Previous Gallery Shows

2024

Austin Area Arts Staff

Featuring:
Lora Lee Bauer
Terri Bergstrom
Cora Feist
Laura Helle
Pen McVay
Kelsey Ritchie
Jenna Viehauser
Amy Wightkin.

Rita Prahl: Views From the Heartland & Keith Lawrence

s of the human experience. Prahl is creating a visual story, to stir the viewers imagination and to be heard. The viewer feels the warmth of the sun on a hot summers day, the coolness of a fall breeze in the middle of a forest. Her use of lights and color bring out the excitement, the thrill of paddling a canoe on the open water, giving witnessing to all that nature offers. Rita’s every brush stroke helps the viewer feel warm and exuberant, all at the same time wandering over the horizon, down the road to what awaits around the next bend. Through the use of color, light, design and mood, Rita creates a flowing composition, to leave a lasting impression on the viewer.

Rita lives and works in LeSueur Minnesota on a family farm. Prahl paints in watercolor, always pushing the medium and her abilities to new heights seeking to surprise and dazzle the viewer and occasionally herself.

https://www.ritaprahlartist.com 

Keith Lawrence is a self-taught American artist living in Rochester, MN. Keith’s main focus is portraiture created in pencil or charcoal. His work was recently on display at the Rochester Art Center.

Inkpa Mani & Ron Davison

January 19 - March 29:

Inkpa Mani is a multidisciplinary artist who works in stone, wood and painting. He  grew up in the lands now knowns as Chihuahua, Mexico and Minnesota.  His work uses social engagement to share the many injustices faced by Indigenous people of the Americas. He will earned his BFA with an emphasis in paining at the University of South Dakota in 2019. He is working to be a Fine Arts Professor. His process involves oral histories, institutional research, and critical theory to highlight the concerns of his people and family. Inkpa’s artistic practice also involves speaking engagements and community sharing circles to share his work. Inkpa has worked on projects addressing sexual assault of Indigenous people and its effect on communities, cross generational trauma and how to address it in a culturally competent manner, health disparities in mental and physical health, and many other areas of research for his art. Inkpa also engages in social activism for human rights to share his Indigenous concerns. 

Ron Davison started drawing in the margins of newspapers from a young age. His love of art only grew from there. After leaving the Army, he started work for a design studio and ad agency in Colorado as an art director and staff designer/illustrator. Following his time there, he moved to San Diego, where he became vice president of corporate art at Bond Industries. Later, he worked as a freelance artist where he worked for the San Diego Padres baseball team among other companies. After retirement, he and his wife moved to northern California before settling in Fairmont. Davison described himself as not having a definitive style or communicating a particular message, but his preferred medium is acrylics. Ron now has a diverse portfolio which runs from detailed imaginative machinery art to collage and contemporary abstract art. In the past few years, Ron was rewarded for his work by repeated juried selection to exhibit at the Carnegie Art Center Annual Event and recently won two Fine Art awards at the 2023 MN State Fair.

2023

Annual Member Show

November 3 - December 31, 2023

Participating Members:
Lora Lee Bauer / Terri Bergstrom / Robbie Brokken / Ron Davison / Debra DSouza / Lisa Dunlop / Julie Erchoff-Castet / Jack Faas / Gary Gabrielson / Sally Gerhart / Kevin Hanson / Laura Helle / Sonia Larson / Angie Loecke / Pen McVay / William Olson / Tim Rietz / Kelsey Ritchie / Sue Ruzek / Dayle Wedeking

John Sullivan

September 8 - October 21, 2023

John Sullivan is known in the Austin community as an art teacher, currently at Ellis Middle School, and as the priest at Christ Episcopal Church. He is also father, grandfather, neighbor and friend.

John has a background in ceramics and worked as a production potter at Heritage Designs. He often creates with clay he dug from local riverbeds. John is a long-time clay instructor at the Austin ArtWorks Center.

Megan Moore & Bob Severson

June 9 - August 19, 2023

About the artist:

Megan Moore grew up in Huntsville, AL, studied illustration at the Savannah College of Art and Design, and has been working in Minneapolis as a professional artist for 20 years. She previously worked in a variety of design related fields including publishing, marketing, and graphic design, but currently focuses on her work as an artist. Her studio space is in the Northrup King Building (#423). She lives in the Longfellow neighborhood with her family, where she is an artist organizer with LoLa (the League of Longfellow Artists). Over the course of 2021 and 2022, she worked with the Lake Street Council and Longfellow Business Association on project ideas for public art and business development that promote healing, equity, and opportunity in the diverse neighborhoods that suffered much damage after the murder of George Floyd.

Bob Severson is from Albert Lea and has been an artist his whole life. He was a school teacher and has taught art for over 30 years. His latest interests are in collages but has shown expertise in water color, pottery and photography. The name of his exhibit is Look Beyond.  He is always looking for found objects and adjusting his creativity to turn them into art. 

Shelley Caldwell & Kent Estey

March 31 - June 3, 2023

About the artists:

Shelley Caldwell - Living in a rural environment, you witness the wonders of the natural world & learn to be resourceful with what is available. This profoundly impacts my work as a mixed media drawing & installation artist.

Ideas stem from a specific experience in nature stylized with pattern & repetition.  As with nature, dualities in the work result from combining styles & processes: spontaneous mark-making vs precise control, muted tones vs bright colors, & graphic shapes vs natural references. A variety of media are used to produce the clean lines fundamental to the work including pen, ink, & cut paper. I aim to create an approachable, relatable, & enriching experience.

I am driven to accentuate the ordinary, to highlight how the overlap in the supposed mundane of our individual lives unites us; however simple, there is great value in the surroundings and experiences that occupy our existence. Through a combined practice of mixed media drawing and installation, these themes converge.

Kent Estey - “I’ve always painted the land, sky, and water. My wife and I live in the woods, surrounded by the forest and the beautiful lakes of Northwestern Minnesota. Inspiration is pretty much everywhere I look. I consider myself a contemporary artist specializing in the sky and landscapes. My paintings are typically more nonrepresentational and abstract in nature. I love color and texture. I use a variety of mediums in my paintings, including acrylic, oil, and ink. Some of my most recent paintings feature stone, copper, and other metals. Earth tones inspire me with deep shades of blue, brown, and red. My inspiration comes from nature, and often, my feelings and emotions are what are expressed on canvas and paper. I paint reflections and pieces of time, dreams, feelings, and calm. Sometimes I use broad motions and movement in my pieces. I see this flash of light or color in the sky expressing a need to be painted. When I follow those instincts, that’s my way of capturing and honoring my beautiful Ojibwe heritage.”

Susan Anderson & Victor Yepez

January 13 - March 24, 2023

Susan Anderson is a painter that uses watercolor, acrylic, and intuition. In life, things rarely go as planned. Susan has embraced this concept and applied it to her art. She simply begins and feels her way through the process-listening to her inner voice. Nature and the human experience have been her muse as she creates pieces that explore the rhythm of patterns and evoke a sense of calm.

Since immigrating to the U.S. fifteen years ago, Victor Yepez has worked as a sculptor, muralist, art teacher, and public artist.

“I strongly believe that art is for everybody. In my sculpture, I utilize recycled materials because of their aesthetic properties and also with an ecological message for future generations. My hope is that my work will play a role in creating a positive future with respect for the earth, justice and dignity for everyone,” Yepez said. 

2022

November 11 - December 31, 2022 - Annual Member’s Show

Visit the free Opening Reception and meet the artists on Friday, November 11 5-7pm.

Participating members: Lora Lee Bauer / Terri Bergstrom / Robbie Brokken / Debra D’Souza / Jack Faas / Cora Feist / Kandee Feist / Keith Grove / Laura Helle / Sonia Larson / Bruce Loeschen / Willy Olson / Stephen Paulson / Gretchen Ramlo / Theodore Rasmussen / Marvin Repinski / Kelsey Ritchie / Emerson Ruble / Susan Ruzek / Dayle Wedeking

June 21 to November 1, 2022: Theodore Rassmussen at the Hormel Institute

Austin Area Arts is partnering with the Hormel Institute to present a special exhibit by Theodore Rassmussen at the Hormel Institute.

A disabled veteran of the Vietnam era, Theodore Rassmussen was born in Carroll, Iowa and now resides in Austin. He started painting in 1989 as a form of therapy. Most of Theodore’s work is abstract and he works predominantly in watercolors.

Visitors and staff at the Hormel Institute will enjoy the artwork, then it will be moved to the Austin ArtWorks Center and be made available for purchase in November 2022.

