Pulled in Many Directions

Photographs by Andy Hall

Northwest Minnesota Arts Council Gallery

NCTC in Thief River Falls through February 26, 2024

Artist Reception Wednesday, January 24 5:30-7:30 PM

The Northwest Minnesota Arts Council (NWMAC) is pleased to announce the opening of Pulled in Many Directions Photography by Andy Hall. This exhibit is open through February 26 at the NWMAC Gallery at Northland Community and Technical College in Thief River Falls.

Andy Hall has been a full-time photographer for more than 23 years. He lives in Climax and owns Sweetlight Gallery in Crookston. According to Andy, his subject matter “varies tremendously and my techniques are ever evolving. What comes to life through my camera is all but invisible to me until I quiet my mind and allow my eyes to see the perfection in the obvious and the stunning beauty of the often overlooked. I revel in discovering the extraordinary in the ordinary!”

Of his technique and methods, Andy explained, “The photographs that you see here were created with digital cameras, a variety of lenses, a handful of filters and a tripod. I own camera gear from several different manufacturers. I print on archival photographic paper and canvas. I spray coat my canvases with a water-based UV protection that also makes them quite durable. I perform all aspects of my craft.”

There are 45 pieces in this exhibit that are either wrapped in canvas or framed canvas. All are for sale. Andy can tailor make any print to multiple sizes and on a variety of mediums from framed or unframed canvas to metal.

Showcase Specialist Trey Everett explained, “I have known Andy and seen him work over the years. He is all about quality. He spends hours upon hours finding the perfect shot, sometimes standing outside in subzero weather, keeping his camera and hands as warm as possible. His artwork is instantly captivating and mesmerizing. Andy is continually experimenting with subject matter, so his work is always evolving and expanding. This exhibit is a taste of the talent of Andy Hall.”

Watch this video for a virtual tour of the exhibit at https://youtu.be/81b-LEr1S8c

Watch a discussion with Andy and NWMAC staff Kristin and Trey about his work and much more: https://streamyard.com/pjh6xzyyt6mj

An artist reception at the gallery will be held at Northland Community and Technical College on Wednesday, January 24 from 5:30 to 7:30 PM. Everyone is welcome to join us for this free event. There will be live music, drinks, and dessert.

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. Enter through Door B, which is right next to the gallery. Visitor parking is free.

For more information about this exhibit visit northwestminnesotaartscouncil.org/blog/pulled-in-many-directions-exhibit-photography-by-andy-hall-is-open or for other information look to our website at www.NWArtsCouncil.org, or if you are an artist interested in exhibiting a body of work with NWMAC, 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.

Figures of Ghosts & Dreams: The Artwork of Stephanie Olson

An Art Exhibit at the Northwest Minnesota Arts Council Gallery

NCTC in Thief River Falls through November 29, 2023

Artist Reception Wednesday, October 18 from 6-8 PM

The Northwest Minnesota Arts Council (NWMAC) is pleased to announce the opening of Figures of Ghosts & Dreams: The Artwork of Stephanie Olson. The exhibit is open through Wednesday, November 29 at the NWMAC Gallery at Northland Community and Technical College in Thief River Falls.

Stephanie Olson lives with her husband and kids in rural Thief River Falls. She holds a Writing MFA degree from Hamline University and works as a public-school English teacher. Her visual artwork has appeared in a number of group shows, including past exhibits with the Northwest Minnesota Arts Council, two This Week Only exhibits at the North Dakota Museum of Art, and a group show at the Vine Arts Center in Minneapolis.

Figures of Ghosts and Dreams includes 42 pieces of watercolor on paper, India ink on paper, and acrylic on wood, cork, and canvas. Stephanie explained, “This exhibit reflects the art that comes to me. When I sit down with an idea, with a plan, my art fails almost every time. But when I sit down with no intention, it's like a door is left open. In the beginning, my art was more abstract: lines, color, depth. Now, I have these figures. Sometimes they seem peaceful, as if visiting from a dream. Sometimes they remind me of loved ones who have passed on, like visiting ghosts. There are undeniable motifs that I can't escape: houses, snakes, dogs, cats, women. I must let it all come as it is, like the weather. I wouldn't say it's like the notion of a muse taking over, not at all. It's more like a house filling up with guests. I'm never sure how long they'll stay, but this is what I find when I manage to steal time to sit down and paint. It's always a surprise. Try it! You never know who might show up, who you might meet.”

An artist reception at the gallery will be held at Northland Community and Technical College on Wednesday, October 18 from 6 to 8 PM. Everyone is welcome to join us for this free event with live fiddle music and refreshments.

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. Enter through Door B, which is right next to the gallery. Visitor parking is free.

For more information about this exhibit visit or for other information look to our website at www.NWArtsCouncil.org, or if you are an artist interested in exhibiting a body of work with NWMAC, 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.

The Northwest Minnesota Arts Council Announces a

Student Exhibit Featuring K-12 Artwork from

NW Minnesota

Northwest Minnesota Arts Council Gallery

NCTC in Thief River Falls through July 31, 2023

Artist Reception is Tuesday, June 27 6 to 8PM

The Northwest Minnesota Arts Council (NWMAC) is pleased to announce the opening of a Student Art Exhibit, featuring K-12 artwork from throughout Northwest Minnesota. This exhibit is open through July 26 at the NWMAC Gallery at Northland Community and Technical College in Thief River Falls.

The 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.

There are 105 total pieces in the gallery divided up into four sections:

Section 1. Mask Making High School and Fifth Grade, Tri-County Schools, Karlstad / Mask Making Residency with Artist Lisa Arnold, 2023 / Photos of mixed media masks. 23 pieces with 21 students.

