Past Galleries Exhibitions

Saturday, January 7, 3:00 p.m.
Riverview Gallery
Free and open to the public

River Maria Urke uses the symbiotic relationship of poetry and art to create a deeper understanding of the work in her exhibit, “Songs along the River.” Come listen to her perform her poetry in the Riverview Gallery, surrounded by her work on the last Saturday of the show. Opportunity for Q & A will precede the poetry reading.

Urke’s visual art and poetry are heavily influenced by her battle with multiple sclerosis and her Ojibwe heritage. In 2022, she became a Poet of Place for the lower St. Croix Valley and she is the author of three poetry chapbooks, Songs of Silence, Stumbled & Standing, and when spirits touch. Urke is a contributor to six anthologies including the 2017 Yellow Medicine Review, and she hosts a monthly online literary event, Close Up: Meet the Poet Behind the Verse.

“I am inspired by circus posters, scientific illustrations, occult diagrams and a longstanding interest in history and anthropology … I investigate how the human brain processes information imbued with an awareness of the incomprehensible beauty of Nature as both reference and inspiration. Through manipulating recognizable images, my intention is a walk toward a moment of disorienting awe.”

– C.B. Murphy

(Marine on St. Croix, Minn.)

“My work is very much about living in the fertile farm country of Southwest Minnesota … My images come from the gray steel grain bins, elevators, wind turbines, round bales, roads and rows of crops in all stages of development and rest that surround me every day ... Painting and drawing are how I explore, reflect and interpret the landscape that I live in and that lives within me.”

– David Strom (Windom, Minn.

“I explore urban landscapes and the energy they create. I’m interested in how that energy is visualized. Cities can be chaotic experiences and the challenge is to produce an equivalent feeling. Fracturing the subject matter creates the visual energy and adds the necessary chaos … The grids and fractures also provide a wonderful opportunity to explore various treatments of edges, one of my favorite painting endeavors.”

– Don Dickinson (St. Paul, Minn.)

“Nature with an abundance of sensuous curves and organic intensity. Music with emotional impact from sound to soul. Colors, especially the unstable ones, that change with darkness and light.”

– Steve King (Hudson, Wis.)

“The work currently in my studio are reflections on death, grief, loss and how community and relationships can suture the edges of those experiences … When a life is lost, is the relationship you had with them lost as well? Why do we as a society often look at death as a loss, rather than a celebration of a life well lived?”

– Rachel Bruya (St. Paul, Minn.)

“Images and ideas pop into my mind then pound to get out, driving me to create … Sometimes my ideas come from those occasional prompts for pen and paper and rare moments captured with lens in hand. However the idea is born, I have always expressed myself in a multitude of ways. My poetic writings and artistic touches reflect the priorities I live by where imperfection is valued, nature is appreciated, and knowledge is gold.”

– River Maria Urke (River Falls, Wis.)

September 9 - October 23

Breath of Words

Reception: Saturday, September 17, 6:30 – 9 p.m.

Breath of Words is a multi-faceted exploration of the question, “How can words and language bring power and depth to image?” The artwork in the exhibit moves beyond conventional pairings of text and illustration and features artists who create encounters of words and image that turn their work into neither text nor image, but fresh composites that churn up something new.

“Our show focuses on women artists, whose voices have often been marginalized. We speak from lives in multiple worlds and invent fresh ways to speak through our art. We reach for the power of words, letting our art, as well as ourselves, be truly seen as well as heard,” expresses exhibiting artist Susan Armington who worked with fellow artist Hend Al-Mansour to organize the show.

The overarching aim of Breath of Words is for women artists to innovate and provoke new approaches to telling their stories through art. They ask themselves, what are the issues that haunt and concern us and how can we use words and texts expressively to activate thought and feeling in our work?

Exhibiting Artists are Hend Al-Mansour, Susan Armington, Robyn Awend, Rani Halpern, Nina Ghanbarzadeh, Fawzia Khan and Anna Metcalfe.

Now through August 28.

The Phipps celebrates the creativity throughout our community with this annual galleries exhibition of work in any and all media. All members of The Phipps were invited to submit up to two original works of art for this show and all entries are on display.

“My work explores the relationships that are chosen, even the ones that are peripheral but affect us nonetheless … The combination of clay and metal highlights the fragility within these connections to one another and between larger communities. The organic colors and materials come from my wandering and adventures outside. The organic shapes are inspired by the cycle of communities that make up our environment.” – Mary Beth Magyar (Rochester, Minn.)

“I come from a long line of women who have used fabric to clothe their families, warm their beds, and express themselves. The narrative that unifies my work is the connection between my lived experience and the effect that we as humans have on the world.” – Nancy Condon (Stillwater, Minn.)

“I explore themes of the human condition, specifically our psychological relationship to accumulation. My artistic process combines multiple parts, pieces, and fragments into sculptural forms … the sculptural accumulations I create exist as abstract notions of the confluence of memory, geography, and society.” – Nicolas Darcourt (Minnetonka, Minn.)

