Erin Sayer

erin@erinsayer.com

Instagram: @esayer

Twitter: @MPLScultstatus

ERIN SAYER is an all-around creative. From running galleries to traveling the country painting murals, she is constantly engaged in artistic endeavors. Her latest projects include operating Cult Status Gallery, completing several local and national mural projects, painting theatre backdrops, and working on paintings based on Tom Robbins novels. Later this year, she is beginning a series of oil paintings based on the book ‘American Gods’ by author Neil Gaiman. She is a freelance curator, having curated over 100 art shows and events over the years. Sayer has owned three galleries since 1998, painted over 50 murals locally and around the US, and her paintings inhabit dozens of private and corporate collections. This spring she is a featured artist at Sasquatch! Music Festival, and will be painting murals in Seattle and at Les Schwab Amphitheatre in Bend, OR.  She is available on commission and is always up for a new travel adventure.

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

Lately I’ve been working seasonally on outdoor murals when it’s warm, and oil paintings when it’s cold.  The past 4 years, I leave to paint murals in other parts of the country for 1-2 months.  It’s imperative to get out of town!  I had a solo show in Seattle last summer.  I’ve been working on a series of paintings based on Tom Robbins novels for around a decade (not continuously, of course).  They take a million hours each.  I like having the balance of working on giant spray paint murals that take a week, and little oil paintings that take months.  

My new work is different in many ways than pre 2010.  After spending a winter in San Francisco in 2012, I became enamoured with Chinese Brush Painting and am more focused on nailing brush strokes, color, and odd composition.  I have moved on from blatant pop art and iconography, and have discontinued using a projector/stencils.  Now everything is freehand with the occasional stencil for murals.  

How did you decide to become an artist?

I have basically always considered myself an artist.  But to really become an artist, one must work tirelessly for years and years, which is what I did.  I’m proud to say, excluding waitressing for 7 years while in school, all of my jobs have been in art in some way, be it working at Dick Blick, painting for the theatre/production companies, running galleries, teaching HS art.  It was all related and enabled me to gain vast amounts of knowledge over the years.  I’ve been a full-time artist/gallery person for 10 years now.

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

Never give up.  There are so many times when I think, after I don’t sell anything at a show, or don’t have solid jobs lined up months in advance, that I should just get a ‘real’ job.  But inevitably, something comes up to keep me going.  The times when I’m scraping by are great motivation for expanding work, or actively seeking commissions and opportunities.  If I had quit at any point, I’d be justly unhappy, though maybe more secure.

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

Yes that is a tough one.  I rely on large commissions, less on selling paintings.  But I have found that the more of myself I put into my paintings, the better they sell.  They have to be from the heart, people can see through art making as a commodity very easily, even if they don’t know much about art.  I see a lot of artists going for quantity, and selling for too cheap.  There has to be time, care, good presentation, and high quality for people to value your work as much as you do.  This involves pretty much every waking hour, backbreaking work, obsessive work, in order to achieve not only sales, but higher price point sales.  

The only marketing I do is throw up images on Instagram and Facebook, have a yearly/bi-yearly solo show if possible, and I make strong networking connections with other artists from around the country.  I believe artists should work together for a common cause: more art appreciation!

Who are some of the Minnesota artists you enjoy?

I hate this question because I have so many.  It is really hard to choose.  But lately, I’ve been really into artists who work their ever-loving a$$es off, who are constantly at it, doing new and interesting things.  Here are a few I really love seeing new work from on an almost daily basis:

Yuya Negishi

Adam Swanson (from Duluth)

Melissa Loop

Angel Hawari

Chuck U

Wundr

Alex Kuno

And everything Joan Vorderbruggen does.

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

I’d take you on a mural tour, first and foremost.  I love all the new public art that’s been happening the last few years.  We’d stop on by at Gamut Gallery to say hi to all the awesome people there, to Public Functionary (because I haven’t been there yet...I know, so lame, but I’m a hermit).  Yuya’s place (there are always about 5 creative types hanging out there, including all of his work), and then I’d take you to paint a dumpster in an alley in Uptown.

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?

Pretty much Instagram and Facebook

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

Yes!

My Tom Robbins show at Gamut Gallery

in Minneapolis MN.  (1006 Marquette Ave A, Mpls, Mn 55403 from 4/4/15 - 5/7/15.  

Zamara Cuyun - Painter

The Awakening

Zamara Cuyun

Name:  Zamara Cuyún
City/State:  Minneapolis, MN
Email:  zcuyun at hotmail.com
MNartist.org profile:  http://www.mnartists.org/Zamara_Cuyun
Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/ZamaraCuyunArt
Website: www.zamaracuyun.com


Bio~ 

Zamara Cuyún is a self-taught, Minneapolis born-and-raised, Guatemalan-American painter working with acrylics.  She incorporates elements of Maya and European myth, ideology, and iconography - sometimes to explore and create a vibrant, colorful, imaginary dream universe and, at other times, to represent the restless, violent, and unsettling world we are often forced to inhabit.

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

I look to the past - to the collective roots of my ancestral tree - to inspire and inform my creations.  As a Grimm (literally) on my mother’s side, and Guatemalan on my father’s side, I strive to create pieces that meld indigenous Maya mythical traditions regarding cycles of life, death, and rebirth with the popular legends born of the interaction of Maya, Spaniard, and African in the Americas, as well as the folklore of Germany and other Western traditions. 

