Meet Our Previous Artists

Linda Johnson: Fused-glass jewelry (Exhibited November 1-February 29, 2016)LindaJohnson
When she isn’t in her garden exploring the birds, bees or whatever else our creator has blessed our brief but wonderful visit with, you can find Linda Johnson in her workshop in Kensington, Minnesota, creating colorful and complex fused glass pieces, designed to celebrate inspired curiosity.

Doug Lien: Watercolors (Exhibited November 1-February 29, 2016)

DougLienOn his second career as an artist, Doug Lien of Sartell does paintings for minor league baseball teams, college football teams, junior hockey leagues and golf courses on a regular basis, as well as private commissions.

Sandy Millerbernd: Spinning, knitting, natural dye, weaving, felting, Version 2anything with fiber 

(Exhibited November 1-February 29, 2016)
From her pampered friends in rural Annandale to you. Crow River Fibers shears, picks, washes, cards, spins and then knits or felts fiber items.

David Glenn: Pottery (Exhibited November 1-February 29, 2016)IMG_3358Functional artwork to be used daily.  Dave Glenn of St. Cloud creates primarily high-fired stoneware decorated with 12th and 15th century Chinese- and Japanese-style glazes.  He also works with pit-firing techniques of Southwest Native Americans and raku firings of Japanese tea ware.  His artwork, he writes, “is influenced by the folk arts and traditions of indigenous cultures, which I was exposed to as I grew up.” In that tradition, he continues, “People who use the artwork know the artists — there is a personal attachment in each piece.”

Gayle Singewald: Handbags (Exhibited November 1-February 29, 2016)GayleSingewald

Barry Opatz: Photography (Exhibited July 1-October 31, 2015)

OpatzArtHe grew up in Little Falls, served in Viet Nam, where he was introduced to 35mm cameras. His boyhood friend Randy Jarvis called about a great photographic opportunity in Spooner, Wisconsin — an old rail yard at different stages of disrepair. Opatz says that “sparked our imaginations for limitless photo opportunities.” The result was a “magical abstract wonderland” that you can see at the Minnesota Street Market gallery. Barry has served as vice president of marketing for Marco since 1987, an experienced technology marketing executive currently focusing on social media and digital marketing.

Chris Gustafson: Welded Steel Sculpture (Exhibited July 1-October 31, 2015)

GustafsonArtHe grew up in a log cabin on a Minnesota lake, surrounded by coniferous trees. He was home schooled by his artist mother until the third grade. He watched his handy-man father build and fix just about everything from their home to any and every vehicle. He was a Legos geek and has been welding since he was eleven years old. After graduating from Bemidji High School, he studied mechanical engineering and art at the University of Minnesota, Duluth. After leaving school he traveled, studied food systems via organic farming and community garden volunteer experience. He currently  lives in Saint Cloud, producing works of art using industrial scrap metal.

Jeff Lee: Paintings (Exhibited July 1-October 31, 2015)
LeeArt
Jeff has done keyboards, harmonica and vocals with “The Receders” and other local bands, including a Bruce Springsteen tribute show last year at Pioneer Place. As a young man, he enjoyed watercolor painting, but became, he says, “distracted” in a good way with “touring, raising a family and working a ‘real’ job.”  Now that he’s an empty nester, he has picked up his brush and paint again!

Katie Ballantine: Ceramics (Exhibited July 1-October 31, 2015)

BallantineArt A resident of Collegeville Township, Katie Ballantine is a locally grown, self-taught design consultant and visual artist: “I grew up with my hands in the dirt: playing, planting, building. Lying on my back studying the trees, the interplay of light, and color, and texture. Every path I have walked in my life has been informed by a reverence for the ground I walk on.” Clay as a medium is relatively new to her: “But the work is the same. Translating feeling into form, relating substance to space. I am drawn to the honesty, the groundedness of clay.”

Justin Anderson: Prints (Exhibited March 1-June 30, 2013).

