Constellation" a duo from Grand Forks will perform live traditional Scandinavian music, with guitar and violin.
3 PM "The WoodPicks" from Thief River Falls will perform an acoustic mix of Gospel, Bluegrass, Country and Americana music.
The event is free to attend. Organized by the Polk County Historical Society. They received funding from the NWMAC.
8.19.23 AFRAN Richard Hagen and Josué Savoie
Association of the French of the North (AFRAN) Board Members Richard Hagen and Josué Savoie shared information about AFRAN’s upcoming Chautauqua on August 22-23 at Old Crossing and Treaty Park in Huot, including the location of the event and its meaning, history, and cultural importance, as well as and the lineup, like Metis fiddler Jamie Fox, Fiddler and Stepdancer Danielle Enblom, The Skally Line, and more. The event is free to attend and free to camp. Listen to the conversation to learn more and make plans to attend!
8.12.26 Gail Ose
Thief River Falls multidisciplinary artist Gail Ose spoke about her background (engineering degree, creative frequency coach, and more). Gail completed our TARP training this spring and is on NWMAC’s teaching artist roster. She is a frequent contributor of art in our exhibits. She is the owner of Serendipity Art Hub and offers visual art workshops like Creating from Within: Portals of Self Discovery. Listen to the podcast to learn more!
8.5.26 Mara Hanel
NWMAC Executive Director Mara Hanel spoke about the NWMAC’s current Call for Folk Art, what folk art is, and examples of art or items individuals or groups can submit for the exhibit. The submissions deadline for the Folk Art Exhibit is August 21 and it will be open from September 3 to the end of November at our gallery at NCTC in Thief River Falls. Mara also shared info about NWMAC’s Active Artist Award. This is a reimbursable award for eligible art purchases up to $500. Artists are encouraged to reach out to Mara before they make the purchase to ensure that it is eligible for reimbursement. It’s a much simpler process than applying for a grant. Mara also highlighted the Emergency Relief Fund. August 15 is the next upcoming deadline. This funding uses a simple form as well. You can find the forms and information for the Active Artist Award and the Emergency Relief Fund at the top of our website under forms and also under resources. Finally, Mara spoke about NWMAC’s grant deadlines for arts projects, individual artists, artist residencies, and arts equipment. Find out more throughout our website, monthly e-newsletter, and social media (FB, Instagram, and more!).
7.29.25 Heritage Days Teri Hammarback & Jeanne O’Neil
Teri Hammarback and Jeanne O’Neil spoke about East Grand Fork’s Heritage Days taking place August 8 and 9. Located at Heritage Village (219 20th St NE), the celebration will include history, lots of live music, activities like broom making, and many other events. The theme this year for the music show is immigrants. Listen to the interview to hear more details about the event.
The schedule for the Heritage Days Traditional Music Show is
Saturday- August 8
1 PM- Jeremy Kingsbury- bagpiper and historian. Jeremy plays several types of small pipes in the Scottish, French and Irish traditions.
2 PM Bob and Gail Johnson - Songs and tunes from Ireland and Appalachia, with guitar, harmonica, recorder, harp and more.
3 PM -Vidar Skrede- Norwegian folk music - fiddle, hardanger fiddle, guitar and mandolin.
Sunday- August 9
12 PM – O'Neil Family Band- French Canadian, Celtic and Appalachian tunes and songs – fiddle, guitar, banjo, concertina and step dance.
1 PM- Vidar Skrede- Norwegian fiddle music
2 PM- Bob and Gail Johnson- Celtic and Appalachian songs and tunes
3 PM-Jeremy Kingsbury- Bagpiper
Chuck Gust, accordionist, will entertain for the Sunday noon dinner in the Beier Bldg.
*This activity is made possible in part by a grant provided by the Northwest Minnesota Arts Council through funding from the Minnesota State Legislature with money from the State's general fund.
Other activities on the grounds from 10 AM to 4 PM each day.