“My passion is to explore the wonderful world of birds and create them into three dimensional art forms with papier mache and individually cut feathers from watercolor paper. I love how magically each bird comes to life. I can’t help but think of their livelihood and how vitally important it is to work with conservation groups in making the population of our wildlife a safe environment for them to survive and flourish.” – Barb Björnson (New Brighton, Minn.)

“Our lives are made up of stories. Some are easy to share, while others run too deep for a simple telling, but all of them are worthy of artistic expression. I tell my stories with words, images, and thread, often incorporating my handmade and marbled paper. The words and images are of the things I treasure most. Words have the power to draw people in asking for their full attention.” – Lin Lacy (Mendota Heights, Minn.)

“I am interested in how the world around us is dramatically changing and how each of us has the ability to be present during the chaos to quietly notice the shifts in our local environments and communities – the spaces we spend the most amount of time in. By grounding ourselves in these places, we can begin to build a foundation for the future, predicated on resilience and sustainability, rather than despair, reaction, or indifference.” – Alex M. Petersen (River Falls, Wisc.)

“While I paint, I am sorely aware of the transience of nature’s phenomena: changing light, flowing water, melting ice, and fleeting time. This is reflected in my “mark making” — thick gestural strokes as well as less defined thinner passages.”
– Greg Lecker (Minneapolis, Minn.)

“I am not a Polemic. I do not make pictures to promote causes, or debate points of view. While I am in the fine art process, I am simply making pictures, hopefully pictures I haven’t seen before. One mark follows the next, and often a theme reveals itself. Maybe it’s less like a theme and more like a hook, something for viewers to hang their hats on.”
– Marty Harris (St. Paul, Minn.)

“We seek to question the influence of our ancient and prehistoric predecessors on our modern behaviors. We strive to develop connections between our past and present, and how this routinely gives us more insight into how we haven’t changed rather than the opposite.

“Human history shows us that we have always felt satisfaction in completing rituals. Through our work we seek to expose how technology has simultaneously eroded and encouraged this behavior, and the correlation or causation it has to the treatment of space and objects.”
– AJ Meadows and Elizabeth West (St. Croix Falls, Wis.)

“My art, like that of many artists, is inspired by light. When reflected off a surface, we perceive it as values (light to dark) and as an infinite array of color variations. It also defines shapes, lines and more. My art is my personal, creative, response to the light I see.”
– Kay Raabe (St. Paul, Minn.)

“My practice explores the role of art-making as a meditative tool for emotional processing. The act of object making supplies a cathartic function; through the use of hand tools and repetitive actions, I am able to express sentiment. As a result, my work serves as a visual diary, telling secrets between my inner thoughts and the objects produced from my hands.”
– Teresa Audet (Minneapolis, Minn.)

Awakening: Inspired by Interconnections

Artists from the 2021-2022 "What we Need is Here" Seminar Series

This exhibition explores the close relationship between humans and the natural world and suggests a new understanding of their interdependence. It features new work by artists who participated in the What We Need is Here 2021-2022 seminar series, exploring the role of art and sustainability to create thriving communities. It reflects their shared experiences during monthly meetings at The Phipps and at off-site locations, as well as a two-day summer retreat in the Namekagon Barrens Wildlife Area. The theme for the series was “symbiosis”, defined as “a close, prolonged association between two or more different organisms or different species that benefit each member.”

The meetings included:
• a session led by member artists Gloria Adrian and Jan Hayman to understand the complex and emerging concept of the “Symbiocene”, a new era in which the interdependence of humans and the natural world is celebrated and prioritized;
• a workshop with River Falls poet Thomas R. Smith on the relationship between poetry and nature;
• a forest bathing workshop at Willow River State Park led by Twin Cities artist Annie Hejny;
• a presentation by Duluth-based artist Moira Villiard on her exhibit at The Phipps, “Doublethink: The Rights of the Child”;
• a critical response session facilitated by member artist Jill Waterhouse and focused on the work in progress for this exhibit;
• and a workshop organized by member artists Gloria Adrian and Teri Power, using natural materials gathered during the retreat at the Barrens.

“Awakening” includes the group project inspired by the Barrens and participating artists’ individual responses to their experiences throughout the seminar meetings. Through these experiences, the artists have begun to understand more deeply the significance of the interdependence of species throughout the natural world, even those we cannot see and which may be deep underground.

Participating artists are Gloria Adrian, Barb Bend, Vicki Ehlers, Jeanne Friedell, Stephen J. Gates, Deanna Grigus, Theresa Harsma, Jan Hayman, Janet Houck, Patty Kuebker Johnson, Cheryl Maplethorpe, Lynn Pagliarini, Bonnie Ploger, Teri Power, Nan Riegel, Sue Rowe, Theresa Schousek, Judy Smith, Krista Spieler, Laura Tiede, Jill Waterhouse, and Linda Webster.