September 9 - October 29, 2022: AK Garski & Wren Clinfelter

AK Garski (they/them/theirs) is a non-binary visual artist, educator, and activist who creates artwork that deconstructs the gender binary and confronts social injustice. The backbone of their visual art practice is observational drawing and painting that is both technically precise and mysteriously queer. Through their social practice artwork, Garski creates opportunities for community dialogue via programs and events that address systemic inequities. As an educator, Garski specializes in creating curriculum that tackles LGBTQIA+ discrimination, unpacks white privilege, and supports anti-racism. Since 2020, Garski has provided private consultations to individuals and organizations focusing on gender variant equity and inclusion through the lens of visual art.

Garski earned a BA in Studio Art and Gender Studies from St. Catherine University in 2012. They graduated with an MFA in Painting and an MA in History and Theory of Contemporary Art from San Francisco Art Institute in 2016. From 2016-2021, Garski served as an adjunct instructor in the Art and Art History Department at St. Catherine University. They received a Minnesota State Arts Board Artist Initiative Grant in 2019 and a Creative Support Grant in 2021. 

Wren Clinefelter (they/them/theirs) is a queer comic artist and illustrator based in Minnesota. They graduated from Austin High School in 2021 and are currently pursuing their BFA in Comic Art at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Using both digital and traditional mediums, Wren writes comics that center queer identities and relationships in the Science Fiction and Fantasy genres. 

May 27 - August 20, 2022: Shane Hudak & Michael Kutch

Shane Hudak is a Minneapolis based photographer that began down the road to being a photographer after purchasing a DSLR in 2010 and has been exhibiting professionally since 2017.

Travel photography is an important outlet of expression for Shane. The world is a beautiful place with common features throughout and some of his pieces show what seems like a familiar place, but in a completely foreign setting. Others are seemingly on the edge of the Earth and filled with melancholy and solitude. No matter what comes out of the lens, the journey is the important part and he often brings his young children to explore the world as well.

After spending several years dealing in antiques, Michael Kutch stumbled into the world of salvage art. Through many successes, and many more failures, he has learned how to navigate the artistic process to his advantage. Since available materials are constantly changing, the art I create follows suite.

April 2 - May 20, 2022: Peyton Scott Russell & Beth Sievers

Process of Elimination
Artist Statement
Peyton Scott Russell

Aerosol and Latex Paint on Loose Canvas 

 Process of Elimination is a series of paintings with aerosol and latex paint on loose canvas, painted as an individual painting or as a diptych, triptych, quadriptych, or more canvases painted together. Yet each painting is separated into a standalone painting that highlights abstraction and graffiti art. 

I enjoy mixing graffiti art aesthetics and abstract elements to express a human connection and interaction with space and surfaces. I am interested in the physical action of graffiti art, and its communication through gestural markings and written forms. I am also interested in the elimination of graffiti, known in the graffiti culture as “The Buff.” The Buff may resemble scars on a wall where graffiti markings have been painted over by property owners, city workers, and/or vigilantes. I have recognized The Buff, in part, as a form of abstract and expressionistic painting, which reminds me of artists like Motherwell, Newman, Rothko, Twombly, Hofmann, Reinhardt, and Still.

As a practicing graffiti artist of 35+ years, The Buff has taken me back to studying my favorite fine art movement – Abstract Expressionism. By using concepts of The Buff, I can participate in the abstract movement as well as continue practicing the craft of graffiti – together – as a personal collaboration. I see The Buff as another form of graffiti marking adding to the overall contemporary language of graffiti culture and its history. This language is created by the action of graffiti writing and the action of erasing it, highlighting the push and pull dynamics of human interaction with surfaces.

Written text draws us to understand what is written and why. I abstract text through the expressive nature founded in graffiti art and creative typography, bringing it all out of context to express the freedom of gesture and the attempt to create a new form of abstract painting informed by graffiti.

Russell presented his SPRAYFINGER® concept at the 2021 Austin ArtWorks Festival with festival goers participating in artmaking dubbed “Spray and Take.” 

After the “Process of Elimination'' exhibit closes, there will be two additional opportunities to engage in aerosol arts with Russell: a ​​Quikut and Sprallage Workshop on Saturday, May 21 from 1-3pm and SPRAYFINGER® Graffiti Camp for Youth on Monday, June 20- Friday June 24 from 10am- 4pm each day. Both take place at the Austin ArtWorks Center and are geared toward ages 8-18. 

Peyton Scott Russell’s exhibit is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts & cultural heritage fund.

Beth Sievers is a self-guided artist who transitioned from working in stained-glass to becoming an encaustic artist. She first discovered encaustic painting in 2010.  She fell in love with the medium of encaustic art the moment she came across it. Her nature-inspired creations often adorn locally salvaged wood. Creating on unusual substrate allows her to take inspiration from her canvas. Her art is part of an ancient tradition that developed on the banks of the Mediterranean in Egyptian, Greek, and Roman culture. Working with a warmed mixture of beeswax, tree resin, and pigment, she manipulates her medium with a torch and sometimes will even set the entire painting ablaze. 

Beth Sievers has a Master’s degree in nursing and currently works at Mayo Clinic Hospital Rochester as a Clinical Nurse Specialist. She finds her compassionate care of patients fuels a creative spirit geared towards creating art as a healing practice. She is pleased to have created an artistic family with her husband and two daughters. 

Beth is a current member of Threshold Arts and curates the 125 Live art gallery spaces. 

January 14 - March 26, 2022: Lauren Strom & Carla Brown

Carla Brown
My inspiration and process:
I am inspired by the little details in life. I'm drawn to the negative space of the images I paint and I like to carve a space for the form to appear. This process allows for a more intuitive brushstroke. It seems to enhance the object even if its just a small bud on a tree. To me, everything around that little bud helps make it magical! Bright colors are truly my friends. Using intense combinations is what makes me feel alive and energized. Sometimes I like to calm down with a quiet palette. I occasionally paint on large canvases, but I prefer to paint on smaller pieces of unique shapes and sizes of wood. I enjoy collecting, cutting, sanding and adding color to it. The texture, smell, and weight are always unpredictable. I like that the wood is a little dinged on the edges and shows some wear. Just like me!

Lauren Strom
Artifacts of Joy are brightly colored abstract paintings on functional surfaces and illustrations to empower, uplift, and make you laugh. Owner and artist Lauren Strom puts her heart into art for your heart and home. She is driven by the motto "If you have the power to make someone happy, do it" and oh does she do it.

2021

November 5 - December 31, 2021: Austin Area Arts Member Show

Art is available for immediate purchase—great for holiday gift giving!

Participating Artists: Lora Lee Bauer ~ Geraldyne Berg ~ Robbie Brokken ~ Jenelle Cummings ~ Jack Faas ~ Andrea Funke ~ Sally Gerhart ~ Danica Helle ~ Laura Helle ~ Sylvia Hernandez ~ Sonia Larson ~ Angela Loecke ~ Willy Olson ~ Barbara Orcutt ~ Sara Sayles ~ John Sullivan ~ Tim Rietz ~ Susan Ruzek ~ Dayle Wedeking ~ James Wegner

September 10 - October 23, 2021: Amanda Black & Jacob Schlichter

Amanda Black is a printmaker specializing in nostalgic scenes inspired by the Minnesota landscape. Years after graduating with a BFA in studio art with an emphasis on photography she found printmaking to be the perfect union to merge reality with creation. Still using photographs as inspiration, it is the tactile creation which invigorates a love for printmaking. Each design has been hand carved out of a block and one by one printed onto cotton paper which is hand torn to size. Having grown up spending time camping and lake jumping, Amanda has plenty of memories to draw from for inspiration. She now enjoys experiencing Minnesota state parks and cabin weekends with her two children.

Jacob Schlichter - Jacob is a photographer who was raised in Austin and is currently based out of Albert Lea. His usual niches are scenic, astro, and urban photography but for a handful of weeks in 2020 that all changed drastically when George Floyd died. Like many other Minnesotans, he felt a calling after watching George Floyd be pinned to the ground for 8 minutes and 46 seconds before dying. Jacob drove to Chicago and 38th with the goal of capturing a city mourning but ended up experiencing much more.

The aim of this gallery is to unbiasedly show the public the events of the George Floyd Protests.

Be advised: some of Schlichter’s photo contain mature content and language.

August 28 - August 29, 2021: Leslie Barlow

Part of the Austin ArtWorks Festival

June 11 - August 21, 2021: Melinda Wolff & Flor Soto

May 21 - June 5, 2021: Rachel Obranovich: Scribble Score

An exhibition exploring the intersection of drawing and performance “Scribble Score” examines the function of a scribble as a score for movement and discovery.

