Anne Labovitz - Painter/Printmaker

Anne Labovitz

Anne Labovitz

Saint Paul, MN

anne@labovitz.com

labovitz.com

MNartist

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Tell me about your work? What are you currently working on? How is this different from past projects?

Although I have been doing portraits my entire professional career, my newest pieces are composite portraits. They have images from several humans overlapping each other. I achieve this by printing images of the individuals from separate woodcuts together on the same canvas. They combine drawing with multi-colored painted surface with woodblock printed overlays. I intend the work to represent the mixture of feelings and memories that one has in a close relationship with another person. Layers of color are applied, then at times reduced or removed, over the pre-painted features of each subject. 

The effort becomes a process similar to how a performance would be viewed over time. Each action reveals an aspect of a relationship, suggesting that an interpersonal connection, like the painting, is always a function of its stages of development. These newest portraits will be shown at the Tweed Museum of Art (UMD) beginning June 4 through August 11 this summer.

How did you decide to become an artist?

Two main reasons. First, was the influence of my artist grandmother whom I was very close to. I loved being with her in her studio. The second driving force was and is the need to document and hold memories safe. For me, making art is an extension of that.

What was the best advice given to you as an artist?

If you have an idea try it! From my long time great friend and colleague Harold Adams. The studio is a place to take risks and experiment!

Many artists struggle to find ways to sell their art.  How do you sell your work?  How do you market yourself?

Through my website, Labovitz.com, Linked in, social media such as Facebook and Twitter, through galleries and exhibitions. I also have a short, monthly newsletter that provides professional updates and announcements.

Who are some of the Minnesota artists you enjoy?

Eun-Kyung Suh

http://www.mnartists.org/artistHome.do?rid=12221

Andrea Stanislav

http://www.andreastanislav.com

Sonya Peterson

http://sonjapete.com/home.html

Chris Larsen

http://mcad.edu/features/2012-13-McKnight-Artist-Fellowships-for-Visual-Artists-Announced

If I were to follow you around to see art in Minnesota, which places would we go? What would we see?

Tweed Museum of Art, Duluth

http://www.d.umn.edu/tma/exhibitions/AnneLabovitz/annelabovitz.html

Lizzards Art Gallery, Duluth

http://lizzards.com/artists/

Dow Building and the Juut Salon Spa

In addition to www.Local-Artist-Interviews.com, where do you go online for good art resources, whether to find a new artist, or to see what is going on in the art world locally and otherwise?

Walker Art Center

http://www.walkerart.org

Weisman Art Museum

http://www.weisman.umn.edu

Burnet Art Gallery

http://www.lemeridienchambers.com/minneapolis-burnet-art-gallery

mnartists.org

http://www.mnartists.org

Minneapolis Institute of Art
http://www2.artsmia.org/blogs/art-remix/

Do you have any exhibits to promote in the near future?

Yes. My solo portrait exhibition at the TweedMuseum of Art, University of Minnesota Duluth. Anne Labovitz: Composite Portraits

Anne Labovitz

Kristen Arden - Sculptor

Bindings Series #1

Kristen Arden

Name:  Kristen Arden  

City/State:  Minneapolis, MN

Email:  kristen@kristenardenstudio.com

Website:  www.kristenardenstudio.com

MNartist.org profile: Arden, Kristen

Facebook page:  Kristen Arden

Twitter: @kardenstudio

Bio~ 

I graduated with a BA in Painting and Drawing and spent my 20’s working in various art-related jobs, including completing a Master’s Degree in Art History with the thought I could teach and do art on the side.  When it became clear I had to choose between Art History and Art I returned to art-making after I moved out to San Francisco. I fell in love with building, sculpture, and working with metal (both casting and fabricating) while taking classes at CCAC and working.  In mid-2003 I moved to Minneapolis from San Francisco and started working out of my Northrup King Building studio.  I currently work full-time doing custom commercial and residential work and have work in corporate and private collections including with Loram, the Westin, and United Health Group.