Justin Anderson is a printmaker, who learned his craft at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. He created Pedal Power Press, a screen printer fastened to the back of a bike. “Greatly inspired by the work of Shepard Fairey [the graphic designer known for his Obama “Hope” poster], punk DIY printers, and politically radical artist-activists, I first experimented with serigraphy (screen printing) at age 13. Discovering the Power of Print, I have been enamored with the medium (and, evidently complex sentences) ever since.”

Sue Beyer: Pottery (Exhibited March 1-June 30, 2014).

“A potter? A ceramicist? I’m attracted to both callings, thus the wide range of work I enjoy doing. Transforming lumps and slabs of clay into vessels or objects for a functional and decorative purpose touches only on the beginning of my daily studio work . From there, I explore the tactile and visual textures of the clay, layering slips and glazes. Finished works are inspired from the surface of the earth’s changing landscapes of texture and color. … I am a ‘form maker’, my inner child playfully creating a visual experience for both the user and myself.”

Mark & Kathryn Bjorke: Stained Glass (Exhibited March 1-June 30, 2013).

The Bjorkes work as a team. Mark worked with stained-glass art for more than 20 years. Kathryn worked in the field of art and graphic design for more than 25 years. Now they have combined their talents to create picture frames, lamps, panels, clocks, garden stones, windows, doors and other decorative items.

Cliff Borgerding: Walking Sticks (Exhibited March 1-June 30, 2014).

Cliff Borgerding grew up on a farm near Freeport and then spent many years as an accountant before turning to wood carving. “I get a sense of personal satisfaction from taking what nature discards and creating something that will live long past its natural life and maybe even beyond my life. My work with walking sticks started in 2004 as a result of my need to increase the amount of exercise I was getting. … I am enjoying spending time in the woods and in my shop working with wood.” His signature design is the Lake Wobegon Trail with mile markers, towns, lakes, rivers and historical information.

Sandy Bot-Miller: Weaving/etching. (Exhibited November 1, 2013-February 28, 2014).

“With a three inch tapestry needle, I weave abstract and semi-realistic artworks and with knitting needles, I etch reflective narrative images onto illustration boards. … When my mother offered me her large collection of metal knitting needles twenty years ago, I accepted— even though I had no idea how I might put them to use. … Using a variety of sizes of knitting needles, I etch my images onto a board, layer oil pastels to the raised surfaces, and then allow the pastels to dry for about three to six months before lightly varnishing them with a matte finish to protect them from the environment. …Many of the figures in my art appear to represent diverse characteristics of the Great Mother, as well as women honoring the human need for connection, acceptance, and integration of what arises from the unconscious.”

Mary Bruno. Prints and cards. (Exhibited March 1-June 30, 2015)

Owner of Bruno Press. “My objectives are to make great letterpress cards, art prints, calendars, and posters. I also enjoy teaching my craft to kids, doing residencies and taking interns from the local colleges.”

Joel Cherrico: Pottery.

A 2010 graduate of the College of St. Benedict/St. John’s University, he studied pottery, sculpture, installation, kiln design, and entrepreneurship. He works as a full-time potter and small business owner in St. Joseph, producing functional pottery “where community members eat and drink from my artwork everyday.”

Donna Fromm: Mixed Media (Exhibited July 1-October 31, 2014).

art1“Years ago when I had just begun playing with watercolor I had a dream. In the dream I heard the phrase, “Follow the Art”. I have continued to paint, finding the very process of doing the art to be a powerful catalyst for my own inner healing.” She uses variety of media, including acrylics, watercolor and other materials to blend colors and texture.

Rachael Gangelhoff & Luke Lein: Hats (Exhibited March 1-June 30, 2014).

Douglas Jenkins: Photography (Exhibited July 1-October 31, 2014).

A resident of Avon, he does a wide range of subjects from the outdoors to auto racing, concerts and sports events.