This group of drawings, paintings and constructions seeks to find structure within the process of translating movement and mark making across disciplines of drawing, painting, sound, and dance.

Inspired by the way the earliest drawings of childhood explore space, speed, and intensity, the artist presents ways to examine those methods as means for reflection and growth at any age.

The exhibition will include a live multi disciplinary performance during the opening on Friday, May 21, 2021 5-7pm

This event will follow current best practices to limit the spread of COVID-19 including mask wear for all present, physical distancing and other measures as appropriate.

April 2 - May 15, 2021: Tamara Schneider and Andrea Funke

Tammy grew up in LeRoy, MN with a talented artistic mother who mentored her as she grew. In her teen years she took the “draw me” course from Minneapolis Art Instruction School which is a home study course.

While living in Mississippi, she was fortunate to find a wonderful instructor, Dalton King, who taught her how to use oil/acrylic and help develop her style of painting. She also was mentored by Chares Pearson, a nationally known wildlife artist.

Tammy’s paintings are in private and public places, including a four seasons painting at the CRC building in Austin, a mural at Freeborn-Mower Cooperative Services in Albert Lea, and a restoration painting of Jesus at St. Michael’s Lutheran Church, Waltham. You will also find her work displayed at the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center, Hormel Foods Corporation, and St. Mark’s Nursing Home, all in Austin, MN. She has won numerous awards locally and regionally at fairs, purchase award for the City of Austin, and a national contest through the Artist Magazine.

Tammy also does commission work. Her main subjects are animals and rural landscapes done in pencil, acrylic, watercolor and oil.

Through the years her talent has been received as a Good-given gift which she is grateful for as it has been a blessing to make many people happy with the work – either owning or viewing it.

Andrea Funke was born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and grew up in St. Louis, MO. She moved to Austin after completing her bachelor’s degree in accounting at Luther College. Her first creative love was photography, with a focus on nature and macro, or close-up, photography. Over the last five years, her focus has shifted to painting, working mostly with various types of acrylic paint.

January 15-March 27 / 2021: Layl McDill & Terresa Moses

Layl McDill
Layl McDill grew up on the edge of the prairie in boom town Gillette, Wyoming. She has lived in Minneapolis since 1994. She and her husband Josh Blanc started Clay Squared to Infinity, a tile showroom and art studio/showroom in 1996. She has two adult daughters.

Early influences were Dr.Seuss and stickers. Growing up in Wyoming she didn’t see any real art beyond “Cowboy and Indian” art but during the summer between Junior and Senior year of High School she went on a family trip to the Smithsonian and was shocked and amazed by Pop Art. She was also greatly influenced by her grandmother’s collection of Indonesian and Chinese art that she brought back after living in Indonesia for many years.

She went to Casper College in Casper, Wyoming and then Columbus College of Art and Design in Columbus, Ohio where she received her degree in Illustration graduating in 1993. After art school she illustrated a few children’s books for a small publisher but decided early on that making her own art and selling it directly was a better direction for her. She fell into doing art shows and showing at art centers early on. Her work has been shown in over 15 states, at galleries, art centers, and festivals.

“I have spent my artistic career rendering versions of the world we live in into windows of wonderment. With my most recent work I hope to tingle the viewer’s imagination towards opening their mind to seeing something in a new perspective. Viewers are drawn to the magic and wonder of my work. They will be not only fascinated by the technique but presented with some thoughts about ways to look at the world we live in and given their daily dose of wonderment.”

Teresa Moses
This exhibition by Terresa Moses, Umbra, centers the intersectional experiences of Black womxn.* Inspired by her own experiences and the experiences of other Black womxn, Moses was compelled to create work which validates and uncovers the institutional racism and sexism perpetuated in this community everyday. 

Each piece delves into six themes which Moses has identified as gaze, control, savior, (d)anger, burden, and liberation. It is her hope that all individuals come to realize their contribution to these experiences– either as a perpetrator of harm or a healer. 

*Indigenous womxn and womxn of color may experience some, if not, all of the themes conceptualized in this exhibition. If this speaks to you in that way, YOUR EXPERIENCES ARE REAL. You deserve joy.

Terresa Moses is a proud Black queer woman dedicated to the liberation of Black and Brown people through art and design. She is an illustrator whose work focuses on race, identity, and social justice. She advocates for positive change in her community using art and design as tools of community activism. She believes the way in which we visually communicate has the ability to influence culture by drawing attention to systemically oppressive issues. 

Learn more about the exhibit at umbraexhibit.com. Learn more about the designer at terresamoses.com or follow @projectnaptural and @blackbirdrevolt.

The Terresa Moses exhibit was funded by donors.

2020

November 6-December 31 / 2020: Member Show

Including artwork by: Lora Lee Bauer / Lisa Dunlop / Jack Faas / Kandee Feist / Andrea Funke / Sally Gerhart / Jenna Grabau / Danica Helle / Laura Helle / Sharon Johnson / Michael Kutch / Sonia Larson / Bruce Loeschen / Layl McDill / Barbara Orcutt / Jacqueline Porter / Gretchen Ramlo / Tim Rietz / Kelsey Ritchie / Emerson Ruble / Tamara Schneider / James Wegner

September 11-October 23 / 2020: Lori Biwer-Stewart & Amarama Art



Lori Biwer-Stewart
My work revolves around subjects that explore life and experiences from my own perspective. The themes found in my work and are based on dreams, beliefs and observations of myself and others. I also love to incorporate symbolic images such as birds, keys, and doors into my work which I hope encourage thought and interpretation. My work has been growing both in size and complexity. I often incorporate other forms of printmaking such as monoprint or collograph to create interesting textures and text elements. Ultimately I do not seek to unravel mystery or provide answers, but rather record my observations and ideas in whimsical images, encouraging others to seek out the answers for themselves.  

Amarama Vercnocke
Amarama has lived in Rochester, MN since 2003 after they graduated from Winona State University with a B.S. in Biology and a minor in Studio Art.  A self-taught life long learner of the arts, they believe in experiencing a multitude of diverse approaches in experience art and learning about life.  Especially with goals of community connection, encouraging play, and conversations about nature and the world around us.  Heavy emphasis in the work revolves around touch via fiber arts, painting, and sculptures.  

Some artistic achievements over the years are: 
2020 they were selected to make a chalk mural in RNeighbors Chalk the Walk.
2020 participated in the Rochester Art Center art show, “Life Lines” for portraits of essential workers at Mayo Clinic.  
2018 they were awarded the Rochester Mayor Arts and Cultural Achievement award.  
2017 a they were juried in for their Arts4Trails public sculpture and at Art one the Ave for cement and glass mosaic sculptures. 
2016 Amarama was awarded a SEMAC Established Artist grant for work with fiber arts.   
In 2009 they were selected for best in show by the public for the Goose is Loose glass mosaic public sculpture.  

Artworks can be found via Amarama Art on Facebook, Amaramaart on Instagram, and online at www.amaramaart.com 

June 15 - September 1 / 2020: Beth Hamilton Thesis Art Show

Work created by Beth Hamilton, recent graduate of MN State University, Mankato with a Master of Arts.

May 22-June 12 / 2020: Austin Area Arts Staff

Work by employees of Austin Area Arts will be shown in this flash show.

April 3-May 15 / 2020: Austin Youth Art Show

Exhibiting April 3 to May 15, 2020, online only.
Artwork by students at Banfield, Neveln, Southgate and Sumner elementaries.

January 10-March 27 / 2020: Emily Lavalier, Cora Feist, Cynder Higgins

Emily Lavalier
Emily is a self-taught collage artist  from Minneapolis, MN. Her unique style of "high-density" collage begins with a hand-drawn sketch on hard book board or canvas panel, which is then added to with layers of paper cut from recycled books and magazines. The final distinguishing feature in Emily's work are additions of textured embellishments- such as string, beads, tissue paper and splashes of paint- that give the originals a whimsical feel and a detailed finish, making viewers look at them over and over again. Emily draws inspiration from extensive travel and working with underprivileged communities- and hopes to create artwork that is easy to appreciate and accessible to all.  