Bindings Series #2

Tell me about your work? What are you currently working on? How is this different from past projects?

I work in series.  I come up with an idea or premise, start to work it over in my head and then work it out through sculptures, both wall and free-standing pieces.  I rework it as many times as I feel the idea or series can remain fresh.

I’ve recently begun working on some new series, and am continuing work on others. The most recent series I’ve been working on are my Architectonic Series that are installations based on architectural styles, and what I’m calling my Botanic Series, first inspired while thinking about Carl Linnaeus’ drawings and approach to the ‘natural world’.  I’ve also started thinking about symbolism, but am still working some of that out.  In both these series I’m abstracting, enlarging, and then reassembling snapshots of either a design or plant as an installation.  Both new series have a relationship to my past work, but are more sculptural in nature than my Earthworks Series, in particular.

Nothing in Progression Lies on its Original Path

How did you decide to become an artist?

I grew up drawing and spent hours looking through my Dad’s collection of art books.  I found them endlessly fascinating and still remember those books vividly.  It was pretty exciting and eye-opening to me as a kid, looking at all those paintings and thinking about the artists that created them. I think I’ve always felt compelled by art, and always wanted to create, draw, build, whatever.  I was also endlessly fascinated by my Dad’s shop and would watch him work in it.  It wasn’t til after college that I realized you could put the two together.

What was the best advice given to you as an artist? 

Probably the best piece of advice I’ve gotten was from a teacher who remarked how important taking time out while you’re working on a piece to think about what you’re doing and why is just as, if not more, important than how determined and tenacious you are in your work.  It may seem obvious but it really resonated with me.

Natural History Museum Project: Map and Boat

Many artists struggle to find ways to sell their art.  How do you sell your work?  How do you market yourself?

I found having a good website was critical for getting my work out there and found by people (www.kristenardenstudio.com).  I think it’s also important to do a lot of day-to-day things that may not seem significant but at the end of a year add up to a lot of proverbial ground covered.

Botanic Series #1

Who are some of the Minnesota artists you enjoy?

Maren Kloppmann  www.marenkloppmann.com

Eleanor McGough  www.mnartists.org/Eleanor_McGough

Jennifer Davis  www.jenniferdavisart.com

Danny Saathoff  www.dannysaathoff.com

Shannyn Joy Potter  www.shannynjoypotter.com

If I were to follow you around to see art in Minnesota, which places would we go? What would we see?

When I get the chance I love going to any of the bigger museums – the MIA (www.artsmia.org), the Walker (www.walkerart.org), and the Weisman (www.weisman.umn.edu).  The sculpture park at the Walker is always fun, as is Franconia Sculpture Park (www.franconia.org).  And of course some local galleries too when I get the opportunity to go to an opening, like Gallery 360 (www.gallery360mpls.com).

In addition to www.Local-Artist-Interviews.com, where do you go online for good art resources, whether to find a new artist, or to see what is going on in the art world locally and otherwise? 

I actually see a lot of interesting art and artists pop up through Facebook and perusing online papers like the Huffington Post. 

Architectonic Series #1

What can we expect to see from you in the future?

I have some new work up at Gallery 360 for a show featuring another artist, Natasha D’Schommer (www.natashadschommer.com), that opened in March.   I recently installed a larger-scale window installation at a business storefront in mid-March, and am working on some new pieces that I’ll show during Art A Whirl (May 17-19, 2013)  in the Northrup King Building and then move to a gallery. In addition I have some commission work I’m working on, and continue thinking about where I want to go with my work next.