Samuel Johnson: Pottery (Exhibited March 1-June 30, 2013 and July 1-October 31, 2014).art2

Born in the Red River Valley, he studied painting and ceramics at the University of Minnesota, Morris, served a three and half year apprenticeship in pottery under Richard Bresnahan and currently is an Associate Professor of Art at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University. On making wood-fired jars: “I start by making the bottom half of the jar first, beginning in the middle of the form. I first build a large cone shaped form with coils. Then the profile is shaped and struck with a textured paddle to further refine the profile and make the walls thinner and more dense. I make the bottoms by building a thick disk of clay which is paddled into the correct diameter. The disk drys and is later added to the bottom section of the jar. After drying, the form is flipped and coils are added.”

Courtney & Aryn Kern: Woodwork (Exhibited Winter/Spring 2014).

Combining Courtney’s woodworking skills with Aryn’s artistic eye, the husband and wife team created Longshadow Woodworks on a small farm just north of Little Falls. They combine pieces of wasted wood to make beautiful, handmade, functional art.

Lyle Knopp: Wooden bowls and vases (Exhibited Winter 2014).art3

Lyle Knopp is a visual artist in wood turned on a lathe. “My passion is fueled by the desire to explore the unknown. I use wood direct from the tree. These trees have died, fallen or where removed for various reasons. … They each have their own personality that I need to coax out through form and/or function. I continue to grow in my skills through experience to design a piece that pays tribute to the life of the tree.”

Jill Dubbeldee Kuhn: Painting (Exhibited Winter 2014).art4

A mixed media artist, she blends physical and imagined perspectives within her works of saturated color and unexpected materials. These playful respites inspired by nature hold spaces of location and memory juxtaposed with layers of dwelling, land and wonder.

Caron Lage: Fiber (Exhibited July 1-October 31, 2014).

A resident of St Cloud, Caron has been sewing since childhood. Fanciful wardrobes at first, and now funky quilts. Caron is always searching for a new twist on an old idea. In April 2007 Caron began making one small quilt block for every American soldier who had died in the Iraq war. Each block contained 212 knots or beads or stitches to represent the Iraqis who had perished. Her distinctive fiber art explores color and texture while challenging the boundaries of traditional quiltmaking.

Brady McLearen: Clay Sculpture. (Exhibited November 1, 2013-February 28, 2014).

A clay and sculpture artist art5currently working at JD Jorgenson Pottery in St. Joseph, through the Wood Firing Exchange Program. In 2011, Brady received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Minnesota. “When the clay is leather-hard, I begin to trim, alter, cut and assemble the parts in different ways. The final outcome of the pieces is sometimes predetermined, but this approach to work can lead to new discoveries and unforeseen assemblages. My creative interest is to constantly question why things look they way they do instead of just understanding.”

Jerry Olson-McCoy. Weaving. (Exhibited March 1-June 30, 2015)

“After dabbling in many different mediums, weaving seemed to be my forte. … I experiment with different techniques, working mostly with fibers, because of the feel, drape, textures and colors — many times adding miscellaneous things for interest.”

Victor Medina: Photography (Exhibited March 1-June 30, 2014).art6

A resident of Cold Spring, Victor is a 1989 veterinary graduate of the University of Mexico. He completed a residency in equine reproduction at UC Davis. He specializes in equine photography.

Rachel Melis. Pastels. (Exhibited March 1-June 30, 2016)

MelisArtAn Associate Professor of Book Arts and Foundations at the College of Saint Benedict/Saint John’s University, Rachel Melis creates fine press and one-of-a-kind artist’s books, children’s books, prints, drawings, and installations. On a hiatus from teaching, she started taking photos of her daughter, Elsa, which led to drawing pastels of small gestures. Since then, she writes, “I have begun to use my photos and sketches as source material for a children’s book about how children move, construct metaphors and begin to communicate.”

