September 20th, 2017
The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards are presented by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers. This nonprofit organization described their mission as “To identify students with their exceptional artistic and literary talent and present their remarkable work to the world through the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.”
For the main opportunity is to compete for recognition at the state level. There are three different levels of awards; Gold Key, Silver Key, and Honorable Mention. Any…
September 20th, 2017
Zhimin Guan has been a professor of art at Minnesota State University since 1998. Guan’s artworks have been exhibited throughout the United States and China and he has appeared in more than 200 selective professional exhibitions and received 25 art awards.
Guan grew up in one of China’s ancient regions, called Anhui province, which is located in central China. Guan was influenced by the people around him and he explained the environment while growing up. “It seems that the people…
September 13th, 2017
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Enantiodromia: noun; a principle that states any force will inevitably produce its opposite. After stumbling upon this term in a book about psychoanalyst Carl Jung, artist Ben Rheault discovered the theme for his upcoming exhibit at the Rourke Art Gallery and Museum.
The pieces in the exhibit started when Rheault was approached by friends of his in a band to design cover art for songs they were releasing.
“Listening to their music, their themes were similar to what I was dealing with,…
September 13th, 2017
photo by Lew Ableidinger
High Plains Reader had the opportunity to chat with our very own J Earl Miller about Exposure 2.0, a group exhibition of photography curated by Miller, currently on display at the Hodo Lounge.
High Plains Reader: Can you tell our readers how Exposure got started?
J Earl Miller: Honestly, Lew Ableidinger is the main reason I started this show. I started following him on social media. I thought his photographs were next level but he lived in Harvey, N.D. I am pretty…
August 23rd, 2017
Gary Greff’s new sculpture and the future of the Enchanted Highway
When HPR spoke to Gary Greff in 2015 he was in the midst of a crowdfunding campaign to fund his latest sculpture. We spoke of his plans to build a 70-foot spider web composed of ¾ inch cables suspended from an array of colorful prairie flowers. Cement mixers were to be transformed into salvaged metal spiders.
Greff, the visionary behind the world’s largest salvaged metal sculptures and creator of North Dakota’s…
August 16th, 2017
Interactive Hive through Plains Art Museum goes to market
Photo by Jerry Sherven
This summer, interns between the ages of 11 and 18 participated in Buzz Lab, a program through the Plains Art Museum that gives students the opportunity to teach the public about pollinators through art, design and interaction.
On Saturday, the Buzz Lab interns will bring part of their summer project to the Red River Market. Called the Hive, the interns enlisted local artist Dwight Mickelson to design and…
July 26th, 2017
Within the borders of North Dakota lie many worlds that are each expressing themselves in traditional art and culture. During his time as the state folklorist, Troyd Geist has been documenting a diverse array of cultural identities that span art forms and cultures.
For the months of July, August and September, Geist’s photographs from his work throughout the state will be on display at the North Dakota State Capitol. As part of his work, Geist documented traditional life and culture…
July 26th, 2017
In his upcoming exhibit at Ecce Gallery, sculptor Casey Hochhalter explores the parallels between intertwined worlds: those of animals and plants. His surreal sculptures cross colors and shapes, making each a unique view of the world for the creator and the viewer.
“The forms themselves are not exclusively plant or animal,” the artist said when explaining the pieces. “There are certain characteristics that are inherent in them, things like dimensions, surface, volume, shapes and…
July 19th, 2017
Shane Balkowitsch was nervous. He squatted under an inky shroud, gazing ahead above the rim of his eyeglasses. In front of him, hoisted on a modern tripod, was his accordion camera with its intense red bellows. Only steps away unfolded a 19th century sea scene of travail and strife, of a deathly woe and a fervid vitality.
Or at least its reenactment. Volunteers – clothed in shoddy garbs and smeared in dramatic makeup – clamored on a wooden make-do barge in the open prairie. Gathered…
July 12th, 2017
At 94 years old, acclaimed regional printmaker Charles Beck continues to work on artworks every day. Although he has had to stop his daily printmaking practice and now lives in a nursing home, Beck has not been detoured from continuing to create art.
Instead of printmaking, Beck now uses acrylic paint and ink to create colorful images of nature that are inspired by his memories of places in Otter Tail County and the Red River Valley.
Before his stroke several years ago, Beck would…
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By Winona LaDukewinona@winonaladuke.comIt’s been eight years since the Water Protectors were cleared off the banks of the Cannonball and Missouri Rivers. It was a bitter ending to a battle to protect the water; and for most of us…
By HPR Staff We’re all a part of building strong, healthy and inclusive communities. But the region’s non-profit organizations do a lot of the heavy lifting. Now it’s time for these organizations to step into the spotlight.…
Saturday, March 15, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County, Hjemkomst Center202 1st Avenue N., MoorheadLet’s be real, Irish culture is on everyone’s mind in mid-March, so why not expand your horizons and…
By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com 2025 marks us halfway through the roaring 2020s. Boy, am I glad I didn’t bob my hair for this go-around. It feels like we’re off to the wrong roar, opening Pandora’s box of what-the-Fox…
By Ed Raymondfargogadfly@gmail.comLennon: “Imagine no possessions, I wonder if you can!”On January 8, 2025, Timothy W. Rybeck of “The Atlantic" magazine published “How Hitler Dismantled a Democracy in 53 Days” with the…
By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com Holiday wine shopping shouldn’t have to be complicated. But unfortunately it can cause unneeded anxiety due to an overabundance of choices. Don’t fret my friends, we once again have you covered…
By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com As a food enthusiast, there’s nothing better than attending a local event featuring hotdish. And as far as hotdish events go, no place does it better than the fine folks at Brewhalla and Drekker…
Mooncats and Pert Near Sandstone play Empire TheatreBy Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comThe MoonCats describe themselves as “Americonscious Campfire Folk.” They have a clear acoustic folk sound with a sense of whimsy — think…
By Greg Carlsongregcarlson1@gmail.comBong Joon-ho’s highly anticipated follow-up to the game-changing Oscar-winner “Parasite” was set to arrive in theaters last year, but the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike pushed the date. Was the…
By John Showalterjohn.d.showalter@gmail.com Everyone has heard the adage, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” However, it is safe to say there are far more than a thousand in Mickey Smith’s photographs. When one hears…
By John Showalterjohn.d.showalter@gmail.comHigh Plains Reader had the opportunity to interview two mysterious new game show hosts named Milt and Bradley Barker about an upcoming event they will be putting on at Brewhalla. What…
By Annie Prafckeannieprafcke@gmail.com AUSTIN, Texas – As a Chinese-American, connecting to my culture through food is essential, and no dish brings me back to my mother’s kitchen quite like hotdish. Yes, you heard me right –…
By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comNew Jamestown Brewery Serves up Local FlavorThere’s something delicious brewing out here on the prairie and it just so happens to be the newest brewery west of the Red River and east of the…
By Josette Ciceronunapologeticallyanxiousme@gmail.com What does it mean to truly live in a community —or should I say, among community? It’s a question I have been wrestling with since I moved to Fargo-Moorhead in February 2022.…
By Faye Seidlerfayeseidler@gmail.com On Dec 5, the Turning Point USA chapter at North Dakota State University hosted an event called BisonFest. This event featured Chloe Cole, a former trans kid, known for detransitioning and…
By Gilbert Kuipersgilbertkuipers@outlook.com I live in North Dakota District 24 and have been challenging the district Republicans about their understanding of climate science for years. There has been no serious response to my…