Kristen Arden

Jeremy Szopinksi - Painter

The Thousandfold Principle #5 / Oil on paper, mounted on board / 32" x 25" / 2013

Jeremy Szopinski

Name: Jeremy Szopinski
City/State: Minneapolis, MN
Email: jeremy@jeremyszopinski.com
Website: www.jeremyszopinski.com
MNartist.org profile: http://www.mnartists.org/Jeremy_Szopinski
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/JeremySzopinskiArtPage
Tumblr: http://jeremyszopinski.tumblr.com/

Bio:

Jeremy Szopinski has exhibited at many venues in the Midwest and nationally including Woodward Gallery, Soo Visual Arts Center, Phipps Center for the Arts, Speedboat Gallery and the Duluth Art Institute.  He has also worked as an adjunct faculty member at the College of Visual Arts in St. Paul, MN, as a senior letterpress printer at Studio On Fire in Minneapolis, and has painted murals. He graduated in 1998 from the College of Visual Arts, in Saint Paul, and completed his MFA in painting at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn in 2010.

Triple Fire / Oil on board / 43" x 44" / 2013

Tell me about your work? What are you currently working on? How is this different from past projects?

I'm currently working on a series of smallish scale paintings. I've been experimenting combining printmaking ink with traditional oil paint. The ink has a much different viscosity than paint and does some interesting things when it's scraped across the painting. I've also been using a paper called Terraskin, which is made out of stone. The paper absorbs paint in a different way than a typical gessoed surface. It also is incredibly smooth, especially when mounted to a board, and gives the paint greater luminosity.

How did you decide to become an artist?

I made the official decision after my first year of college. I had been taking a lot of general liberal arts courses and realized art was the obvious choice. It is my calling and I'm miserable if I'm not making paintings.

The Thousandfold Principle #6 / Oil on paper, mounted on board / 25" x 30" / 2013

What was the best advice given to you as an artist? 

Don't kill your paintings. In other words, don't overwork, know when to stop and how to keep the paint alive. 

Many artists struggle to find ways to sell their art.  How do you sell your work?  How do you market yourself?
I put a good amount of time into promoting my work on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/JeremySzopinskiArtPage), Tumblr (http://jeremyszopinski.tumblr.com/) and my website (www.jeremyszopinski.com). I have an open studio once or twice a year. When I was in grad school I made some decent connections to a few galleries and collectors in NYC.

The Thousandfold Principle #7 / Oil on paper, mounted on board / 32" x 25" / 2013

Who are some of the Minnesota artists you enjoy? 
Jon Reischl: http://www.jonreischl.com/

Ed Charbonneau: http://www.flickr.com/photos/edcharbonneau/

Garrett Perry: http://www.garrettperry.com/

Chris Larson: http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2010/12/chris-larson/

Maria Santiago: http://www.cva.edu/about/fac_art/santiago

Ruben Nusz: http://www.rubennusz.com/

If I were to follow you around to see art in Minnesota, which places would we go? What would we see?

TuckUnder Gallery: http://tuckunder.org/

Bockley Gallery: http://www.bockleygallery.com/

SooVac: http://www.soovac.org/

Art-A-Whirl: http://nemaa.org/art-a-whirl

Midway Gallery: http://www.midwayart.org/

Walker Art Center: http://www.walkerart.org/

MIA: http://www.artsmia.org/

The Thousandfold Principle #8 / Oil on paper, mounted on board / 26" x 25" / 2013

In addition to www.Local-Artist-Interviews.com, where do you go online for good art resources, whether to find a new artist, or to see what is going on in the art world locally and otherwise? 

Lately, I've been enjoying the randomness of Tumblr. It's fun to follow the strange paths it creates. It provides a way to find artists and "collectors" outside of my normal social sphere.

Here are some other blogs and review sites I like to check out:

Art Critical: http://www.artcritical.com/

The Brooklyn Rail: http://www.brooklynrail.org/

Edward Winkleman: http://www.edwardwinkleman.com/

Hyperallergic: http://hyperallergic.com/

From The Top of Her Head / Oil on board / 48" x 62" / 2012

Do you have any exhibits to promote in the near future?I have a solo show called "The Thousandfold Principle" at TuckUnder Projects. May 23 - June 23.  Reception Thursday 5/23 6-9 PM.

