Arts Events - Regional & Statewide
See below for arts events in our region or state. If you are hosting an arts event that you’d like to share, please reach out to our Promotions Specialist Kristin and let her know.
Arts Advocacy Day is March 3
Put this event on your calendar
Arts Advocacy Day is Tuesday, March 3, 2026—and we need you there.
This session will shape the future of arts funding in Minnesota. Showing up together is how we make sure lawmakers see the full force, scale, and diversity of the arts community.
Your early registration = bigger crowds, stronger organizing, and a louder voice at the Capitol.
Join Us for Arts Advocacy Day!
Date: TUESDAY, MARCH 3rd, 2026
Rally in the Capitol Rotunda: 10 - 11 AM
Legislative Meetings: 11 AM - 3 PM
Register for Arts Advocacy Day 2026
Nervous About Attending?
Many 1st time advocates are a little nervous about attending as they don't know what to expect or say on behalf of the arts. REGISTER TODAY for Arts Advocacy Day on March 3rd and receive a Zoom link for our Advocacy 101 and 201 training on February 24th at 10:30 AM. Learn effective messaging and storytelling for Arts Advocacy Day. They’ll walk through what a typical Advocacy Day looks like, share examples of a legislative meeting and what to expect, and, especially for first-time advocates, leave plenty of time for Q&A. Interested, but can't make it? REGISTER TODAY and receive a link once the video is uploaded.
See the Impact. Feel the Energy.
Manoomin Arts Initiative’s
We’ve Got You Covered Community Celebration & Artist Reception on April 23
a celebration of the appliquéd mural blankets created during their apprenticeship year with Rick Kagigebi & Eliza Klarer
Thursday April 23, 2026
2:30 PM Regional Arts Networking • snacks & beverages
3-4 PM McKnight Fellowship Info Session
4-6 PM Artist Reception
Indigenous Foods catered by Chef Edward Rodriguez hosted by Manoomin Arts Initiative at Gizhiigin Arts Incubator
701 East Jefferson Ave Mahnomen MN 56557
Rick Kagigebi is a FY 2025 Cultural Expression grant recipient from the Minnesota State Arts Board.
Valentine's Portrait Session
Thursday, February 12th 5-8PM
Studio 110 - 110 South Main Street / Crookston 56716
They say “the best things in life are free”. and that is certainly the case with Studio 110’s family portraiture sessions. Photographer Rena Zapata & team welcome you to come and celebrate this season of love and honoring of families through the art of photography. Everyone is welcome to stop by to capture a moment and honor the people you love and respect.
Digital images are uploaded to a site where you can download for your own use on social media or send out for prints.
There is no cost to participate and families are typically welcomed during the above timeframe on a first come first serve basis. With that said, it is important for them to know how many to expect, so if you haven't RSVP'd yet please do at the link below.
We offer grant writing training sessions two weeks before each grant deadline. This training is Wednesday, April 15 at 11 AM. This can be virtual or in person. You must RSVP to attend. Please let us know if you are interested by calling 218-745-8886 or email director@nwartscouncil.org. You can take advantage of the opportunity to come into our office and work on your grant in our grant writing space!
We offer grant writing training sessions two weeks before each grant deadline. This training is Thursday, February 13 at 4 PM. This can be virtual or in person. You must RSVP to attend. Please let us know if you are interested by calling 218-745-8886 or email director@nwartscouncil.org. You can take advantage of the opportunity to come into our office and work on your grant in our grant writing space!
Work of Art: Portfolio Kit
Zoom Meeting
January 17 from 1:00 PM – 3:30 PM
VIRTUAL, WORKSHOP
Focus on the essential elements of your portfolio: sharpening your artist statement, tailoring your artistic resume, and curating and formatting your work samples. Presented in partnership with Hennepin County Library. Your portfolio is the core of your promotional material and professional calling card. To register or learn more visit https://springboardforthearts.org/event/work-of-art-portfolio-kit/
Please join us for an Artist Reception for
Stardust & Soul: ”It’s in everything”
an exhibit featuring paintings by Sarah Pester
Thursday, March 19 from 6:30 to 8:00 PM
at the
Historic Fournet Building, 101 N Broadway, 2nd Floor in the Atrium
Downtown Crookston
Exhibit is Open Through Mid-April
Please join us for an artist reception for Stardust & Soul: “it’s in everything,” an exhibit featuring paintings by Sarah Pester at the Historic Fournet Building downtown Crookston. This exhibit includes 41 original pieces of art in oil, watercolor, and mixed media, many of which are for sale. The reception is open to everyone and the public is encouraged to attend. There will be live music and refreshments will be served.
Sarah shared, “I really love how this collection captures the thread running through everything. Earth, space, and us -- all of it being more connected than we usually realize. I hope these pieces remind people that we aren't just out here on our own but a part of the whole and connected to everything.”