Cynder Higgins
“Each individual path we cross has a shape as complex as our own. Our environments are often what shape these paths. As an artist, my goal is to bring awareness to this concept. My art often represents the perpetual history a subject has and how it exists within its environment. I am in an exploratory stage in both medium and style, with constant being the subject matter. I tend to gravitate towards photography and watercolor; although, I try and appreciate most mediums,” said Cynder Higgins. Higgins is a senior at Austin High School and enrolled in Post-Secondary classes at Riverland Community College. She won awards in the student exhibit at the Austin ArtWorks Festival in 2018 and 2019. Higgins will exhibit water color, photography, ceramics and mixed media at the show.

2019

November 1-December 31 / 2019: Member Show

Special exhibit: Art by the late Jim Hayden

Participating Artists: Lora Lee Bauer / Geraldyne Berg / David Dammen / Lisa Dunlop / Stacy Edland / Jack Faas / Andrea Funke / Sally Gerhart / Jenna Grabau / Jim Hayden / Bruce Heimer / Danica Helle / Laura Helle / Yvonne Jondal / Judy Kinstad / Sonia Larson / Willy Olson / Barbara Orcutt / Gretchen Ramlo / Tim Rietz / Susan Ruzek / Tammy Schneider / Katie Stromlund / Marilyn Sucha / Beth Tostenson / James Wegner

September 13-October 26 / 2019: Mary Nordeng & Jamie Kouba (Textile)

Mary Nordeng
I always tell people that I cannot draw a straight line. But, when I quilt with my longarm machine, I use both hands, which engages both sides of my brain, and that makes me twice as talented. Well, it works for me.

My quilts, while varied in style, all have an emphasis on the machine quilting. All of the machine quilting is hand-guided, not computerized. I move the machine over the fabric to create the stitching designs. There are traditional-looking appliqué quilts, all done by machine. I also have more contemporary looking pieces. My most recent designs are a series of mid-century modern pieces which remind me of the decor in my childhood home.

Jamie Kouba
I am a maker.  A craftsperson.  And, occasionally, an artist.  I am happiest when my right brain is engaged in the creation of beauty: where line and design meet color and light.

Much of my original work comes from a textile challenge group of like-minded women.  We met to collaborate, inspire, teach, and support each other on our unique, yet connected, textile journeys.

I find inspiration in EVERYTHING, as you will discover working your way from piece to piece.  My latest inspiration comes from my son, Jake Kouba, as we explore the infinite possibilities of Islamic Tile design.  We’ve only dipped our toes into the water….there is more to come.

August 24 & 25 / 2019: Rory Wakemup - Austin ArtWorks Festival Featured Artist

St. Paul-based artist Rory Wakemup exhibited at the Rochester Art Center’s “Andy Warhol, MN GOES POP” in 2017 where ArtWorks Festival volunteers were impressed with his sculptures mixing iconography from his Anishinabe heritage and iconography from the Star Wars universe. Wakemup was selected to be the 2019 Featured Artist by a committee of ArtWorks Festival volunteers from a pool of fourteen nominated artists.

Wakemup earned a Master of Fine Arts in Glass/Sculpture from the University of Wisconsin - Madison and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Jewelry, Photography, Printmaking and Sculpture from the Institute of American Indian Arts in Sante Fe, New Mexico.

He won the University of Wisconsin-Madison Chazen Museum Prize in 2015 for his exhibition, “Kill the Idiot, Save the Fan,” a reference to the 19th century phrase “Kill the Indian, Save the Man” which summarized the purpose of U.S. government boarding schools for native children. Wakemup won grant funding from the Minnesota State Arts Board, Forecast Public Art, Hennepin Theatre Trust and SpringBoard for the Arts.

June 14-August 17 / 2019: Michael Veverka

May 17-June 8 / 2019: James Wegner

March 29-May 11 / 2019: Youth Show

Artwork by 1st-4th grade students from Austin Public Schools.

January 1-March 23 / 2019: Minnesota Black Fine Art Show

Presented in partnership with Obsidian Arts and funded by the Minnesota State Arts Board, the show will feature ten Black Minnesota artists. After showing for nine weeks in Austin, the show will continue around the state and be on view in Duluth, St. Cloud, Mankato and Minneapolis. 

The artists were chosen from a pool of applicants by a jury process. The artists are Kprecia Ambers, Eyenga Bokamba, Carla Hamilton, Christopher E. Harrison, Bill Jeter, Antwon Key, Terresa Moses, Theoneste Munyemana, Ivy Vainio and Carl Wesley

Kprecia Ambers is a fiber artist based in Minneapolis. A graduate of Concordia University, Ambers launched her own company, KPinspires, in 2016. “Focusing on home décor and surface design my work aims to celebrate Afrocentric women, empowerment, and good vibes. In hopes to represent my culture, illustrative drawings of ethnic women is created from inspirational words to aspire those who look like me to keep fighting for their dreams.”

An abstract painter and writer, Eyenga Bokamba is based in Minneapolis. Among her accomplishments are four solo shows in the US and one in Italy, a Bush Leadership Fellowship in 2006 and serving as a board member on the National Performance Network/Visual Arts Network. She is a graduate of the University of Minnesota and Harvard University Graduate School of Education. Bokamba says, ”The act of creating inviting, transformative, reflective spaces allows me to inhabit multiple identities in new ways, which impacts my ability to participate in the current national conversation on race, power and privilege.”

A native and current resident of Duluth, Carla Hamilton is a mixed media artist. She attended Free KunstSchule in Stuttgart, Germany and put on a solo show in Bad Cannstat, Germany. Hamilton has also been honored with five solo shows in the upper Midwest since 2013 and three artist grants from the Arrowhead Arts Council. She is inspired by aardvarks and has reached an accord with the sun “where is was dictated that nothing can be hidden if you burn brightest.”

Christopher E. Harrison, a painter based in Minneapolis, has exhibited eight solo shows and seven public art commissions in the Twin cities metro area since 2004. Harrison’s work has been published in New American Paintings: Midwest Edition 2017. A graduate of the Columbus College of Art and Design, he has a background in teaching and museum curation.  

Bill Jeter is a New Jersey native and multi media artist who has been a resident of Minnesota for 34 years. He holds a degree from Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, and an Master of Fine Arts from the Minneapolis College of Art & Design. He has been a principal studio art instructor at the Perpich Center for Arts Education for the past 16 years. Describing his work, Jeter says, “I create images, objects and documents that are stories about culture and experience... I love making things!”

Photographer and graphic designer Antwon Key is based in Eagle Lake and Mankato. Key is a  Graphic Communications instructor at South Central College where he also serves on the Diversity Committee and Academic Quality Improvement (AQIP) Steering Committee. Outside of the classroom, he has been employed as a photographer and graphic designer since 2012 and won the 2018 Print Regional Design Award and will have his work published in the HOW + Print book “The Best Design of 2019.” Key earned a Master of Fine Arts from the Vermont College of Fine Arts and a degree from the University of Alabama.

Terresa Moses is a painter and graphic designer based in Duluth where she also works as an Assistant Professor of Graphic Design at the University of Minnesota. Moses has a variety of creative experience including lead designer for Couture by Alana, Inc., a start-up fashion company; apparel and graphic design leader for RR Designs, Co., creating licensed product on behalf of NFL, NHL, NCAA, Betty Boop, Bratz and Marvel; and freelance projects for dentists' offices, call centers, restaurants, and non-profits organizations. She earned a Master of Fine Arts in Design and a degree from the University of North Texas.

Theoneste Munyemana is an abstract painter who lives and works in the Twin Cities. Munyemana is also a Business Systems Analyst for the Met Council.

Inspired by cultural diversity, photographer Ivy Vainio lives and works in Duluth. She earned a Master of Arts in Communicating Arts from the University of Wisconsin and a degree from the University of Minnesota. Her photos have been shown in three solo shows, six books and are part of permanent collections at the Tweed Museum, The Depot and Cloquet Community Memorial Hospital. She won the University of Wisconsin’s system-wide Woman of Color in Higher Education Award. Vainio has been involved with multicultural affairs and American Indian/Native American studies since 1992.

Mixed media artist Carl Wesley explores memory and imagination in his work which include memory-box-like objects with literal and figurative windows. Growing up on the Urban East Coast, Wesley was influenced by his high school art teacher in New Canaan, Connecticut, Michael B. Gallagher. Wesley went on to study at Parsons School of Design. His formal influences include painter James Havard. Currently living in Minneapolis, Wesley’s art career has thrived despite experiencing long-term incarceration.