Anne Meyer: Pottery (Exhibited March 1-June 30, 2013).

art7Raised on the Meyer farm south of St Joseph, Anne Meyer uses the barn as her studio, digs her own clay for her pottery, makes her own glazes from ash and other natural materials. Meyer apprenticed under master potter Richard Bresnahan at St. John’s Pottery and now splits her time between throwing ceramic artworks and teaching the art of ceramics. “I am an artist who has worked in several mediums and has been focused on art-making since I could talk. My pieces are the physical evidence left by an on-going inquiry into who I am and my relationship to the world, and they allow me to see change in myself. “

Sandy Millerbernd: Fiber art (Exhibited Winter 2014).

Spinning, knitting, natural dye, weaving, felting, anything with fiber.

Chuck Norwood: Nature photography (Exhibited Winter 2013).

Currently technical director at Paramount Theater in St. Cloud, he began photographing in 1983 and is self-taught. “I am a nature buff…my photography is mainly tightly focused to macro landscapes. In that genre I break my focus down to five areas…water ‘n rock, foliage/floral, clouds, winter, and still-life. … I love to take the time to explore what might be otherwise and usually overlooked My love of nature photography is twofold…the act and result of photography (of course) and that I get out into nature.”

Tony & Pat Peroutky: Photography (Exhibited Winter 2014).

Residents of Two Rivers lake by St. Anna, they photograph birds during migration and other wildlife.

Joe Singewald: Pottery (Exhibited Winter 2014).

A technician manager in the CSB/SJU art art8department, his love of pottery began in 1995 after enrolling in a ceramics class. His work is composed of thrown and hand built forms, with a majority of his utilitarian pottery wood-fired for 72 hours in the Sister Dennis Kiln located on the CSB campus.

Amy Skeate-Carlson: Etched copper jewelry (Exhibited Winter 2014).

Lynn & Wendy Sterba: Paintings (Exhibited July 1-October 31, 2011).art9

Mother/daughter artists. Lynn Sterba is a professional artist, who spends part of her summers every year in Minnesota painting and drawing. She began working with oils during the second world war and now in her mid-eighties, she is still painting. She says, “I have always loved color and the effect of light on everything. As I have aged my interests have expanded to fill me with an appreciation for line and the contrasts of shapes and their relationships to one another. Just about all aspects of painting fascinate me and thrill me, I can truthfully say that art and all of its elements thrill me.” Wendy art10Sterba, a photographer and painter, is enamored with intense color and focuses on the abstract possibilities of photography and on the political and theoretical possibilities of painting and drawing. She indicates, “Often we see what is not there or miss the obvious and art can sometimes help us reconcile this paradox.”

Ben Suga: Pottery (Exhibited November 1, 2011-February 28, 2012).

Suga gathers raw materials from construction sites and other places and transforms them with high temperature kiln firing. Suga’s method “freezes” his materials in mid-alteration, rendering rock solid sculptures that appear liquid — material tributes to mutability. He taught English in Japan, bartered English lessons for tutelage under ceramic master Taki Nakazato, then came to Minnesota for further training under former Nakazato apprentice Richard Bresnahan.

Lou Tollefson. Paintings. (Exhibited March 1-June 30, 2015).art11

Lou received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Minnesota, Duluth, in Women’s Studies and Art in 2011. She currently resides in Saint Cloud, where she “spends many hours painting with zest, cat at her side.”

Patrick Trenam: Acrylic paintings (Exhibited March 1-June 30, 2013).

He has been drawing his entire life but began doing abstract paintings in 2005.

Barbara Troje: Candles (Exhibited November 1, 2013-February 28, 2014).

A bee-lover, Troje uses leftover products from her 1,200 bee hives to create beeswax candles, Troje and her husband sell honey from the hives throughout the country, then Troje collects wax left over from the extraction process, places it places into her homemade latex or metal molds to create candles.

Katie Webster. Ceramics. (Exhibited March 1-June 30, 2015 and November 1, 2013-February 28, 2014)

art12“Organic lines, shapes and textures…reflect my love of nature, art nouveau and the continual sources of inspiration I observe on a daily basis.”

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