Sarah Faith Pester is an artist and yoga teacher from Crookston. Her work is an expression of her inner world and her connection to something beyond the physical. When she paints, she's exploring the unseen energies and emotions that guide us. Sarah mainly uses oil, acrylic, and watercolor paints to create vibrant pieces, and she also finds joy in crafting crystal-beaded bracelets.
As a yoga teacher and energy practitioner, Sarah's artistic and healing practices are deeply connected. The sense of flow and connection she finds in her work is a direct reflection of the healing and spiritual exploration she shares with others through her business Burnham Creek Healing. Through her paintings, bracelets, yoga, and healing practices she shares a piece of her spiritual journey, inviting others to explore their own inner worlds and find their own sense of peace and connection.
Parking and admission is free. Take the stairs or elevator to the second floor where the gallery is located in the atrium. Exhibit is open Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 4:30 PM.
Watch this video for a virtual tour of the exhibit at https://youtu.be/tzfxVHhhgDM or find it on our website under the exhibits tab at the top of the homepage.
For more information about this exhibit contact Trey Everett at (218) 280-4917 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.
Join Crookston Artist and Yoga Instructor Sarah Pester for 2 yoga classes that will be offered in the gallery on February 17 and March 3 from 6:30 to 7:30 PM in conjunction with her exhibit Stardust & Soul: “it’s in everything”
✨ Art in Motion - A Lunar Yoga Experience ✨
Move. Meditate. Connect.
Join Sarah for both or either dates for a peaceful evening at The Fournet Gallery. Surrounded by original artwork, you will explore the intersection of art and movement. The evening is themed around the Moon and Divine Feminine energy. The class will begin by exploring the inspiration behind Sarah’s focal painting, Lunar Wings, followed by a slow, Moon Salutation flow and grounding meditation.
February 17 & March 3 from 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM
$8 per session. Open to all levels—no prior yoga experience required. Please wear comfortable clothing you can move in easily and bring 🧘 a yoga mat and 💧 a water bottle. Spaces are limited to ensure an intimate gallery experience. 🎟️ Sign up online at:
https://burnham-creek-healing.square.site/ 💬 Or register directly with Sarah by calling 218-280-0588 or emailing burnhamcreekhealing@gmail.com
More about the exhibit:
Stardust & Soul: ”It’s in everything”
an exhibit featuring paintings by Sarah Pester
Open January 6 Through Mid-April at the
Historic Fournet Building, 101 N Broadway, 2nd Floor in the Atrium
Downtown Crookston
Stardust & Soul: “it’s in everything” is an exhibit featuring paintings by Sarah Pester at the Historic Fournet Building downtown Crookston that includes 41 original pieces of art in oil, watercolor, and mixed media, many of which are for sale.
Sarah shared, “I really love how this collection captures the thread running through everything. Earth, space, and us -- all of it being more connected than we usually realize. I hope these pieces remind people that we aren't just out here on our own but a part of the whole and connected to everything.”
Sarah Faith Pester is an artist and yoga teacher from Crookston. Her work is an expression of her inner world and her connection to something beyond the physical. When she paints, she's exploring the unseen energies and emotions that guide us. Sarah mainly uses oil, acrylic, and watercolor paints to create vibrant pieces, and she also finds joy in crafting crystal-beaded bracelets.
As a yoga teacher and energy practitioner, Sarah's artistic and healing practices are deeply connected. The sense of flow and connection she finds in her work is a direct reflection of the healing and spiritual exploration she shares with others through her business Burnham Creek Healing. Through her paintings, bracelets, yoga, and healing practices she shares a piece of her spiritual journey, inviting others to explore their own inner worlds and find their own sense of peace and connection.
Parking and admission is free. Take the stairs or elevator to the second floor where the gallery is located in the atrium. Open Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 4:30 PM.
Watch this video for a virtual tour of the exhibit at https://youtu.be/tzfxVHhhgDM or find it on our website under the exhibits tab at the top of the homepage.
For more information about this exhibit contact Trey Everett at (218) 280-4917 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.
Work of Art: Legal Considerations
February 21 from 1:00 to 3:30 PM
Obtain general information about your intellectual property, contract basics and structuring your artistic business.
This workshop is part of a series of virtual workshops being presented in partnership with Hennepin County Library, and listed as “Legal Considerations for Artists” on the library website.
This workshop is a unit in the 12-part Work of Art: Business Skills for Artists series, a professional development curriculum designed to teach business skills to artists in all disciplines. The curriculum is always available for free download, or you can buy a copy of the book to support your practice.
To learn more and to register visit https://springboardforthearts.org/event/work-of-art-legal-considerations/
North Country Fiddle and Dance Community Folk Dance
Saturday, January 24 from 3:00 to 5:30 PM
Bernie's Restaurant
121 DeMers Ave, East Grand Forks, MN
with music by O'Neil Family Band
Live Music! All join in, all ages are welcome; families, couples, singles
Traditional American folk dances: Reels, barn -dance squares, circle mixers and more...
All dances are taught and easy to learn!