2018

November 23, 2018-January 5, 2019: All Member Show

Participating artists include: Geraldyne Berg / Terri Bergstrom / Shelley Aquino Brandon / Lora Lee Bauer / Rich Campbell / Matt Freechack / Andrea Funke / Jenna Grabau / Wayne Hall / Laura Helle / Yvonne Jondal / Thomas Keller / Judy Kinstad / Sonia Larson / Amy Lonergan / Barbara Orcutt / Gretchen Ramlo / Tim Rietz / Kelsey Ritchie / Ward Robinson / Sue Ruzek / Tamara Schneider / Katie Stromlund / Marilyn Sucha / Josh Thoreson / James Wegner

September 7-November 10 / 2018: Wendy Heimsness

August 23-November 10 / 2018: Sandra Haff

August 25 & 26 / 2018: Michael Sweere - Austin ArtWorks Festival Featured Artist

June 22-August 18 / 2018 "Powering Down" by Mark Lingl & Barb Orcutt

April 20-June 16 / 2018: Tim Rietz & Cedar River Watershed District

March 2-April 14 / 2018: Cedar Valley Services & Austin Youth Show

Art by students at four elementary schools: Banfield, Neveln, Southgate and Sumner and an exhibit by artists from the Cedar Valley Services senior group made up of individuals with creative abilities and developmental disabilities. 

January 12-February 24 / 2018: Ian Hanson & Julie Fakler

2018’s first exhibit in the ArtWorks Center Second Floor Gallery is all about seeing everyday sights in new ways. 

Julie Fakler’s exhibit is farm animal portraits, work that was funded by a 2017 grant from the Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council. A Faribault residents, Fakler has been painting “as long as she can remember.” Julie works in acrylic on hard board and says “I simply enjoy the movement of the paint and then of course the end product.”

Fakler’s vibrant pet and domestic animal paintings have received grant funding from the Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council in 2011 and 2014. Some of her favorite subjects are cats.

Fakler works in the arts as director of operations at the Paradise Center for the Arts in Faribault. She holds a BFA in painting and drawing from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD).

Ian Hanson is exhibiting photography including photos from a trip to Tanzania in 2017. As an artist, he is a curious observer, rather than a creator, of images and is drawn to textures, discarded items and “people in their elements.”

A native of Grand Meadow, Minnesota Hanson began shooting pics for his high school yearbook. A semester abroad in Brisbane, Australia in college led Hanson to devote his career to photography.

Hanson’s work has been available on greeting cards in the ArtWorks Center retail area for a couple of years and his fans often note his unique humor.

Hanson says, “My hope is to take viewers on a journey, to bring them closer to places they have never been and make it real. Physical distance allows us to forget just how close we are to everyone and everything else on the planet...while we may live very differently, we are more alike than we realize."

2017

November 24-December 31 / 2017 Lila Taft & AACA Members

Lila Taft
LILA IS A RETIRED NURSE WITH A NEW FOCUS - PHOTOGRAPHY.  SHE STARTED A SMALL BUSINESS IN 2003 AFTER FINDING HER PICTURES OF THE MONTICELLO TRUMPETER SWANS SO WELL RECEIVED BY HER FRIENDS AND PEERS.  THE BUSINESS HAS GROWN OVER THE PAST 14 YEARS.  SHE NOW OFFERS HER PHOTOGRAPHY ON CANVAS AS WELL AS FRAMED.  MANY OF THE PICTURES HAVE BEEN MADE INTO NOTE CARDS WHICH HAVE BECOME A TOP SELLER.  

THE WORLD OF MINNESOTA HAS LONG BEEN AT THE CENTER OF HER PHOTOGRAPHY EFFORTS:  FROM LADY SLIPPERS AND LOONS, EAGLES AND DEER, LIGHTHOUSES AND BUTTERFLIES, TO BARNS AND TRACTORS.  SHE LOVES TO TRAVEL AND SINCE RETIREMENT HAS COMBINED TRAVELLING WITH HER LOVE OF PHOTOGRAPHY.  EXCITING TRIPS HAVE INCLUDED TRAVEL TO CANADA TO PHOTOGRAPH WOLVES, ALASKA, SOUTHWEST USA INCLUDING THE BALLOON FIESTA IN ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO, NORTHWEST USA, NORTHEAST USA INCLUDING A VARIETY OF LIGHTHOUSE PHOTOS, AND IRELAND.  IN ST PAUL AND IN IRELAND LILA CREATED PHOTO SHOWS FOR INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH NURSING CONFERENCES AND TOURED IRELAND FOR SOME INTERESTING PHOTOGRAPHS.  

SHE LOVES TO DO CUSTOM WORK WHICH CAN RUN FROM LOOKING FOR THAT ELUSIVE PHOTO FOR A CUSTOMER TO PORTRAITS OF CHILDREN, FAMILIES, HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES, HOMES OR PROPERTY, AND A VARIETY OF SCHOOL ACTIVITIES SUCH AS FIRST COMMUNIONS.

LILA SHOOTS WITH A CANON DIGITAL SLR CAMERA AND SEVERAL ZOOM LENSES.

Participating AACA Members:

Lora Lee Bauer / Geraldyne Berg / Terri Bergstrom / Luis Chamizo Penalver  / David Dammen / Lisa Dunlop / Joan Finnegan / Andrea Funke / Sharon Johnson / Dick Kos / Ron Kraft / Sonia Larson / Sarah Lysne / Pat Nolan / Layl McDill / Willy Olson / Barbara Orcutt / Gretchen Ramlo / Tim Rietz / Susan Ruzek / Tamara Schneider / Marilyn Sucha / Beth Tostenson / James Wegner

October 6-November 18 / 2017 Renee Sonka & Lori Tapani

Renee Sonka
FORTUNE WITHIN

AFTER GRADUATING FROM OWATONNA HIGH SCHOOL IN 1991, I PURSUED A BACHELOR OF FINE ARTS DEGREE AT IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY, MAJORING IN ART EDUCATION.  MY STUDIO EMPHASIS IN COLLEGE WAS CALLIGRAPHY.  I WAS ALSO A DANCER THROUGHOUT HIGH SCHOOL, COLLEGE, AND INTO ADULTHOOD.  CONSIDERING THE COMBINATION OF CALLIGRAPHY AND DANCE, IT IS PERHAPS NO SURPRISE THAT MY MEDIUM OF CHOICE BECAME SUMI-E.  (“SUMI-E” IS A JAPANESE WORD MEANING “INK PAINTING,” AND THE TERM ENCOMPASSES MANY TYPES OF EAST ASIAN PAINTING.)  SUMI-E PAINTING IS LIKE DANCING IN A WAY I HAVE NOT FOUND IN ANY OTHER MEDIUM.  THE BRUSHSTROKES ARE CHOREOGRAPHED, REHEARSED, AND “PERFORMED,” LEADING TO RESULTS BALANCING PREPARATION AND SKILL WITH SPONTANEITY AND FREEDOM.  

I HAVE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF LEARNING THIS MEDIUM SUMI-E UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF MANY GREAT ARTISTS AND TEACHERS INCLUDING DEE TELLER, YUMING ZHU, AND YUDONG SHEN.  MY WORK HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED BY BOTH EASTERN AND WESTERN JURORS, WITH HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDING ACCEPTANCE INTO THE MINNESOTA STATE FAIR FINE ARTS EXHIBITION IN 2015, WINNING A FOURTH-PLACE RIBBON IN THE WATERCOLOR CATEGORY, AND ACCEPTANCE INTO THE SUMI-E SOCIETY OF AMERICA ANNUAL JURIED EXHIBITION IN 2008, 2012, 2014, AND 2016.

IN ADDITION TO LEARNING THE BRUSH TECHNIQUES USED IN SUMI-E PAINTING, I ALSO AM SLOWLY LEARNING ABOUT THE WRITTEN CHINESE LANGUAGE.  FOR INSTANCE, I HAVE LEARNED THAT MY NAME, RENEE, TRANSLATES AS REI (PROSPERITY/FORTUNE) NEI (INSIDE/WITHIN); THEREFORE, THE TITLE OF THE EXHIBITION IS FORTUNE WITHIN.

WHILE I CERTAINLY CONSIDER MYSELF AN ARTIST AND A PAINTER, I AM FOREMOST A TEACHER.  FOR OVER TWENTY YEARS, I HAVE TAUGHT A WIDE VARIETY OF MEDIUMS TO A BROAD RANGE OF STUDENTS AND GRADE LEVELS.  I BEGAN MY TEACHING CAREER IN COLFAX, IOWA IN 1995 AND HAVE BEEN PART OF THE VISUAL ARTS FACULTY AT MOUNDS PARK ACADEMY IN ST. PAUL SINCE 1998.  THROUGH ART, I TEACH STUDENTS TO BRAINSTORM, PROBLEM-SOLVE, THINK VISUALLY, EXPRESS THEIR INDIVIDUALITY, ACT ON THEIR IDEAS, CONTRIBUTE TO OUR COMMUNITY, AND MORE.

