Arts

​Stick it!

February 3rd, 2016

Albino Buffalo artists to exhibit at The Rourke Art Museum

Part of the thrill of the thrill of inserting your quarters into a sticker vending machine at the arcade or roller rink is the thrill of the unknown. Put your quarters in, receive a small nondescript cardboard slip, open said slip and your sticker is revealed. What you do with it at that point is entirely up to you.

Fargo Native, educator, and graphic designer Jeff Knight is bringing back that sensation.

The Albino Buffalo project…

Read more...


Happy birthday, Charles Beck!

January 29th, 2016

Charles Beck is one of Minnesota’s most recognized and treasured artists. His work depicts the rural landscapes that he often observed as an Otter Tail County native. He has worked with a variety of media ranging from sculpture, printmaking, and painting. Beck was born January 31, 1923 and is a descendant of Norwegian immigrants who came to the Fergus Falls area in the 1850s.

He started drawing in elementary school and studied under Cyrus Running at Concordia College. After graduating…

Read more...


​All Bark? All right!

January 27th, 2016

photo courtesy of Bockey Gallery

By John Showalter

Generally, when we think about how trees have been used throughout human history, a lot of the same purposes come to mind: building shelter amongst other things, fueling fires, and making paper. A lot of us probably think of big lumberyards full of 2X4s just waiting to be bought for our next home improvement project. We’re interesting in the wood inside, not the protective bark which just gets in the way. Well, that’s where Pat Kruse would say you’re not seeing…

Read more...


Man of Many Talents

December 28th, 2015

Inside the studio part two: Ron Koskela

By M. Koskela

Ron Koskela is a Vietnam Army Veteran, a North Dakota native and resides on a farm in rural Minnesota with his wife. He is a bearded, quiet man who has a variety of skills. Not only is he a woodworker that produces wood turnings and carvings but a carpenter, mechanic, photographer, visual artist and welder; Ron’s talent is not confined to one area.

His studio may appear cluttered to some; with vices, drill presses and wood chips…

Read more...


Inside the Studio: Artist Adele Koskela tangles ZenDels

December 22nd, 2015

By M. Koskela

You may be wondering, what exactly are ZenDels? Originally a watercolor landscape artist, Adele Koskela started learning tangling and soon developed a form of tangling she now calls ZenDels. They combine tangling concepts with landscape designs, creating delicate and intricate designs all originally designed by her.

Sometimes her landscapes are of places she has been such as Split Rock in Duluth, Minn. or Itasca State Park. Others are imagined, as in “Ladies of…

Read more...


Recognizing a rural legacy

December 17th, 2015

Jack Dura wanders the road less traveled

It’s hard to pinpoint what sparked NDSU journalism senior Jack Dura’s interest in our state, but once Dura learned that North Dakota was celebrating 125 years of statehood last year, the wheels started turning. “I thought that was a pretty significant date,” says Fargo native Jack Dura, “then I found out the state had one waterfall, and I thought there must be a lot of things around here that people don’t know about.”

Armed with his…

Read more...


Michael Strand: The Role of Craft

December 10th, 2015

by Ben Rheault

As part of its ongoing series of classes and lectures, The Rourke Art Museum is bringing local artist, activist, and educator Michael Strand to discuss the history of craft from its origins as functional objects to its use as a tool bringing awareness to current issues. I asked Michael a few questions about his work, and what he will be discussing with us at his lecture this coming Saturday.

HPR: With your Bush fellowship, you have traveled throughout the world to study.…

Read more...


“Home on the Prairie” reception at Uptown Gallery

December 9th, 2015


By David McCoy

Award-winning Virginian artist Deborah Mae Broad’s wood engravings are on display and for sale at the Uptown Gallery as part of her “Home on the Prairie” show throughout the entire month of December.

Broad works with the medium of canvas painting, but she is well known for her wood-cut engravings and prints. Her depictions of animals and landscapes have brought her nationwide fame and victories at several Midwestern outdoor art fairs. She won Best of Show for her…

Read more...


Art history with a pulse

December 3rd, 2015

By David McCoy

After years of providing a one-stop repository for art slides and projections for all students and their departments, Minnesota State University Moorhead’s slide library will be closing its doors in 2016. To commemorate the medium and history of visual projection and the decades of work archiving, categorizing and procuring slides, MSUM’s upper-level sculpting class will be showcasing its collection at the Plains Art Museum on Dec. 10 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Projectors…

Read more...


A work in progress

December 2nd, 2015

A rural community’s effort to save a cultural treasure

The Ellendale Opera House is a rare gem hidden two hours southwest of Fargo on the south-central North Dakota prairie. Built in 1909, it was the largest venue between Minneapolis and Seattle in its day, and it is one of the few of its kind still standing. The initial purpose of the Ellendale Opera House was to serve as a cultural and social hub for the area, though it has encountered a few hiccups along the way.

A few individuals…

Read more...


Tracker Pixel for Entry Farrms Tracker Pixel for Entry FPL Tracker Pixel for Entry NewSalem2B Tracker Pixel for Entry NewSalem2C Tracker Pixel for Entry Blackbird Tracker Pixel for Entry Gruff2

Recently in:

By Alicia Underlee NelsonMore than 1,000 pro-worker events are planned for Thursday, May 1 across the country, including rallies in Fargo-Moorhead, Grand Forks, Minot and Jamestown. East Grand Forks and Bismarck will host protests…

By Prairie Rose Seminolems.prairierose@gmail.com I was a child who walked behind my parents into classrooms and kitchens, spaces of song and prayer, where teachings lived in the air and settled on my shoulders. I didn’t yet have…

Saturday, May 3, 7 p.m.-MidnightPlains Art Museum, 704 1st Ave. N., FargoDon’t miss the art party of the year! What goes on at the gala? There’s a silent art auction with music by Low Standards and DJ Star IV, hors d’oeuvres…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comIt’s no secret that there are folks among us who make our communities a more vibrant place through both their actions and means of creative expression. Heck, you could be one of them yourself.…

By Ed Raymondfargogadfly@gmail.comWhat age has been determined to be the worst in world history?Historians have estimated about one third of the population of Europe died of the bubonic plague, also known as the black plague, from…

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 After a very inspiring conversation with Kayla Houchin of Sonder Bakehouse a few weeks ago, I decided that it’s an appropriate time to write a column about some of the sweet people who are involved…

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.com Anchored by the dependable Florence Pugh, “Thunderbolts*” easily tops “Captain America: Brave New World” to make it the most satisfying MCU movie of 2025 — so far. The asterisk alludes…

By Raul Gomez Modern Man was a gentle soul. If you were down or just wanted a friend, he’d be there for you. I remember the first day I met Modern Man. It was Jeremiah Fuglseth and me. He wanted to write about this legendary…

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 Ellie Liveranieli.liverani.ra@gmail.com I remember when I was young, probably 11 years ago. One morning I was not feeling well because of my period. After I got ready to go to school, I went back to bed and it was hard to get up…

By Alicia Underlee NelsonProtests against President Trump’s policies and the cuts made by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are planned across North Dakota and western Minnesota Friday, April 4 and…

By Vern Thompsonvern.thompson.nd7@gmail.com Our trucking business has me driving almost daily from gas plants in western North Dakota's oil patch to Canada. I haul natural gas liquids (NGLs) products we used to see flared off at…