Jeremy Szopinski

(Photography by Joanna Carina of Carina Photographics)

Tuck Under Projects

LAI Profile

Michelle Runyon - Conceptual and Fine Art Photography

Untitled

Michelle Runyon

Name:  Michelle Runyon

City/State:  Minneapolis, MN

Email:  michelle@harkison.net

Website:  www.michellerunyon.com

MNartist.org profile:  Michelle Runyon

Tell me about your work?  What are you currently working on?  How is this different from past projects?

I am a Conceptual and Fine Art Photographer.  As a Conceptual Artist, I use the inspiration I get when I am faced with challenging situations in my own life.  These challenging situations would include coming of age, pregnancy, navigating through a "man's world", to name a few.  These were all challenges I found difficult to talk about, express and even make sense of.  So, I took what I was feeling and experiencing and staged a photo of it. This way, I don't have to talk about or try to make sense of it, the photo does it for me.  

As a Fine Art Photographer, I take photos of things that evoke positive movement inside myself.  I am currently working on creating a new photograph about how it feels to be pregnant.  I hope to have it completed by end of summer 2013.  This photo will be different as I plan on including other people in the photo--something I've never done or dared before.

 Deliverance-In the Site of the Beautiful Ruins

How did you decide to become an artist?

It wasn't a conscious decision.  Being some sort of artist has always been in me.  Whether it was acting, modeling, singing or writing.  But, photography has been my silent constant.  Not many people around me know of all the work I've done with photography.

The Landlocked Surfer Girl

What was the best advice given to you as an artist?

The best advice I was given was more about self esteem than being an artist.  It was my seventh grade teacher Mr. Brown.  He pulled me aside one day and told me that he could see that I'd been bullied by my peers for a long time and that he could also see that I believed the things these bullies told me--mostly that I was stupid and ugly.  He reassured me that I was neither stupid or ugly and I need to believe in myself.  Of course, the bullies continued to affect me, but a strong belief in myself started to rebelliously grow.

Many artists struggle to find ways to sell their art.  How do you sell your work?  How do you market yourself?

Though I've been doing photography for 20 plus years, I have only recently began to emerge in the art world as a photographer.  So, I am in process of figuring out how to market and sell my work.  So far, I've circulated only two of my photos that have been shown in galleries, a magazine, and an upscale spa.  I have a website www.michellerunyon.com and this is also linked to my www.mnartist.org page.

Morning Glories

Who are some of the Minnesota artists you enjoy?

I tend to not pay attention to names because I sometimes become intimidated by names and it causes me to second guess EVERYTHING I do. Instead, I pay attention to works that I like and move me.

If I were to follow you around to see art in Minnesota, which places would we go?  What would we see?

I like to go off the beaten paths and visit places that you wouldn't expect to find great or even good art.  I love to go to little towns and visit the one shop that sells local artists' work.  You can find everything in these shops, useful gadgets, handmade quilts, toys, self published books. photo greeting cards and inspiration.  I like to see what the 'every person' is coming up with.

After the Rain Storm

In addition to www.Local-Artist-Interviews.com, where do you go online for good art resources, whether to find a new artist, or to see what is going on in the art world locally and otherwise?

So far, I like to view artists on www.mnartists.org and I like to spend sometimes hours looking through www.etsy.com.

Do you have any exhibits to promote in the near future? 

I have an "Untitled" Conceptual Art Photograph that will be featured in the Altered Esthetics' show [Insert Title Here].  Show runs from May 2nd through May 30th with an opening reception on 

Friday, May 3rd from 7pm-10pm at 

1224 Quincy Street NE Minneapolis MN 55413.  

Viewers of this show are invited to name the "Untitled" works that are displayed.  More information is at www.alteredesthetics.org/gallery-events/exhibitions/insert-title-here.  

Winter on Minnehaha Parkway

I also have a solo show from July 20th through September 5th at Lynnhurst UCC Church at 4501 Colfax Avenue South Minneapolis MN  55419.  More information will be available closer to the event at www.michellerunyon.com or http://www.lynnhurstucc.org/lynnhurst-gallery.html.

Michelle Runyon

Altered Esthetics

Gallery Profile