Lori Tapani
LORI TAPANI HAS BEEN COINED A “RENAISSANCE WOMAN” BECAUSE OF HER UNIQUE MIX OF INTERESTS AND TALENTS.  SHE IS CO-PRESIDENT OF WYOMING MACHINE, INC., A PRECISION METAL FABRICATION COMPANY IN STACY, MN.  SHE HAS A 20 YEAR- OLD DAUGHTER, EMILEE, AND TWO (VERY SPOILED) MINIATURE HOLLAND LOP BUNNIES NAMED ROSIE & LUNABLUE.  LORI’S PASSIONS INCLUDE:  PAINTING, FLOWER GARDENING, MOTORCYCLING, LEARNING NEW THINGS, AND PEOPLE!

“THERE’S SOMETHING VERY EXCITING AND MAGICAL ABOUT BEGINNING A PAINTING WITH COLORS I LOVE, MARKS I ENJOY MAKING, AND FEW RESTRICTIONS…. AND GRADUALLY DISCOVERING WHAT THE PAINTING WANTS TO BECOME.  I AM A LIFE-LONG LOVER OF CREATING ARTWORK IN MANY DIFFERENT MEDIUMS, AND IN 2013 WAS INTRODUCED TO AN INTUITIVE PROCESS FOR PAINTING.  MY ACRYLIC AND MIXED MEDIA PAINTINGS ARE SPARKLING WITH COLOR, TEXTURE, AND IMAGERY FROM NATURE.  I HOPE THAT PEOPLE WHO SEE MY WORK EXPERIENCE THE SAME JOY I FELT IN CREATING IT.”  

August 24-September 30 / 2017 Shelley Brandon & Matthew Rucker

July 14-August 19 / 2017: Craig Groe

Craig Groe is a Mankato, MN-based artist.  Originally from Austin, MN, Craig graduated from Austin High School (Class of 1977) and has also attended Austin Community College (now Riverland College) and Mankato State University (now Minnesota State University-Mankato).  Some notable teachers he has studied with include Ken Riska, Ione Bell, James Wegner and Robert Finkler.

Some of Craig's other artistic pursuits include music, poetry, film and theatre.

Craig has been employed as a production assistant at KAAL-TV (1992-1993) in Austin and is currently employed at KEYC-TV in Mankato as a commercial writer/producer.

This is Craig's third show in Austin after having previously exhibited at the former Austin Art Center in Sterling Shopping Center and also at Riverland College.

May 19-July 8 / 2017: Dan Tran & Dirk Nelson

Dan Tran
INTRODUCTION TO SERIES PLATO

IN THE SERIES PLATO, I EXPLORE VISUALLY THE STRUCTURE OF CONCEPTS – A PROCESS RUDOLPH ARNHEIM TERMS “VISUAL THINKING" AND NELSON GOODMAN EXPOUNDS ON IN THE LANGUAGE OF ART:AN APPROACH TO A THEORY OF SYMBOLS.

TO REVEAL THE WORLD OF CONCEPTS BY THE SPAREST OF MEANS, I NEED A SIMPLE VOCABULARY AND SYNTAX. THUS I LIMIT THE SET OF MY BUILDINGS BLOCKS TO BARS AND STICKS.

THE BARS, DUE TO THEIR SIMPLE BUT ROBUST SHAPES AND FORMS, MAY REPRESENT ANY PHENOMENON IN THE PERCEIVED WORLD. WITH COLOR AND TEXTURE, I MAY DIVULGE A BIT ABOUT THE INNER CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PHENOMENON ITSELF. FOR INSTANCE, IN THE HUMAN CONDITION, THE ROUGHENED, PATCHY, YELLOW-MOLDY BLACK SURFACE OF THE TOP BAR IS INTENDED TO SUGGEST THE PERCEIVED TIME-BATTERED STATE OF THE HUMAN SOUL.

BY LINKING PHENOMENA IN A CERTAIN WAY, WE FORM CONCEPTS OF THE WORLD IN ENDLESS ATTEMPTS TO MAKE SENSE OF IT. THUS THE BARS ARE NOT SHOWN IN ISOLATION. IT IS THROUGH THEIR SPATIAL POSITIONING, THROUGH THE STICK-BY-STICK LINKAGE, THAT I ESTABLISH THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THEM, A PROCESS THAT ALLOWS THE UNDERLYING CONCEPT TO EMERGE. THUS IN ESCAPE FROM KARMA, THE STRING OF STICKS LAID OUT IN A VORTEX AND LINKING TWO BARS AT THE BOTTOM HALF OF THE PICTURE ENCAPSULATES THE CONCEPT OF CIRCULAR CAUSE-AND-EFFECT, OF REINCARNATION. THE TOP VORTEX LINKS HOWEVER NO BARS, AND THUS DENOTES FREEDOM FROM KARMA.

BASICALLY, A PHENOMENON BY ITSELF CAN NEVER COMPLETELY RENDER A CONCEPT. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A “MAD PHENOMENON” IN AND BY ITSELF.  IT IS WHEN OUR MIND SEES TWO OR MORE PHENOMENA AS BEING ENGAGED IN AN INCONGRUENT, CONFLICT-FRAUGHT RELATIONSHIP THAT THE CONCEPT OF “MADNESS” ARISES.

BY DEPLOYING STICKS IN AN INFINITE NUMBER OF TWISTS AND TURNS, BY LINKING AND DE-LINKING BARS OF VARIOUS TEXTURES, I SEEK TO COMPOSE PICTORIALLY THE RELATIONSHIPS INHERENT IN CONCEPTS.

UNLIKE THE ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONISTS, THE ONLY EMOTION I WISH TO BRING FORTH IS THE COOL EUREKA FEELING THAT ACCOMPANIES THE DISCOVERY THAT SOMETHING COMPLEX CAN BE RENDERED SIMPLE - AS IN A MATHEMATICAL EQUATION.

Dirk Nelson
DIRK NELSON GREW UP IN AUSTIN, MN AND GRADUATED FROM WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY WITH A BA IN FINE ART. JOBS TOOK HIM TO TEXAS AND COLORADO AND FINALLY BACK TO MINNESOTA. HE HAS SETTLED IN WINONA FOR THE TIME BEING AND BECAME A VOLUNTEER AT THE WINONA ARTS CENTER. IN THE SUMMER OF 2014 HE HELPED TO ESTABLISH RIVERBED PRESS WHEN THE ARTS CENTER PURCHASED A 24” X 48” CONRAD ETCHING PRESS. THERE HE STARTED EXPLORING THE PROCESS OF MAKING MONOPRINTS.

MONOPRINTS CAN BE ONE OF THE MOST IMMEDIATE AND VERSATILE FORMS OF PRINTMAKING. THE MOST COMMON METHOD OF MAKING A MONOPRINT IS TO CREATE A DESIGN USING PRINTING INKS ON A THIN FLAT PLATE, THEN PLACE A PIECE OF PAPER ON THE PLATE AND RUN THE COMBINATION THROUGH A PRESS TO TRANSFER THE DESIGN TO THE PAPER. NELSON USES AN ACRYLIC SHEET FOR THE PLATE AND WATER-MIXABLE ETCHING INKS THAT HAVE THE CONSISTENCY OF ARTIST’S OIL PAINTS. HE APPLIES THE INK TO THE PLATE IN A NUMBER OF WAYS, USING BRAYERS, PALETTE KNIVES, PAINT BRUSHES, AND STENCILS.

THE METHOD NELSON HAS BEEN EXPLORING LATELY EMPLOYS THE USE OF STENCILS. THE STENCILS CAN BE USED MULTIPLE TIMES ON THE SAME PLATE. APPLYING A DIFFERENT COLOR EACH TIME THE STENCIL IS USED CAN PRODUCE A LAYERED EFFECT AND ADD DEPTH AND ATMOSPHERE TO THE IMAGE. THE STENCILS CAN ALSO BE REVERSED TO MAKE THE IMAGES SIMILAR YET CURIOUSLY DIFFERENT.

