TO MAKE A PRAIRIE works by Susan Brekke

Exhibiting through April 29, 2023

I create what is important to me. Paint and clay help me express the joy I feel when I see the first flowers of spring blooming. I infuse my paintings and hand-built ceramics with emotion, so it is more than just a colorful canvas or a bright bowl. I want my artwork to be a testament to the best, most beautiful things this world has to offer. Through my paintings, I bring the outside in. I strive to create an immersive, emotional experience. Real life has texture and dimension and emotion! I paint on large canvases to suggest the immersive, emotional experience you feel when squinting at an electric sunset or opening the curtains on a gentle snowfall. When painting, I work with acrylics. I use wet wipes, q-tips, and a palette knife to capture movement and life; sometimes I use my fingers and hands, too! Although an added dimension, my approach to ceramics is identical to that of painting. I do hand-built ceramics that are expressive and colorful.

Gallery admission is free and open to all:

Monday –Friday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm and Saturdays from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm

LET IT BEE works by Mitch Melberg (photography) and Vickie Arndt (Encustic)

Exhibits: May 4 – June 17, 2023

Let it Bee is about storytelling. The bee is the main character. The plot tells of bees’ work and the products they produce. Artist Mitch Melberg uses his photography to show the daily life of honey bees as they gather pollen and nectar and take care of the queen and their hive.

Artist Vickie Arndt is an encaustic artist who uses the bees’ wax as a conduit to tell her abstracted tales and allegories. Together they illustrate the stories of bees and their importance in our world.

Mitch Melberg and his bees live and work in Williston, ND. Arndt supports the bee keepers in Eastern North Dakota with her extensive use of pure and natural bees’ wax for her paintings. Arndt is returning to Grand Forks after an extensive art career in New York.

Join Us As We Open A New Exhibit In Style

Perfectly Paired is a wonderful fine arts experience coupling wine, cheese and assorted accurtraments with the opening of our newest exhibit Let it Bee featuring the works of Mitch Melberg and Vickie Arndt.

Thursday, May 4 starting at 7:00 pm • $40 per person

Call the office at 701-251-2496 to make your reservations or visit www.jamestownarts.com to reserve your tickets online.

“In truth, we owe this entire experience to the Arts Center. The Arts Center is the reason we met, and it provided the time, creative space, encouragement, and inspiration to try artistic mediums and methods we had not explored. We are still getting together to paint when we can, and hoping to make music again this summer… “

Linda and Dustin created a friendship and artist collaboration because of Linda’s Tinder bio. It read “Bass player looking to jam outlaw country and cow punk; not here for love.” Dustin found his best friend in the most unlikely place. He is a musician with a self-proclaimed eclectic taste that makes it tough to find friends to jam, especially in a small town, but according to Dustin, Linda’s Tinder bio had everything he was looking for. Linda was a bit nervous about meeting Dustin for the first time, so with some persistence and time Dustin finally convinced Linda to meet. That afternoon they painted, told stories and played instruments. They found they each needed something from the other person. For Linda it was someone to teach her about music, for Dustin (with Linda’s persistence) it was visual art. In February of 2020 they formed a street punk band, Corporate Victims. With the formation of this band they produced and recorded their EP, Covic 19. During that time Dustin and Linda worked on not only their music but continued sculpting, painting with acrylics and spray paint. Linda stated, “In the few years that we’ve been friends, I’ve watched him (Dustin) blossom as an artist, and he’s helped me accomplish things musically that didn’t seem possible just a few short years ago.” Dustin stated that “with every stroke of the brush, our friendship is a canvas that is constantly changing and I hope it never gets finished!” With their shared love of music and visual art, an impressive body of collaborative and individual work began to take shape, and they thank the Arts Center for giving them an opportunity to display these pieces.

Come say “good-bye” and/or “thank you” to our resident artist of 5 years, Linda Roesch Thursday, July 20 at 5:30 pm. We will be having a closing reception and Thank you/Good-Bye Party for Linda in the Arts Park as the opener for the Stick Ponies at the Downtown Arts Market.