Arts

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...


Balkowitsch’s “immortal impressions” in glass and silver

November 18th, 2015

Shane Balkowitsch is a photographer based out of Bismarck, N.D., though he is no ordinary photographer. He is a wet plate artist meaning his photo process dates back to the mid-1800s. In fact he is the only wet plate artist in the state. His work has appeared in numerous publications, and he does demonstrations statewide, thanks to a portable darkroom.

HPR: You are a self-taught ambrotypist. What sparked the passion? Was there one image that started it all?

Shane Balkowitsch: I never had…

Read more...


Multi-dimensional talent celebrated in Newvember

November 5th, 2015

Ecce presents fourth annual group show

In its fourth year, ecce’s annual group show, Newvember, has gathered an impressive collection of artists and a formidable reputation. By presenting such a variety of talents and media, the show becomes an homage to the capability of artists in this region.

Opening on Friday, from 6-9 p.m., the public is welcome to view the newest work from ecce regulars such as Cole LaRocque, Mike Marth, Bob Crowe, Meghan Duda and others – as well as new…

Read more...


Getting hyped for the Clean Skate Project at The Hawk’s Nest

November 4th, 2015

The Hawk’s Nest is a skateboard coop housed in a north Fargo warehouse. Not only does it serve as a private skate park founded and built by skaters for skaters, but it has also been known to host live music and art shows.

This Saturday, The Hawk’s Nest will transform its skate park into an art gallery with the Clean Skate Project, which will feature the work of over 25 local and national artists.

The artists were each presented with two white pre-skated decks to transform any way…

Read more...


Unearthing the “Sodbuster”

October 30th, 2015

Plains Art Museum to give press conference on iconic sculpture’s restoration

For over 20 years “Sodbuster, San Isidro,” the striking, boldly powerful sculpture of a homesteader plowing with a team of bulls, could be seen hard at work tilling the intersection of Main and Broadway in downtown Fargo. Unfortunately, due to years of deterioration caused by severe North Dakota winters and an unfortunate lack of care, the once-proud art piece was placed into storage, in the hopes that it…

Read more...


Tracker Pixel for Entry Bismarck1 Tracker Pixel for Entry Blackbird Tracker Pixel for Entry 7clans Tracker Pixel for Entry 7Clans Tracker Pixel for Entry spirit Tracker Pixel for Entry Blackbird

Recently in:

By Winona LaDukewinona@winonaladuke.com The business of Indian Hating is a lucrative one. It’s historically been designed to dehumanize Native people so that it’s easier to take their land. ‘Kill the Indian, save the man,”…

By Winona LaDukewinona@winonaladuke.comThere’s not really a word for reconciliation, it's said in our language. There’s a word for making it right. To talk about reconciliation in terms of the relationship between Indigenous…

Thursday, December 5, 7-11:30 p.m.The Aquarium above Dempsey’s, 226 Broadway N., FargoLegendary post hardcore band Quicksand plays Fargo, with fellow New Yorkers Pilot to Gunner and local heroes Baltic to Boardwalk and Hevvy…

By Jim Fugliejimfuglie920@gmail.com Okay, so last month I promised you a woman President of the United States. So much for my predictability quotient. Lesson 1: Never promise something you can’t control. And nobody, not even…

By Ed Raymondfargogadfly@gmail.comWith What is Happening in the World, Why not Artificial Intelligence? Since Lucy fell out of a tree and walked about four million years ago, she has been evolving to humans we call Homo sapiens. We…

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 In this land of hotdish and ham, the knoephla soup of German-Russian heritage seems to reign supreme. In my opinion though, the French have the superior soup. With a cheesy top layer, toasted baguette…

By John Showalterjohn.d.showalter@gmail.com Local band Zero Place has been making quite a name for itself locally and regionally in the last few years. Despite getting its start during a time it seemed the whole world was coming to…

By Greg Carlsongregcarlson1@gmail.com Writer-director Nicole Riegel’s sophomore feature “Dandelion” is now playing in theaters following a world premiere at South by Southwest in March. The movie stars KiKi Layne as the…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comIn 1974, the Jamestown Arts Center started as a small space above a downtown drugstore. It has grown to host multiple classrooms, a gallery, performance studio, ceramic studio and outdoor art park.…

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.…

Rynn WillgohsJanuary 25, 1972-October 8, 2024 Rynn Azerial Willgohs, age 52, of Vantaa, Finland, died by suicide on October 8, 2024. Rynn became her true-self March 31, 2020. She immediately became a vocal and involved activist…

By Faye Seidlerfayeseidler@gmail.com My name is Faye Seidler and I’m a suicide prevention advocate and a champion of hope. I think it is fair to say that we’ve been living through difficult times and it may be especially…