Tracker Pixel for Entry

It’s the Time of the Season for Art Appreciation

Arts | September 25th, 2019

Design by Raul Gomez

By Kristin Gruber
perriex1@gmail.com 

"Art is a nation's most precious heritage. For it is in our works of art that we reveal to ourselves and to others the inner vision which guides us as a nation." - Lyndon Johnson

It's only a matter of time before Fargo-Moorhead lands on the "Best Cities for Arts and Culture" lists, and the annual Studio Crawl, now in its 16th year, is part of the reason.

Growing every year, the Studio Crawl reaches north, to Hillsboro, and south to Christine. It exists in home studios, farmsteads, businesses, galleries and campuses. The artists themselves are full-time teachers, authors, graphic designers, sculptures, woodcarvers, printmakers, painters photographers and business owners. It melds creator and enthusiast. Appreciation goes both ways, as participants are welcomed (sometimes with refreshments) into the sacred spaces where art goes from conception to completion.

This free event is hosted by the Fargo-Moorhead Visual Artists. Freelance glassblower Jon Offutt, also on the Studio Crawl at 4824 12th St. S Fargo, has been director for the last 14 years. There is pride in Jon's voice while he talks about the talented artists and the event itself. He told High Plains Reader that every year there are some new artists, and some on sabbatical. "Once you are in, you are in, until you choose to take a year off." He discussed how the number of artists has gone from 28 to 41 (and some galleries), and the brochure, from 24 pages to 32. He said they try to keep within a 30-mile radius of the F-M area, to keep the focus local. He stated that the artists here contribute significantly to the economic health of the area. Jon says, "My great claim to fame is that I get three dozen artists to clean their studios every year."

The High Plains Reader also spoke to award-winning, self-taught, mixed-media artist and teacher Emily Williams-Wheeler about her work, and involvement with the Studio Crawl.

HPR:When did your involvement begin with the Studio Crawl? How have you seen it evolve over the years?

Emily Williams-Wheeler: Hmmm, I cannot remember when I first started. This might be my 7th or 8th year. The crawl hasn't evolved as much as I have. I started out hosting the crawl in my home studio where hundreds of people would tour the first floor of my home as a gallery and then down to the basement for my studio tour and demonstrations. My home is 109 years old and it is an interesting place to visit, so it was a good draw. Now I have a studio outside the home which is much larger and better for showing work and handling the foot traffic.

HPR: How do you describe your work to people?

EWW: People often describe my art as whimsical. I used to think the word whimsey was somewhat embarrassing and would be used to describe art with baby deer and fairies. Over the years, I have embraced it because it really does describe my work. I love bold colors, motion, texture, linework, and humor. No baby deer or fairies, just fun.

HPR: Your "Artist Statement" on your website mentions that you use "mark making" in the development of your pieces. Can you talk about that?

EWW: Mark making is a current term describing the use of lines created by various media such as graphite, colored pencils, markers, paints, charcoal, etc. I especially like using it because I think it reflects some of my thought process while creating the work of art. I want the viewer to know about the development and the journey as much as possible.

HPR: You use many mediums in your work. Do you have a favorite? Why?

EWW: My "go-to" media is always acrylic and graphite. I always enjoy working with that combination. It's so natural and easy for me to do so since I have been working with them the longest. My newest medium is clay. I am sensing that I have been a 3-D artist all along. I have been doing wire and paper sculptures for a few years and am taking those ideas to clay now.

HPR: You recently completed a tour with a traveling exhibit. Can you explain a little about what goes into that?

EWW: The traveling exhibit I recently completed was for the North Dakota Art Gallery Association. It was for the whole year of 2018. It took me almost a year prior to that to create nearly 50 works of art, while making art for other exhibits and shows. My show was called, Lint in My Pocket," and was an abstract expressionism show using encaustic- a 2,500-3,000-year-old process of using pigmented molten beeswax and natural resin and a torch to create paintings that can endure moisture, mold, mildew, and insects (unlike traditional methods). It doesn't fade or flake as traditional paints can and it can be sculpted, layered, and carved. The best thing about the tour is that it educated people not only on the style of the artwork, but also on the method and materials used. While my art is modern, the method is historic and ancient.

HPR: What is your favorite part of being featured on the Studio Crawl?

EWW: My favorite part of the Crawl is being able to meet my patrons and to demonstrate while talking with them. They come to see how I create my work and to meet me. Once I explain what is going on in a painting, how it's made, or tell them the titles (they are humorous), that usually leads to a sale. This year will be very different as I will be selling ceramic objects and ornaments. Get them while they're hot!

Emily can be found on the Studio Crawl at 215 10th St North, Moorhead.

A full, easy-to-use, interactive map is available online at ArtMoi -- artmoi.com/fmva.

IF YOU GO:

FMVA Studio Crawl

October 5-6

Sat. 12noon - Sun. 6 p.m.

Free and Open to Public

Recently in:

By Maddie Robinson  maddierobi.mr@gmail.comIn order to get affordable child care for her son, Paulina Erbele has to drive from her work in Gackle,…

By John Showalter  john.d.showalter@gmail.comphoto by Logan MacraeAnyone who lives in the Fargo-Moorhead area knows that its yearly weather is a sequence of…

Every day in December 2023, 12 noon to 3pmMille Lacs Lake, Garrison Township, Minn.All fish must be caught by hook and line. No spears will be allowed. All fish entered must be brought to the judges stand immediately and be alive.…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comRemember the legacy of the NPL.Last Saturday I had the opportunity to attend the annual meeting and dinner hosted by the Dakota Resource Council in Bismarck. I came in feeling a little defeated,…

By Ed Raymondfargogadfly@gmail.comHow Many of Napoleon’s Hats Will Save Planet Earth for Homo Sapiens?Before I get into this week’s subject of why we need to double the number of college majors in English and Humanities if we…

We are looking for 55-gallon plastic food grade barrels, do you have ideas or connections?We use these barrels to teach our resilient yard workshop series including Make Your Own Rain Barrel and Make Your Own Compost Tumbler. If…

By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.comThe temperatures have dropped and so have the leaves in the Upper Midwest. That means it's now the holiday season. Part of the joy of this special season for me is eating. But first things first.…

Dropkick Murphys Put Music to the Words of Woody GuthrieBy Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comPhoto by Dave StaubleWith the release of 2022’s “This Machine Still Kills Fascists” and 2023’s “Okemah Rising.” The Dropkick…

By Greg Carlsongregcarlson1@gmail.com“Saltburn,” the highly anticipated follow-up to “Promising Young Woman” – which earned Oscar gold for Best Original Screenplay – doesn’t quite equal the bite and sting of…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comA trio of Burleigh County artists are making their mark in Wing, North Dakota, to promote local foods and are quite literally painting the town, or at least the newly acquired Wing City Government…

By Eric Dallmanericd@hpr1.comWe recently watched “The PROM” at Chanhassen Dinner Theatre, and it was an experience that left a lasting impact on us. The story, a heartwarming yet familiar one, follows a group of Broadway stars…

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 John Showalter  john.d.showalter@gmail.comThey sell fentanyl test strips and kits to harm-reduction organizations and…

JANUARY 19, 1967– MARCH 8, 2023 Brittney Leigh Goodman, 56, of Fargo, N.D., passed away unexpectedly at her home on March 8, 2023. Brittney was born January 19, 1967, to Ruth Wilson Pollock and Donald Ray Goodman, in Hardinsburg,…

By Faye Seidlerfayeseidler@gmail.com On the first day of the month I ask people to thank a journalist they know or someone who contributes to papers in some meaningful way. When I grew up, my best friend's father was a journalist…