Now through August 12

In celebration of the Neotropical migratory birds that spend their summers in the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway and other national parks in the Upper Midwest after flying north from their winter homes in central and South America, including in the national parks on the Osa Peninsula of Costa Rica, the Atrium Gallery will be transformed into a tropical rain forest using fleece, paper, cardboard, paint and recycled materials. Artist Lana Sjoberg will work with students from Willow River Elementary School to create this environment, which will open on Earth Day, symbolically awaiting the birds at the end of their long journey.

Birds made by the 4th grade students at Willow River Elementary will arrive to populate the rainforest environment in time for the gallery reception. This free event on Friday, May 13, will kick-off Tropical Wings Bird Migration Celebration and feature Meet & Greets with a live Red-tailed Hawk and Barred Owl from Carpenter Nature Center, displays from local organizations who received grants from Tropical Wings to improve habitat for the migratory birds, resources to learn what you can do to help the Neotropical migratory birds, and materials to make your own animals to add to the Atrium Gallery rainforest.

This project is a partnership with Tropical Wings, a non-profit volunteer organization whose mission is to support the Sister Parks Agreement between the National Park Service in the Upper Midwest and national parks on the Osa Peninsula of Costa Rica (SINAC/ACOSA) by promoting an awareness of Neotropical migratory birds and supporting habitat conservation through building relationships within and between communities at both ends of the migration.

ANNUAL AREA HIGH SCHOOL ART EXHIBITION

Now through May 15

Closing reception:
Sunday, May 15, 1:30 – 3 p.m., with awards presentation at 2 p.m.

Original artwork by high school age students from throughout the region fill the galleries for this annual Spring show. Students are invited to submit one unique artwork in any media and all submissions that meet the guidelines and are delivered prior to the deadline are included. Art teachers whose students participate in the exhibit are invited to submit an original work of their own for display simultaneously in the Riverview Gallery.

In conjunction with this, The Phipps is pleased to offer the MaryLu Brown Scholarship for the Arts. This $2,000 scholarship will be awarded to one graduating senior who will be majoring in art in the Fall of 2022. Winkie and Bill Coyne make this annual scholarship in memory of MaryLu Brown, whose life and love of art inspired many.

“Little Plum Pottery represents the combined efforts of husband/wife team Art Gannett and Barbara Andersen. Art is the potter, and Barbara does the glaze work. Art’s approach to form is purely classical: clean, simple lines creating a geometric form which has its own internal sense to it. Barbara’s glazing is…sprayed, with different glazes layered one over another to create a unique effect. Then the wood fire adds its own unique element to the outcome, producing variations which cannot be planned or controlled.” – Art Gannett and Barbara Andersen (Pepin, Wisc.)

“Doublethink: Rights of the Child” by Moira Villiard

This exhibit of surrealist acrylic and water-soluble oil paintings, and digitally designed posters by Duluth-based artist Moira Villiard sheds light on the contradictory beliefs and behaviors towards children’s rights in the U.S. Each piece calls attention to the paradoxes in children’s rights advocacy through cognitive dissonance or “doublethink,” meaning the state in which a person holds two or more contradictory beliefs, behaviors, or attitudes towards a topic or situation.

The exhibit is an ongoing traveling project, meant to be paired with programming and group discussion around the nuances of our personal and national beliefs on human rights. It aims to offer a foundation of legal human rights understanding for people on all parts of the political spectrum and encourages viewers to reflect on how they themselves, through values, reconcile personal contradictory beliefs.

“Circles have been a subject matter for me for over 25 years. I identify with the obvious references to the shape; centered, wholeness, sphere, etc. However, the attraction for me is the negative space that a circle or sphere evokes through shadow and space. I appreciate the fact that a circle is both an organic and a geometric shape.” – Jodi Reeb (Minneapolis, Minn.)

“Approaching every day with an open mind and an open heart, I gain inspiration from my sleeping and waking dreams and embrace their capacity to connect the physical and metaphysical realms. I believe that the process of creating art connects me with a larger energy and it is through my participation as a conduit for that energy that my art achieves authenticity. During the creative process, I focus on cultivating a sense of play; each new piece represents the beginning of a new journey into the unknown.” – Susan M. Davies (Buffalo, Minn.)

“There are many reasons for creating art, and for me it is always personal. For these works, it was a healing process, a way to grieve. I began when I was ready. Picking up the scissors and starting a collage was an important first step. I didn’t think about how it would develop beforehand. Colors appeared. I found them comforting, not jarring. And the shapes reflected the complexity of loss and change. I wanted to find a calm place inside, and I believe I have.” – Carol Adleman (Luck, Wisc.)

“In this current, on-going series of images, I seek to interpret an appreciation of the intricacies and improvisation qualities of Jazz music. With my camera, I search for rhythms, passages and phrases of colors and textures in mainly neglected urban areas left alone to be subjected to natural decay and spray paint.” – Steve Johnson (Hudson, Wis.)