Section 2: Write On Roseau Community School District, Roseau / Essays for the Roseau Times-Region Newspaper from Roseau Community School District Students, 2023 / Newspaper essays NFS. There are 17 entries in this section. All were published in the paper between January and May of 2023.

Select students from Roseau Community School wrote essays of 800-1,000 words. The essays were published weekly in the Roseau Times-Region Newspaper. This project has run for four years. English teacher Kelsey Didrickson’s 12th grade college English class contributed to this project. Artist Julie Elick explained, “This project instills the arts into our community and public life, providing a weekly place for students to enhance their writing talents. Roseau County is growing stronger each year with its encouragement of literacy. “

Section 3: Art Inspired By Art.

3a High School. This section includes artwork that was inspired by famed, as well as obscure art pieces. Students drew inspiration from Vincent Van Gogh’s Starry Night, MARINA’s song “Are you Satisfied?”, and Michael Angelo’s The Creation of Adam. One student’s work Polybius drew inspiration from an urban legend Polybius and a song by Lemon Demon called Cabinet Man. Art in this section was created by NCTC student Wyatt Bring (cat image), Ada-Borup-West student Carlie Nerhus (ceramic art), and Sacred Heart’s Sophia Modeen (skeleton hands reaching out to each other), Aalliyah Griggs (digital art of purple and pink pieces of paper), Rhilynn Leroux Peters (red/orange swirl sky painting), and Mackenzie Gjerswold (video game painting). Total of 6 pieces.

3b: Kindergarten Students. Kittson Central School, Hallock Pigeons, 2023. Kwik Stix tempera paint pens on paper 12 x 18 inches.19 pieces. Pigeons Kindergarten students at Kittson Central in Hallock created pigeons as a directed drawing of the character from Mo Willems’ books that follow the adventures of pigeon and his friends. (For example, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus). They learned to use shapes to create the character and then added a colorful background.

Section 4: General Student art chosen by art teachers. This section has artwork from Crookston, East Grand Forks, Fosston, Ada-Borup-West, and Warren Alvarado-Oslo. It features pen and ink, pencil, acrylic on canvas, mixed media, pottery, glass casting jewelry, Styrofoam prints, woodblock prints, watercolor pencils, watercolor, chalk, linoleum block print, oil pastels, aluminum metal embossing, and digital artwork. There are a total of 40 pieces in this section.

An 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. Everyone is welcome to join us for this free event. Children’s author Wanda Nelson will be signing her books during the reception.

The exhibit will be open on Thursday, July 27 during the Thief River Falls Zehlian’s Art & Wine Walk and musical at NCTC.

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 so please confirm before making a special trip. Enter through Door B, which is right next to the gallery. Visitor parking is free.

For more information about this exhibit visit northwestminnesotaartscouncil.org/blog/student-art-exhibit-featuring-k-12-artwork-is-open-through-july-26 or for other information look to our website at www.NWArtsCouncil.org, or if you are an artist interested in exhibiting a body of work with NWMAC, please contact Trey Everett at (218) 745-8886 or email NWArtsCouncil@gmail.com.

The Traveling Art Exhibit Visits

Thief River Public Library

for First Stop

Thief River Falls Public Library is hosting the Traveling Art Exhibit until July 10

The Northwest Minnesota Arts Council (NWMAC) sponsors an annual Traveling Art Exhibit, which visits northwest Minnesota communities throughout the year. The exhibit includes 15 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 Thief River Falls Public Library until July 10. Please stop by to see these works of art. Some of these pieces of art are for sale. This is the first stop of this traveling art exhibit tour.

The 2023-2024 Artists and Artwork:

Ross Hier, Crookston, “Beach Ridge Bouquet” (Watercolor Painting)

Tim Anderson, Goodridge, “Let Your Light Shine” Wood Bowl (Folk/Traditional Fine Craft) Merit

Nancy Vraa, Red Lake Falls, “Country Classic” Hat and Mitten Set (Folk/Traditional Fine Craft) Merit

Lillian Ramsey, Thief River Falls, “Queen Mouse” (Acrylic Painting)

Kathy Panek, Goodridge, “Night Taxi” (Acrylic Painting on canvas board)

Jodi M Smith, East Grand Forks, “Swirls of Light “ (Photography)

Dennis Lee, Red Lake Falls, “Old House” (Acrylic Painting) Merit

Madilyn Crompton, Borup, “Hang Time” (Digital Photo) Student Ada-Borup-West School

Makaela Longoria, Ada, “You Have My Heart“ (Ceramic Sculpture) Student Ada-Borup-West School

Emma Gunderson, Crookston, “Go On A Trip” (Acrylic Painting), Student Crookston School

Kaydence Skibicki, Fertile, Untitled (Silk Screen Print), Student Fertile-Beltrami School

Carter Lee Johnsrud, Goodridge, “Masking” (Mixed Media Graphite Pencil) Student Goodridge School (1st Place and People’s Choice)

Quinn Pittman, Greenbush, “Moe” (Pen Drawing), Student Greenbush-Middle River School Merit

Rhiana Utter, Greenbush, “Elsa” (Linoleum Print) Student Greenbush-Middle River School Merit

Maryjane Crane, Red Lake Falls, “Time” (Acrylic Painting), Student Red Lake Falls School

The full schedule of the 2023-2024 Traveling Art Exhibit will be announced soon. 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.

Dynamic Voices: A Collection of Work by Women Artists of NW Minnesota

featuring art by Connie Nelson of Hallock, Rachel Gustafson of Hallock, Heidi Danos of Fosston, Stephanie Olson of Thief River Falls, and Therese Jacobson of Alvarado.

Northwest Minnesota Arts Council Gallery

NCTC in Thief River Falls August 8 - September 28

Artist Reception Wednesday, September 28 from 5 to 7pm