7.22.26 Ross Hier & Beau Bakken
Artists Beau Bakken of Hallock and Ross Hier of Crookston were the featured artists this week. Their work is featured in the exhibit Iron and Feathers: Art of the Northwest is open through August at the Historic Fournet Building.
The Artist Reception will be on August 13 from 6 to 7:30 PM. Lake Bronson Violinist Eden Johnson will be playing. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend. The exhibit will close after the reception.
For this exhibit, Ross concentrated on birds. He prefers to use watercolors on paper. Beau’s work is in acrylic on canvas. His work focuses on buildings and vehicles — old trucks, tractors, machinery, and elevators— that capture interesting scraps of light on metal. Both artists discussed their practice, process, our region, and more! Many pieces of the art is for sale.
7.15.26 Alyssa Aune
Alyssa Aune recently completed the NWMAC Teaching Artist Training. She spoke about the training — what it involved, the lesson planning, her residency, the TARP roster, the group of artists who took the training, and more.
She also talked about her art and workshops that she has taught or will be teaching.
Check out Alyssa's teaching artist page on our website https://northwestminnesotaartscouncil.org/alyssa-aune-tarp. She also has an Etsy account where she sells photos of Highland cows and more. You can find her on Etsy if you search alyssaaunephoto.
Listen to the recording to learn more!
7.8.26 Britt Dahl
Roseau County Historical Society Director and Curator Britt Dahl spoke about the museum, the exhibits, events they host and sponsor — authors, music, art classes (wood carving, crop art) — history, and more. The museum is located in the Roseau City Center. They’ve received grant funding from the NWMAC for some of their arts events. Stop by to check it out and listen to the interview to learn more!
7.1.26 Anna Pollock
Anna Pollock is the Executive Director of the Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council and the current Forum of Regional Arts Councils board chair. She spoke about the regional arts councils, the Legacy Amendment, other funding sources, and the impact of the Emergency Relief Funds on her region (we are trying to promote this program ourselves now with $500 grants).
NWMAC's Emergency Relief Fund. The Emergency Relief Fund (ERF) provides short-term relief to individual artists facing housing, healthcare, income, transportation, legal, or property loss emergencies that impact their wellbeing or ability to work. This program offers one-time awards of $500. In general, payments for emergency assistance are considered gifts and are not taxable income. Individuals must be currently active in a creative practice and live in Region 1: (Minnesota counties of Kittson, Marshall, Norman, Pennington, Polk, Red Lake, or Roseau). The Artists Emergency Relief Fund Network is stewarded by Springboard for the Arts and supported by F. R. Bigelow Foundation, Jerome Foundation, McKnight Foundation, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation.
The application process opened May 1, 2026. Application deadlines are June 15, August 15, October 15, and December 1 as funds allow. Read more and download the application here at our website.
12.17.25 Brenda Yanok
Brenda Yanok is the community manager of Folk School Warroad. The school opened in 2019 with about 20 events the first year and has grown since. They rely on grant funding from the NWMAC. Their mission is to provide learning experiences in art, culture, local history, traditional crafts and exploration and enjoyment of local natural resources. She provided a background of the history of the school, the concept of folk schools, and what they offer.
What is a folk school? A folk school is a series of classes and programs that bring people together to make things, make music, make stories and learn together. In most folk schools, individual expression and social interaction are developed and supported through classes in music, crafts, nature studies, gardening, cooking, dance, and other expressions of the local culture.
In addition to leading the organization, Brenda teaches quilting and enjoys other art practices including drawing and painting. She spoke about the community aspect of the school and the unexpected connections the attendees make. This year the non-profit has had over 650 attendees, 52 classes, and 29 different instructors. Popular classes include making Ojibwe style snowshoes, fiber arts (weaving and spinning), wood carving, and Native arts classes including beadwork and ribbon skirts. They’ve also offered wine making, journaling, baking, and basket weaving. The school works closely with the historical society and the DNR in their program offerings and utilizes other venues like the local brewery and culture center. They purchased rigid heddle looms that will allow them to offer more weaving opportunities. Their vision for next year includes further developing fiber arts and native arts courses, and offering relief and block printing and more Adirondack snowshoe chair sessions.
