Arts

​Kay Ornberg; ‘The Human Figure and My Rural Surroundings’

March 28th, 2018

“With the human figure, it would be capturing the figure with a medium (watercolor) that is very difficult to control,” Kay Ornberg said.

“The Human Figure and My Rural Surroundings,” an exhibition of watercolor paintings by Kay Ornberg, will open on Sunday March 25, from 1:30 to 3:30pm at the Rourke Art Museum. Admission fee is free, and it is open to public. Ornberg’s gallery talk will start at 2pm.

Ornberg started with oils and acrylics for her first journey as an artist…

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Who we are and where we come from: Fargo-Moorhead’s art masters

February 21st, 2018

Annie Stein painting of her family farm in the flood of 1897 -  HCSCCIn my tenure at the High Plains Reader, I have devoted a lot of column inches to promoting the local music scene of the Red River Valley. However, I would be doing an injustice if I didn’t also bring your attention to another important facet of Fargo-Moorhead’s artistic culture: the visual arts.

Recently I had the opportunity to interview Markus Krueger, the programming director at the Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County, located in the Hjemkomst Center, about the upcoming…

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Erotic Art Show at Red Raven challenges and stimulates

February 14th, 2018

The Red Raven had their annual opening party for the Erotic Art Show last week, drawing in a sizeable crowd that got to take home free condoms, lubricant, chapstick, and Planned Parenthood pins and brochures.

The red candles at each table gave the place some romantic ambiance, while cardboard hearts, bubble wands, and gag glasses made for some lighthearted photo ops.

The party began with a live performance by the local musical duo, So Sad. Later in the night there was a raffle for…

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Trompe l’oeil ceramics by Tim Kowalczyk

February 14th, 2018

Plains Art Museum will feature a two-day class headed by ceramic artist Tim Kowalczyk, featuring his trompe l’oeil “cardboard” ceramic technique.

Trompe l’oeil is a French term meaning, “deceive the eye,” and it is an art technique that uses a realistic image to create an optical illusion.

Kowalczyk explained what he learned from Ceramics: “Ceramics allowed me to have control and turn a seemingly lifeless ball of clay into anything I could think of. That challenge kept…

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​Chainsaw Dave takes on Fargo

January 23rd, 2018

Chainsaw Dave and his Pitbull, Artie, sitting before one of his sculptures - Photograph by Sabrina HornungFargo-based chainsaw artist David Belling, also affectionately known as Chainsaw Dave, has been creating chainsaw sculptures with logs since he was 15.

“Everyone was always asking me why I don’t just do ice,” he said, “doing wood in the summer is cool but it’s miserable in the winter. You have to clean up the mess and have a warm place to seal it--you can’t do it comfortably so I decided why not do ice in the winter --and it’s AWESOME! It’s way better than I thought…

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​Peter Yuenger and the daily grind

December 27th, 2017

Daily TrumpHigh Plains Reader: How did the idea for Daily Trump Cartoon come to you -- what was your call to action?

Peter Yuenger: It wasn't really a call to action, It was more of a New Year’s resolution to get back in the habit of drawing or doing some sort of art every day. The first few days after the election I realized that we would be dealing with "crowd sizes” and "alternative facts" on a daily basis, so I started drawing the ridiculousness.

The first few were just in my journal, but…

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​Craft corner

December 20th, 2017

By Ashley Morken

ungluedcraftfest@gmail.com

Instagram wood slice

Get your photos off Instagram and into real life by adding them to a fancy wood slice below!

Supplies:

Wood slice

Printable tattoo paper

Scissors

1. Follow the instructions on the printable tattoo paper and use an inkjet printer to print your photo of choice. Follow the paper's instructions again to apply the clear adhesive sheet that comes with it to make it a "tattoo."

2. Trim the paper down to be the shape of your wood slice.

3.…

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​The cowboy with a crowbar

December 20th, 2017

Bob Watts - photograph by Sabrina HornungBob Watts will be 80 next March. The Montana-based artist is armed with a crowbar and acrylic paint and can be found painting at the Miles City Saddlery during the Miles City Bucking Horse Sale each year. He painted with a brush all of his life, until he had an artist epiphany in 1975, after trying to sell his paintings at the grand opening of the Kirkwood Mall in Bismarck, North Dakota.

“I was so excited, boy, I was painting pictures and the mall was so busy with this grand opening…

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​Her story: Be heard and encouraged

December 6th, 2017

hanhe@mnstate.edu

There are a variety of types of events and groups in our communities that encourage and support women. Robin Swanson, organizer of Her Story, wanted to create another special event for herself and other women. “I was hungering for something that was really authentic-feeling; kind of like a bunch of girlfriends sitting around in a comfortable space and sharing from their hearts and gut,” and, “With all due respect, I hadn’t experienced this level of sincerity and…

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​Lana Suomala: ‘From the Cookie Jar: 12 Fairy Tales and Recipes’

December 6th, 2017

From the cookie jar - photo by Luna Suomala

hanhe@mnstate.edu

We may introduce Lana Suomala as a Moorhead High school Spanish teacher, but when you see her art, you will remember her as an artist.

Suomala gets inspired by human stories; her own, her relationships, and those she observes in the world. She explained, “I’m attracted to the stories we tell and retell, as in fairy tales. Also, patterns in the natural world, whether it’s the construction of a feather, the changing of seasons, or the life cycle of a…

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