Arts

Americana dreams and the Cowboy Prince

December 21st, 2016

photo by Zach Gibson

When asked how he would describe his work, Richmond, Virginia-based artist Charlie Umhau says,“I’d say it’s a functional Americana version of traditional Greek black figure painted vases married with Howard Finster’s hyper productivity; the black and white gold framed color palate of Civil War tintypes, the sustainable but frenzied improvisation of African American scrap quilts, the talismanic tailoring of Old World shamans dressed for ceremony, spiritually…

Mixing it up

December 21st, 2016

“I was never a fan of non-objective and abstract art. I just didn't have that perspective, I was too literal. Towards the end of my stay at NDSU I took sculpture classes and got into making assemblages and trying to utilize the repurposed look in a more contemporary fashion. I carry some aesthetics from this phase into the work that I create now.” says mixed media artist Alison Buecksler.

You may have seen her demonstrating at Corks and Canvas events in Downtown Fargo,or her show…

Downtown gentrification: the good, the bad, and the unaffordable

December 14th, 2016

Meps building - soon to be the apt building for artists - photo by C.S. Hagen

The art trade in Fargo is a cutthroat business. Photographers, painters, and potters struggling for local sales are now also fighting for spaces in the downtown area.

Recognized by many as the cultural avant-garde of Downtown’s awakening and current revitalization programs, some artists are being forced out, while others are fearful of what future gentrification will bring.

Change doesn’t come without casualties, artists recognize, they’re simply asking not to be forgotten. The city…

You think you have problems?

December 14th, 2016

While researching the concept of his current solo exhibition at the Spirit Room, titled “#MillenialProbs,” ceramicist Hayden Swanson did a bit of crowdsourcing by reaching out to his peers via social media. I couldn’t help but ask what he thought the most serious problem was.

“I don't think I could say there is a single ‘most serious problem’ since they are all valid, but people were really concerned about opiate use, Dakota Access Pipeline, and the election. The tone people…

Make room for lost arts at Make Room

November 30th, 2016

“Make Room has seen a resurgence in the lost arts. There are a few reasons people come to us with the need to create. One catalyst for the revival of dying skills is the disconnect between the products we buy and how they were made.” says Chelsea Thorson, owner and director of Make Room Gallery in Fargo. “There's something comforting about knowing exactly where a handmade item came from and how it was created.”

Make Room Gallery will be presenting a “Lost Arts Workshop…

Diversity shines in Facebook project “The World in F-M”

November 30th, 2016

“The World in Fargo-Moorhead” is a community photography and story project featuring area residents who have come here from other parts of the world. Launched in September, 2016, the project is a social media-based collaborative effort, first envisioned by Meg Luther Lindholm.

New York native Lindholm is a freelance radio journalist working in Fargo-Moorhead. She is currently doing North Dakota-based work as part of a grant from the North Dakota Humanities Council, telling stories…

Punchgut and Jeff Knight: Wandering Ghost Gallery

November 16th, 2016

I’m sitting on a couch in the combination art studio/garage of local artist Matt Mastrud, aka Punchgut. We shoot the breeze about topics from horror movies to the tension in the air after the recent presidential election. He muses about how he thinks people would put aside their differences if they had a common enemy.

“Like Watchmen,” I say.

“Yeah,” he replies, then brings out his newest work of art, a stylized picture of an unquestionably hostile alien soldier with a shooting…

Cut it out

November 9th, 2016

By Jacinta Macheel Zens jacinta.zens@gmail.com

HPR Editor Sabrina Hornung, is not just our writer and editor. She is also a talented artist who works in multiple media. An exhibition of her works will be on display at the Rourke Art Museum from November 4, 2016 to December 4, 2016. This exhibition, titled “Sod Breakin' and Reclamation,” showcases the diversity and complexity of Ms. Hornung's work.

High Plains Reader: Your work for this show showcases your multi-faceted artistic…

Jim Denomie and the power of cultural identity

October 27th, 2016

“I’ve had a lot of experiences--learning my identity over the years, growing up as a product of the assimilation campaign, I was not taught a lot about who I was as an Anishinaabe person,” says Minneapolis-based artist Jim Denomie, “Along the way I learned a lot of that stuff by going back and talking to people and getting involved in the culture through pow wows, storytelling and ceremony.”

His art reflects just that. He was born on the Lac Courte Oreilles reservation, and…

More than skin deep

October 26th, 2016

By Ben Haugmo

Unlike other creators, tattoo artists don’t have the ability to erase their mistakes. They don’t have the advantage of erasers or the ability to undo mistakes with a keystroke. Luckily, most tattoo artists are in their field for a good reason. They understand that, when your canvas is a human body, you have to commit to each line. They’ve taken the time to hone their skills and build the confidence needed to be certain that the final product looks great.

Athena Funk…

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