Arts News

Annual NW Art Exhibit is Open until April 27
The Northwest Minnesota Annual Art Exhibit is
Open Until April 27
University of Minnesota in Crookston
Reception and Program on April 27 to
Honor Exhibit & Of the Year Award Winners
The Northwest Minnesota Arts Council is pleased to announce the NW Annual Art Exhibit is at the University of Minnesota in Crookston until April 27.
Adult artists from our 7 county- service region (Kittson, Marshall, Norman, Polk, Pennington, Roseau, and Red Lake Falls) and students from 9 schools have entered 128 pieces of art, including oil, acrylic, watercolor painting, photography, pencil drawings, pen and ink, pottery, sculpture, fiber art, glass mosaic, and mixed media. and are competing for $2,300.00 in cash awards. Attendees at the exhibit can vote for People’s Choice. Exhibit cash award winners will be chosen while the exhibit is on display by Glen Henry, a qualified juror from Grand Forks. They will be recognized and receive their check at the Artist Reception.
The exhibit is at the University of Minnesota in Crookston at 2900 University Avenue in the International Room of the Sargeant Student Center and will be open for the public to view art and vote for People’s Choice Mondays through Fridays from 9 AM to 8 PM, Saturday from noon to 3 PM, and Sunday from 4 to 7 PM.
Take a virtual walk through the exhibit at https://youtu.be/QJeYb-pkZ-A?si=uAr8Rz1hzoX4PtJY
Parking during the exhibit will be free in Lot A.
On Sunday, April 27 the exhibit will open at noon. Mingling, light refreshments, and live music will start at 2:00 PM. The awards program will start at 3 PM in Bede Ballroom. Of the Year Awards will be presented to Choir Director Darcy Reese for the NW Star Award -- Lifetime Achievement, Visual Artist Loreen Hanson for Artist of the Year, and Make-up Artist and Photographer Rena Zapata Bouchard for Arts Advocate of the Year, in addition to exhibit awards. The Exhibit and Reception are open to the public and free to attend. Many pieces of art are for sale and the public is encouraged to shop. Purchases can be marked as sold and picked up on April 27 after the reception. The exhibit provides an opportunity to see what our regional adult and student artists are creating in their studio spaces and in the classroom. The reception is a wonderful day of celebrating the arts in our region.
Funding for these awards is provided by the McKnight Foundation and the Minnesota State Legislature.

Traveling Art Exhibit is in Hallock
The Northwest Minnesota Arts Council (NWMAC) sponsors an annual Traveling Art Exhibit, which visits northwest Minnesota communities throughout the year. This exhibit includes 14 original pieces of art by regional adult and student artists, chosen from works submitted for our annual juried exhibit. The exhibit is currently at the Hallock Public Library until September 24. Please stop by to see these works of art. Some of these pieces of art are for sale.
The 2024-2025 Artists and Artwork:
Beau Bakken, Hallock, “Sunday Evening Classy Entertainment” (Acrylic Painting)
Kelly Chisholm, Gary "John Lennon” (Drawing)
Tammy Hansen, Newfolden, “Flower and Feather” (Acrylic Painting)
Denise R. Jenson, Badger, “Found Lying Together” (Photography)
Steve Bernard, Erskine, “Candlelight Dinner” (Oil Painting)
Sarah Solberg, Plummer, “Canyon X” (Photography)
Jessica Lundeen, Thief River Falls “Sunny” (Drawing)
Izzy Swensen, Lancaster, “Purple Iris” (Watercolor Painting) Lancaster School Student Merit
Kerstyn Lindsey, Borup, “Sprinkles” (Ceramic Sculpture) Ada-Borup-West School
Brigitta Novacek, Roseau, “The Pink Cloud Replica” (Acrylic Painting) Roseau High School
Geneva Gartner, Fertile, “Flying Around” (Mosaic) Fertile-Beltrami School
Mary Jane Crane, Red Lake Falls, “Beauty in Self Image” (Drawing) Red Lk Falls School 3rd place
Ava Halvorson, Goodridge, “Sundown in Star Township” (Acrylic Painting) Goodridge School
Kinsley Oslund, Grygla, “Perfect and Deep Love” (Watercolor Painting) Grygla School
The 2024-2025 Traveling Exhibit Schedule*:
May to June 11 Crookston Public Library, Crookston
June 11 to August 6 Warroad Public Library, Warroad
August 6 to September 24 Hallock Public Library, Hallock
September 24 to November 19 Godel Public Library, Warren
November 19 to January 21 Thief River Falls Public Library, Thief River Falls
January 21 to March 4, 2025 Red Lake Falls Public Library, Red Lake Falls
March 4, 2025 to Annual Exhibit TBD Ada Public Library, Ada
*The start and end dates at each location are approximate, depending on weather, venue hours and other circumstances that may occur to prohibit travel. For specific library hours, please contact each location before planning your visit, especially if you are planning on bringing a group.
**Tentatively scheduled
For more information about the Traveling Exhibit or our other exhibits call our office at (218)-745-8886 or contact Trey at treyeverettcreates@gmail.com or NWArtsCouncil@gmail.com.