NELSON EXPERIMENTS WITH STENCIL MATERIALS THAT ARE DIFFICULT TO CONTROL BECAUSE THE RESULTING ACCIDENTS, WRINKLES, AND TEARS IN THE MATERIALS MAY CREATE UNEXPECTED EFFECTS AND OFTEN SUGGEST DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF THE IMAGE TO EXPLORE; FOR INSTANCE, A WRINKLE IN THE MATERIAL COULD TURN A FISH INTO A BIRD AND TAKE THE IMAGE INTO A WHOLE DIFFERENT REALM. HIS WORK IS PROCESS ORIENTED WHICH MEANS THAT THE VIEWER CAN OFTEN SEE TELL-TALE EVIDENCE OF THE TOOLS AND MATERIALS THAT HE WORKS WITH. AS EACH PERSON’S PERSONALITY IS FORMED BY THE RANDOM ACCIDENTS AND ENCOUNTER’S IN THEIR LIFE, NELSON USES THE RANDOM ACCIDENTS AND MISTAKES THAT ARISE FROM THE USE OF MATERIALS AND TOOLS TO ADD CHARACTER AND MEANING TO HIS IMAGES.

NELSON DISCUSSES THIS PROCESS SAYING, “MY WORK ENCOURAGES A DIALOG BETWEEN THE IMAGE AND THE VIEWER AND IF THE ACCIDENTS AND MISTAKES THAT I CULTIVATE IN MY PROCESS CAN SUGGEST DIFFERENT MEANINGS TO DIFFERENT VIEWERS, WELL I ENJOY IT WHEN THE CONVERSATION TAKES A SURPRISING TURN.”

NELSON’S WORK ALMOST ALWAYS DEALS WITH THE HUMAN FIGURE. THERE IS USUALLY MINIMAL DETAIL AND THE DEPICTIONS FOCUS ON THE FORM AND STRUCTURE OF THE BODY, OFTEN SIMPLIFIED AND STYLIZED. THE FIGURE FUNCTIONS MORE AS SYMBOL THAN PORTRAIT. NELSON HOPES THIS ALLOWS VIEWERS TO ENVISION CONDITIONS IN THEIR OWN LIVES THAT THEY CAN IDENTIFY WITH AND REACT TO.

April 7-May 12 / 2017: Tom Hormel & Chad Augustin

February 24-April 1 / 2017: Z Puppets Photography & Austin Area Youth Show

The Youth Art Show highlights art from youth across Austin Public Schools from grades 1-8. It includes a selection of art from all four elementary schools along with art from Holton Intermediate and Ellis Middle School. 

The Photography of Z Puppets is an exhibit of photographs showing Austin area students with puppets that they created. Students were photographed during a puppet lab workshop conducted by Z Puppets Rosenschnoz and the ArtWorks Center and at Holton Intermediate. Puppet lab workshops use the scientific method (research, hypothesis, experiment, data collection, etc.) to teach puppet making skills. Z Puppets also use glow-in-the-dark materials and shadow puppetry to expose students to art and science.

Music will be performed at the gallery opening by Ellis Middle School Orchestra musicians in small groups. The event is free and open to the public. 

January 13-February 18 / 2017: Paul Walech-Roth

2016

August 25 - October 1 / 2016: James Wegner

James Wegner
James Wegner taught art at the Austin Community College for 28 years and for 10 years in the Jr. and Se. High Schools in Austin, MN.

Wegner has a Master’s Degree from the University of Minnesota with an emphasis in Painting and Art History. He has done additional graduate work at the University of Colorado, Mankato, and St. Cloud State Universities. He has studied with noted artists Max Weber, Millard Sheets, Dong Kingman, Carl Morris, Richard Diebenkorn, Ralston Crawford and Cheng Kee Chee.

Awards have been received for his work in oil, acrylic, watercolor, printmaking, ceramics, sculpture and fiber.

Wegner’s work is in a number of private collections on the East and West Coasts, in the Midwest, Canada and Europe. He has exhibited at Walker Art Center, Minneapolis Art Institute, Tweed Gallery in Duluth, Mason City MacNider Museum and Rochester Art Center as well as in Austin Area Art Center, Albert Lea Art Center and Naeve Hospital.

Simple forms derived from nature become my primary concern. I like to work directly with my material, allowing the forms to emerge as natural and uncomplicated as possible. The thinks an artist makes become the best testament to what he feels and believes. 

July 15 - August 20 / 2016: Beth Lowe/Krista Pumroy/Cassandra Buck

Beth Lowe
Beth Lowe’s inspiration comes from the light, flowing, and living parts of nature. She is also inspired
by the dark mysterious mortality of nature. “With abstract art I am free to explore each art piece's
own life. They each grow from instincts like nature does.”

Krista Pumroy
Krista Pumroy is inspired by the underlying energy in ordinary everyday life.
“I love to incorporate texture into my paintings. As far as materials I enjoy using anything and
everything to make them come to life.”

Beth Lowe and Krista Pumroy work together on collaborative art pieces. They also have solo paintings and drawings.

Cassandra Buck
Cassandra Buck's work has always focused on two things: expression and the feminine. She constantly strives to discover how color and texture can evoke feelings and ideas that we are unable to articulate. Color and texture are exploited and taken to the extreme. Currently her work explores the use of discarded found objects to communicate societal narratives of the feminine. Each series within this focus seeks to challenge current constructs.

May 20 - July 9 / 2016: Cedar River Watershed District

Cedar River Watershed District
Cedar River Watershed District is teaming up with the Austin ArtWorks Center for a gallery show from May 20 to July 9, which will feature the Cedar River Watershed through paintings, photography and drawings. This event will be a fun way to raise awareness and appreciation for the Cedar River State Water Trail and local streams.

April 8 - May 25 / 2016: Katie Stromlund & Beth Hamilton

Katie Stromlund
I began college as an Art Major, but switched midway and graduated with a BS in Interior Design. I enjoy being able to marry my passion for interior design with the pieces I paint. The art I create is informal and illustrative, and I imagine each piece in its final installation while painting. Trying to be mindful of my ecologic footprint, I paint in acrylic on canvases created from re-purposed fabric stretched over reclaimed lumber frames.

January 8 - February 13 / 2016: Sandy Ray

Sandy Ray
Feisty Japanese Lady

In this special gallery, Pat & Gary Ray will be showcasing the work of Gary's aunt, Sandy Ray. Sandy married her husband Myron after the two met during World War II, and Sandy arrived in the United States as one of many "war brides," or foreign women who married servicemen during wartime. Sandy knew very little English when she arrived in the U.S. after the war, but took her new life in stride and went to work for Woodward Company in Rockford, Illinois, eventually becoming such an expert in the company that she trained new engineers who arrived from college. Myron worked as an Army recruiter.

Sandy loved to work in her Japanese garden and knew how to make the colors of her garden flow together, just like her paintings. Says Pat of Sandy, "She was a very witty, graceful, talented, and kind aunt, and would be very flattered and embarrassed about her work being displayed!"

2015

October 9 - November 25 / 2015: Carole Bender

Carole Bender
I was born and raised in Austin, Minnesota. My mother, Sally Groh, instilled the love of art in me at a young age. I spent hours watching her create beautiful paintings. I started painting with her when I became a young adult. After moving to Fremont, Nebraska in 1973, I took a variety of art workshops. I realized that I not only loved to paint but I also enjoyed exploring and trying new techniques. My recent paintings are on metallic leaf attached to a canvas. Another technique is reverse glass painting. I owe my artistic talent to my mother, who started the Austin Art Group with Mary Johnson and Therma Bowby.

August 20 - October 7 / 2015: Jean Formo & Mary Singer

Jean Formo
An artist and calligrapher for 38 years, Jean is recognized for alphabet design and innovative one-of-a-kind artist books. Her paintings and drawings include watercolor, acrylic, pastels and silverpoint. She has traveled throughout the USA and Canada, lecturing and teaching a variety of calligraphy and book arts workshops. She has been a 20-year faculty member at Minnesota Center for Book Arts in Minneapolis, and has taught at 17 international calligraphy conferences. Her work has appeared in lettering arts books, calligraphy instruction manuals, calendars, greeting cards. She and her husband Phil, live in Savage, MN. Since 1999, Jean has also been involved with the healing art of Reiki as a practitioner and teacher.

Mary Singer
Mary Singer’s earliest memories are of drawing with pencil and paper. When her family received their first Post magazine, Singer found her first idol in Norman Rockwell, and continued to foster her love of art through high school and into motherhood. After taking classes in Minneapolis, she began to find her stride in portraits, eventually branching out into landscapes while working with everything from graphite to pen and ink. Her current focus is oils. “Water, Land and Sky” is the name of Singer’s show--it may change in size and medium but remains rooted in Midwestern landscapes.