Find out more on their website: folkschoolwarroad.org or follow them on FB.
12.10.25 Bao Phi
Bao Phi is the Arts & Culture program officer at the McKnight Foundation.
Bao is also a poet, an author, and a spoken word artist. He’s a two-time Minnesota Grand Slam champion and a National Poetry Slam finalist. Bao shared information about the history of spoken word and his experience and enjoyment of the art. His poetry is included in The Best American Poetry 2006 anthology and published widely elsewhere. And, he’s also a children’s book author. Born in Saigon shortly before the mass exodus of his family and many others to the United States, Bao is a Vietnamese American raised in south Minneapolis.
Prior to McKnight, Bao worked for nearly 23 years at the Loft Literary Center in a few roles, including managing the McKnight Artist Fellowship program in Creative Writing.
Support for individual artists is a focus of the McKnight Foundation’s Arts & Culture program. McKnight Artist & Culture Bearer Fellowships provide $25,000 in unrestricted support for midcareer artists and discipline-specific artistic and professional development opportunities. Bao spoke about the various McKnight Fellowships and the partner organizations that manage them.
In addition to the fellowship program, McKnight provides multiyear general operating funds to artist and culture bearer organizations. Their support includes a focus on greater Minnesota and they support regional arts councils (including the NWMAC) to get arts dollars out to all the counties in the state.
Bao has a unique perspective as a working artist that informs his role as administrator. His advice to applicants is to “Be brief and put your best work forward.”
Listen to this engaging conversation to learn more about Bao and the fellowship program.
12.3.25 Kristine Sorenson
Co-Founder and Executive Director of the digital storytelling organization In Progress Kristine Sorenson spoke about the statewide organization and all they offer. In Progress operates out of and maintains studio space at Studio 110 downtown Crookston and in St Paul. This small non-profit has been promoting the voices of new and emerging digital artists since its inception in 1996, breaking down barriers of geography, class, education, and culture in the process. In Progress receives grant funds from the NWMAC and provides opportunities for artists of all ages to develop their skills as digital storytellers through the use of photography, video, and music.
Earlier this year In Progress began working with African immigrant communities in East Grand Forks through the Family Resource Center utilizing music, portraiture work, and collecting oral histories.
At Studio 110 in Crookston, you can find Rena, Regina, and Roxanne Zapata offering services, assistance, and vision. Find out more about In Progress on Facebook or their website at www.in-progress.org. Listen for more details!
11.26.25 Rebecca Rosenkrans
Jeweler Rebecca Rosenkrans and owner of Bead Gypsy in Roseau spoke about how she became a jeweler and how her shop came to be. She creates and sells jewelry from vintage flatware, leather, beads, Chain Maille (a weaving of a jump ring), brass, copper, and other metals, and more. She learned silversmithing from the Milan Village Arts School in Milan, Minnesota. She does take custom orders. The shop sells pottery, rosemaling, books, weavings, knitting, wood carvings, and other items created by 16 area artisans, as well as items from Sweden and other Scandinavian countries. She serves Fika (coffee and treats) every day and they celebrate Scandinavian holidays. Stop into this shop for locally crafted treasures. Find her on Minnesota Bead Gypsy on Facebook. The store is downtown Roseau on Main Ave. Listen to learn more!
11.19.25 Paulette Christianson
Badger artist Paulette Christianson has art in our Traveling Art Exhibit touring the region and the Artists of NW Minnesota Exhibit at our gallery in Thief River Falls. Paulette has led an active life in the arts. She’s worked in commercial art, like advertising via signs, magazines, and newspaper. In fine art she creates what she likes. She’s inspired by nature. She prefers to take a photo and bring it home to capture the image with her painting. She works in pen and ink, pencil, acrylic, and more. Her piece in the Traveling Exhibit is abstract, which she enjoyed creating. Paulette is available for commissions and for school residencies. To aspiring artists she says “Don’t give up .. keep trying.” You can find a listing for Paulette in our Artists of NW Minnesota booklet. Listen to hear more.