Student Artwork is hanging in State Senator Mark Johnson’s St. Paul office
Five exhibit pieces of student art were chosen to be hung in the hallway of Senator Mark Johnson’s office in St. Paul. These works of art were entered into the annual NW Art Exhibit that took place in Lake Bronson earlier this spring.
The students and their work include: Lydia Christianson of Fertile “Omaha Jellyfish,” Kyleigh Halvorson of Fosston “Iris” (Merit Award), Carter Lee Johnsrud of Goodridge “A Broken Heart,” Dana Brown of Lancaster, (Kittson Central School) “Jesse and Walt” (People’s Choice in student category), and Melody Voeltz, of Lancaster “Barred Owl.”

Artist Spotlight with Art Teacher Gary Stegman Wednesday, July 5
Watch this online discussion with retired art teacher Gary Stegman here.
On Wednesday, July 5 the NWMAC held an Artist Spotlight with Retired Art Teacher Gary Stegman. You can watch this discussion with NWMAC staff Trey Everett and Kristin Eggerling at the link above or on the NWMAC Facebook or YouTube pages. Stegman spoke about students, motivation, the arts, artistic vision, his background, and much more. Some of Stegman’s students have artwork in the current NWMAC exhibit Student Art Exhibit at NCTC in Thief River Falls. The exhibit is open until July 26. Let us know if you have questions.

Artist Reception for Student Art Exhibit Tuesday, June 27 6 to 8PM
The Northwest Minnesota Arts Council Invites You to the Artist Reception for the
Student Exhibit Featuring K-12 Artwork from NW Minnesota
Where: Northwest Minnesota Arts Council Gallery, NCTC in Thief River Falls
When: Tuesday, June 27 from 6 to 8 PM
This exhibit features art by area students throughout northwest Minnesota, including the schools of Sacred Heart in East Grand Forks, Crookston, Warren-Alvarado-Oslo, Kittson Central in Hallock, Ada-Borup West, Fosston, Tri-County in Karlstad, and Roseau.
Watch this video for a virtual tour of the exhibit at https://youtu.be/UQX4C4upQqg.
The artist reception at the gallery will be held on Tuesday, June 27 from 6 to 8PM in conjunction with the 101 Dalmatians play at Northland Community and Technical College. Refreshments will be served.
Children’s author Wanda Nelson will be signing and selling her books during the reception.
Everyone is welcome to join us for this free event.
The NWMAC Gallery is located at Northland Community and Technical College in Thief River Falls. The gallery hours are Monday-Friday from 8:30-5 PM and at other times when events are held at the college. During the summer, the college may be closed on Friday afternoons. Please check before making a special trip or visit the exhibit at other times. Enter through Door B, which is right next to the gallery. Visitor parking is free.
For more information about our exhibits please contact Trey Everett at (218) 745-8886 or email NWArtsCouncil@gmail.com. Please sign up for our e-newsletter on our website home page to see the latest news and grant announcements. Email director@NWArtsCouncil.org or call 218-745-8886 to reach our office during regular business hours.