July 24 - August 15 / 2015: Lisa Truax & Laura Helle

Lisa Truax
I am interested in the contrast between places such as parks and natural areas and modern ways of building and living. We have cultural ideas of beauty and the sense of the untouched associated with these places. Outdoor landscapes seem to be in their natural state, but are actually created, planned, built, and maintained as part of our culture. We think of nature as untouched and wild, and not something controlled or created by humans. 

I question the idea of culturally valuable versus personally valuable natural space. The contrast between the natural and man-made, and the seen and the unseen are determining factors. The effect of these elements on our lives and psyche are important considerations. 

Natural places can have positive effects on our well being, many of which we may not yet understand. The relationship we have both culturally and individually, the contrast between wildness and wilderness, and the effect this relationship has on daily living is the focus of my work.

Laura Helle
An Iowa farm girl by birth, Ms. Helle works in community development and grant writing in Austin, Minnesota. 

She is the Director of Vision Creation for Vision 2020, a community development movement making Austin a better place to live, work and play by the year 2020. She owns Laura Helle Consulting, LLC., which provides writing services including grant writing, web content and marketing for clients in southern Minnesota. Ms. Helle earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Iowa State University in Graphic Design with a minor in Journalism/Mass Communication. She continued her education with training in non-profit management through University of St. Thomas and the Grantsmanship Center.

She is the mother a 6-year-old daughter. Together, they enjoy bike rides, telling jokes and baking. In addition to family and professional activities, Ms. Helle spends time reading, creating artwork and practicing yoga.

June 19 - July 22 / 2015: Nick Sinclair & Mike Erickson

May 15 - June 13 / 2015: Joan Finnegan & Lora Lee Bauer

Joan Finnegan
Inspired by a deep appreciation and love of nature, Joni Finnegan’s oil paintings are drawn from the visual feasts that surround us.  Her wonderful command of color and light work well in painting “en plein air” with nature’s unpredictable conditions as well as in the protected environment of her home studio.    

Surrounded with huge piles of brushes and paintings in various stages of progression in her studio Joni is grateful for the gift of creativity. Her current collection of work focuses on studies from nature revealing the softer side of the outdoor world inviting the viewer to step into her art and surrender themselves to that moment.

The quiet peace of long hours alone spent creating her art are balanced with travel opportunities to incredible places and meeting fascinating new people through galleries, art exhibits and shows, and the rewarding delight in meeting collectors. She continues to expand her art through studies and workshops with painting masters as well as teaching workshops and giving private lessons.

Her award winning art has been published in magazines, newspapers and books. Her paintings are widely owned both privately and in the corporate setting.

Lora Lee Bauer
When I was 4, I was going to be a dancer. When I was 11, I decided to be a guitarist and drummer. When I was 18, I was going to be a fashion designer. Somewhere between then and now, life happened and I became none of those things.

At retirement, I decided to become the next Grandma Moses. I got a slow start, but am gaining momentum. With each finished painting I get a feeling of accomplishment and hope.

April 3 - May 9 / 2015: Diane Crane & ART for Autism

Diane Crane
I grew up on a farm near Austin, where I spent my early years avoiding housework and drawing or painting on any available surface. After graduation from Austin High School (where Ione Bell was my mentor and friend) and the University of Minnesota, I had a number of art-related jobs before settling into the art department at Viterbo College in La Crosse Wisconsin, where I taught painting and drawing. Since retiring from Viterbo, I have reverted to my childhood habits of avoiding housework and drawing or painting on any available surface.

After being immersed in abstract expressionism as an art student, I came to realize that the forms and colors of the real world were more interesting than any I could invent and I continue to use the ordinary things I see around me as the subjects of my paintings. I have learned that whether any given thing is ‘interesting’ or not depends more on the attention I bring to it than on its importance in any general sense.

February 27 - April 1 / 2015: Dan Goettsch & Jon Kittleson

Dan Goettsch
Dan is the owner and lead designer at Field & Forge Workshop. Based out of Minneapolis, Minnesota, they specialize in graphic design, illustration, and branding for small business clients.

Find samples of his work on his website or by checking out his show in our 2nd floor gallery before April 1.

Jon Kittleson
I believe that my art represents the power to overcome any challenge, mental or physical. My story so far has brought a style inspired by the ocean of the East Coast that spills over to portray rural Midwestern subjects and portraits.

I grew attached to art after a wrestling accident in middle school left me partially paralyzed. My professor, Rhonda Deussen, said this about my artwork after my first college show in my hometown of Virginia Beach, VA: “Jon Kittleson’s style is reminiscent of Matisse and Chagall, his work is new and bold. I find his approach to his subjects to be at once original and fresh.”

Since then I moved to the Midwest to help my grandmother with the cattle farm my grandfather left behind. Soon after this, I developed Rapid Onset Dystonia Parkinsonism, which brought a huge challenge to my life and the purpose for which I moved out here.

One of my favorite subjects is pets because my two dogs, Rosco and Ellie, motivate me to stay active and keep a positive outlook. I enjoy using colored pencils as an art medium because they offer a wide range of colors and they are simple to control with regards to my manual dexterity challenges. I choose bright color combinations that work together to create movement and bring the subject to life.

Jon also works on commission: Grab your favorite photo of your pet and send it via email to info@jonkittleson.com 

January 10 - February 15 / 2015: Nick Adams & Rayna Gasteiger

Nick Adams
Embracing You: A Series on Women

Nick Adams is a three-time international award-winning photographer and owner of two Minneapolis-based businesses. Born and raised in Austin, Adams excelled in pen and ink as a high school student but didn’t discover his passion for photography until he began studying communications and journalism at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. After working as a photojournalist for a small newspaper, he moved to Minneapolis in 2008. Adams worked as a camera salesman and photo lab technician before opening his first business in 2009--Supreme Images Photography, a boutique studio specializing in high-end, one-of-a-kind portraiture for high school seniors and weddings. Shortly after, he opened Embracing You Boudoir Photography, which has become Minnesota’s premier high-end boudoir photography studio. Specializing in intimate, beautiful, and tasteful photographs, Adams strives to create opportunities for women to look and feel their best. His style ranges from classic looks to modern photo-illustrations, compositing, and montages, and he works to create unique images that stand out no matter the subject.

In 2014, Adams was awarded “Twin Cities Professional Photographer’s Association Wedding Photographer of the Year.”

Rayna Gasteiger
I discovered my artistic ability at a young age, mostly spilling nail polish and melting crayons onto canvases yet to be discovered. I started selling my work at age 15, and graduated from Saint Ansgar High School in 2009. 

Then decided to pursue a degree in Art Education at Grand View University in Des Moines, Iowa. In a short time I gained extensive knowledge into the fundamentals of art. After a year, I decided I wanted to try out Graphic Design and Studio Arts at Drake University, also located in Des Moines, Iowa. I had the privilege to learn from world-renowned artists and local professionals one-on-one. Currently I am taking time off from my studies to focus on my work and future endeavors. 

My artwork starts directly from the elements of design. Color has always intrigued me from the bright pink of bubble gum to the dark blue of the night sky. Recently I’ve been fascinated by texture and how it physically changes how we perceive space. It pushes and pulls together forms to create images based off of organic and geometric shapes . These forms cause illusions between the true depth of the layers Most of my pieces are based upon fragmented memories, past, present or dreams that come to surface over “time.”

2014

October 10 - November 22 / 2014: Wendy Heimsness & Willie Olson

Wendy Heimsness
Duende

"My work is my calling."

So begins the artist statement currently hanging in our professional gallery. It's a common sentiment among artists, but no less powerful for it.

Wendy Heimsness did not heed that call until shortly after landing in her 40s. Having received no formal training, Heimsness relied on her intuition and passion while venturing from commissioned murals into the world of abstracts. 

This artist has a special connection to our building—paint splatters, remnants of Heimsness's time in what was once her studio—still mark the floor of the 2nd floor lounge. Now in her third studio, she still finds her work exhilarating and freeing. The feeling is evident in the progressive and bold layering of color and texture in each of her pieces.

Heimsness paints with acrylic and other mediums on Russian Birch panels and canvas board, and has recently begun working on paper.

Willie Olson
Olson, like so many artists, makes his living outside of art. But take a  glance at his collection and you might not know it.

Perhaps the most remarkable quality of Olson's work is his range in both mediums and content; among the collection currently on display are several pen & ink / colored pencil / watercolor depictions of comic book-proportioned disasters backdropped by notable Austin landmarks, portraits of the mythic, western scenes, and striking studies of African wildlife.