11.12.25 Cristeta Boarini
Cristeta Boarini is the Partnerships Program Manager at The Loft in Downtown Minneapolis. She spoke about resources, programs, and classes that the Loft offers virtually (and in person). Writers can find a community to help them grow their writing at the Loft. Learn more at loft.org
She also shared information about the McKnight Fellowship for Writers — the deadline to apply is open until November 30. Awards are for $25,000 and are available for mid-career established artists. Four awards will be given for spoken word and poetry, and one for children’s literature ages 8 and under. Judges change each year so Cristeta recommended that even if you’ve applied in the past, consider applying again. Winners join an elite alumni group. Apply through the loft.org. Eligibility questions can be sent to awards@loft.org.
11.5.25 Megan Maloney
Megan Maloney spoke with Phil about her history in the arts, taking over as the Executive-Artistic Director of Thief River Falls Community Theater, and Jane’s legacy. TRFACT is producing An Evening of Short Comedies Nov 13-15 at the Eagles Club in Thief River. Tickets are available online at TRFACT.org or at the door. Megan shared how they come up with the upcoming shows. The upcoming season will include The Sound of Music (directed by Jane Anderson), for kids ages 2nd-5th grade Frozen Kids, Teresa McGriff will be directing The Sweet Delilah Swim Club, and Something Rotten Jr for teens. Listen to all of the conversation!
10.29.25 Jenn Walz
The founder of Queen City Art Center Jenn Walz of Crookston spoke with Phil McKenzie this week about her accessible arts space in the historic Crookston Times building. Queen City Art Center is a creative hub with multipurpose studio space, retail gallery space, arts classes, and room for parties and events. Jenn has always been passionate about arts. She wants this to be a space for artists to come and receive support. She has a pottery studio in the space, including paint your own pottery. Classes include watercolor, acrylic, Shibori, mosaic, and more with a variety of area artists as teachers. She received a grant earlier this year from the Northwest Minnesota Arts Council for items for her kiln. You can follow Queen City Art Center on Facebook. Listen to hear all the details and stop by the space when you are downtown Crookston!
10.22.25 Megan Sugden
Hallock Photographer Megan Sugden has a photo in our current exhibit Artists of NW Minnesota at our gallery at Northland Community and Technical College. She's also in our artist booklet, has received grants, and submitted work into our annual exhibit (and won an award). Megan's photography includes northern lights and night sky images (Kittson County Skies) and portraits. Megan’s websites are meganphoto.com and kittsoncountyskies.com. Her photos, including family portraits, are often taken on her family farm, which she calls her outdoor studio. She includes unique items as backgrounds in the Northern Lights shots (tractors, old buildings, highway signs, and other spots in Kittson County).
10.15.25 Therese Jacobson
Alvarado Artist Therese Masters Jacobson is currently featured in an exhibit Drawn from Observation at the historic Fournet Building downtown Crookston. Therese spoke about how she got started painting, drawing, and other visual arts and the process of creating art. Drawn from Observation includes 29 pieces in pen and ink, acrylic, and colored pencil featuring nature, peace, her granddaughters, wheat, vegetables, animals, and more. These pieces are all for sale. Much of Therese’s inspiration comes from everyday life. Therese talked about living an artful life and what she observes all around her. Therese has a listing in our Artists of NW Minnesota booklet and has a piece of art in our Artists of NW Minnesota exhibit at our gallery at NCTC. Therese has served on the NWMAC Board of Directors and worked for the NWMAC as the Exhibit Specialist besides being a regular exhibitor. Listen to hear this fun conversation and stop by Therese’s exhibit in Crookston!