Arts

“Surrealism permeates--there’s a legacy there with contemporary art where they’re still trying to capture or convey something that can’t quite be fully understood without the existence of that thing that you can’t fully describe with words so I would say Surrealism still permeates our current artmaking climate today.” Says Plains Art Museum Executive Director Andy Maus, “That legacy belongs to Dali and company. It permeates street art, and pop art in some ways, not pop art…

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by Kris Gruber
perriex1@gmail.com

Pablo Picasso said, "Every now and then one paints a picture that seems to have opened a door and serves as a stepping stone to other things."

Miroslav Tichy said "Photography is painting with light." The connection between painting and photography will be explored in "Interface," a student exhibition at NDSU's Memorial Union Gallery.

With more than 400 pieces of 20th and 21st century American art, including names like Andy Warhol, Judy Chicago, Pablo…

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By Kris Gruber
perriex1@gmail.com

Founded in 1991, Springboard for the Arts’ mission is “to cultivate vibrant communities by connecting artists with the skills, information, and services they need to make a living and a life.” With offices in both Fergus Falls and Saint Paul, the nonprofit organization provides numerous resources for artists, including workshops, career consultations, and even healthcare insurance.

Since the spring of 2015, “Hinge Arts” in Fergus Falls,…

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Earlier this autumn, the Hjemkomst Center began an exhibition which is currently on display called “SuperMonsterCity! - A Celebration of Monsters, Superheroes, and Villains."  It contains a selection of almost 200,000 films, toys, posters, and games that were collected by co-founder David Barnhill and curated by co-founder Stephen Yogi Rueff of SuperMonsterCity. The exhibition pays homage to the long and rich history of American pop culture, with a special focus on the monsters,…

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By Jill Finkelson
jsfinkelson99@gmail.com

For the fourth year now, “Exposure” will showcase the work of area photographers. The yearly celebration of photography runs through the month of November. Put together by our own J. Earl Miller, photographer, and enthusiast, he opens the show to all, young, old, professional, and amateur. 

There are over 30 photographers showing work at The Toasted Frog, Bernbaum’s, the HoDo, Blackbird Woodfire and Fargo Photoworks. Though the group party is…

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Each October a number of drawing challenges appear across social media. Think 31 drawings in 31 days. The original Inktober challenge was started in 2009 by artist Jake Parker to boost his drawing and inking skills. Since then multiple drawing challenges have popped up and countless artists around the globe have joined the call to action through facebook and instagram united by the hashtag #inktober. We had a chance to check in with three local artists who accepted the challenge and …

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By Jill Finkelson
jsfinkelson99@gmail.com

From October 4 to November 3, the Rourke Museum’s upstairs gallery becomes the Art Ghoullery: Black Cats and Vampire Bats. It’s the perfect backdrop for a masquerade party. Costumes are encouraged but not required for this fun event at the beautiful Moorhead museum. The collection features creepy cats, halloween masks, whimsical witches and more. The artists are competing for “Best in Show” and “Audience Choice” to be given away on…

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By Lonna Whiting
lonna@lonna.co

Not long ago at a North Dakota nursing home located in Nelson County, a storyteller from The North Dakota Council on the Arts helped an elderly woman express in writing an important milestone from her long life as part of the Art For Life program.

In the story, the elderly woman described details about leaving the family farm to her adult son.

A few days later, the son came for a visit just when the facility’s activities coordinator planned to read the…

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Shared passions can lead to lifelong partnerships, and that is certainly the case for Cameron Peterson and Annette “Nettie” DuBord. The two are not only husband and wife as well as MSUM alumni, but each are talented and successful printmakers in their own right, whether working together or striking out on their own. DuBord’s most recent undertaking is the art show “It’s Always Something”, currently on display at the Rourke Art Gallery and Museum until October 13, where…

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By Kim Jondahl

Sometimes the curious, behind-the-scenes stories of museum artifacts are as intriguing as the actual pieces. In the little-known story of a painting of Hunkpapa Lakota leader Sitting Bull hanging in the State Museum, the art, the subject, and the artist all share remarkable roles.

I’ve walked past this 1890 oil painting of Sitting Bull, or Tatanka Iyotanke, hundreds of times during my museum career. I’ve squinted behind the glass case at the amateur painting and the…

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