On the more technical side of things, color and light are of the utmost importance in my work.  I want my subjects – the lovely, as well as the gruesome – to pulse with color, light, and life from within. Vibrant Guatemalan indigenous textiles and folk-art, as well as European stained-glass and Rosemaling inspire and inform my use of color and brushstroke.

My current work continues to follow this same path, although I have departed thematically from the more mythical to focus on something more concretely socio-political in nature.  I am periodically drawn back to using my work as a tool to educate, explore, and protest.  In light of current events in Guatemala, I have been thinking more recently about indigenous identity (my own, as well as that represented in Guatemalan society and in the U.S.), the history of racism, colonization and resistance, the persecution and genocide of the indigenous population, and the call for social justice, reconciliation, and revitalization. I feel compelled to process this information through my art and communicate with a larger audience regarding these issues.  This portion of my work is definitely not something a person might feel comfortable hanging in their home, perhaps, but in some ways it is, to me, much more urgent in nature.

I’m also learning to “let go” a little, stylistically – which is incredibly difficult for a perfectionist – allowing the artwork and the process to deviate from the original plan I had when I first envisioned it.  My most current painting in progress is what I would consider “unfinished” – not polished, not complete, not perfect.  It’s telling me what it wants to be.  To “complete” it would destroy the story it wants to tell and the mood it wants to convey.

How did you decide to become an artist?

I didn’t decide that this is what I was going to do until about five years ago.  I took a few art classes in high school and it was really my teachers that recognized my talent and encouraged me to continue painting.  I left it for awhile, completed a degree in anthropology and archaeology, and took the odd art history class here and there.  Then, one day, I decided to pick up a paintbrush again and I haven’t stopped since.  I am terribly slow (being a perfectionist) and easily distracted, so my output isn’t quite where I would like it to be yet.

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

Someone once told me that an artist should exercise their art as they would a muscle.  You should sit down and draw or paint or whatever it is you do at least once a day to stay limber and strong.  I have good intentions of following this advice but, like I said, I’m easily distracted.

Oh – and even more importantly, it doesn’t matter if anyone else likes it, if you need to paint it, then you should.

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

I do need to be better about marketing myself.  I’m not very tech-savvy either.  That said, I do show my work from time to time in local coffee shops and galleries and that’s where I do make the majority of my sales.  People have also contacted me via email zcuyun at hotmail.com to make purchases and commission work.  You can also find me on mnartists.org, http://www.mnartists.org/Zamara_Cuyun and facebook, https://www.facebook.com/zamara.cuyun (but then you’d have to “friend” me).

More often than not, however, I find the act of sharing my work with the public more gratifying than the financial rewards.

Who are some of the Minnesota artists you enjoy? 

In no particular order:

Dougie Padilla http://dougiepadilla.com/

Nicholas Harper http://www.roguebuddha.com/

Luis Fitch http://www.unobranding.com/

Chuck U http://www.chucku.com/Chuck_U.html

Bobby Wilson http://amra.buffnick.com/artist/view/16

Lucas Gluesenkamp http://www.lucasgluesenkamp.com/

Caitlin Karolczak http://www.studiosilenti.com/

Sergio Mojica http://www.mnartists.org/artistHome.do?rid=118886

Pritika Chowdhry http://www.pritikachowdhry.com/

Gordon Coons http://www.mnartists.org/artistHome.do?action=info&rid=163977

Kara Faye Gregory http://karafayegregory.com/

Linnea M. Doyle http://www.linneamaas.com/#

And a shout-out to a great oil-painting teacher, Haley Stampp http://haleystampp.weebly.com/

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

Since I live in Minneapolis, we’d definitely go to the MIA http://new.artsmia.org/ and the Walker http://www.walkerart.org/, including the sculpture garden.  I just discovered this year that the Red Hot Art Festival (http://redhotart.org/) is my favorite art fair in Minneapolis.  The Casket Arts Building http://www.casketarts.com/, Intermedia Arts http://intermediaarts.org/, and Soo Vac http://www.soovac.org/ are some of my favorite places to go to enjoy great art and get inspired.  I also really enjoy surprise encounters with local talent showing in coffee shops, restaurants, and galleries around the Twin Cities.  Public art abounds without even having to hunt it down. 

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? 

MNartists.org http://www.mnartists.org/ is a great resource!  I have to credit them with getting me up and running.  I’m also a fan of MNOriginal http://www.mnoriginal.org/ and go to the online site to see what’s going on in Minnesota.

Do you have any exhibits to promote in the near future?
On Friday, November 1st, 7-10pm, I am participating as the featured artist for Altered Esthetics “Día de los Muertos,” a celebration of “the lives of those we have lost.”  I am really looking forward to it.

http://www.alteredesthetics.org/gallery-events/exhibitions/d%C3%ADa-de-los-muertos-0

At the moment, I have several pieces hanging in the “Fabled” exhibition at Altered Esthetics, which opened September 5 and runs through September 26, 2013

http://www.alteredesthetics.org/gallery-events/exhibitions/fabled

Then, from November 11 through January 5, I am planning to exhibit some pieces over at the Coffee Grounds Gallery http://www.thecoffeegrounds.net/.

Zamara Cuyun

Ae Gallery Profile

Image List:  1. Awakening 2. Vueltas  3. Her Burden  4. Las Tres Hermanas  5. Bosque de Verapaz  6. The Artist   7. Image of artist

Brenda Manthe - Photographer

Rocket Launch

Brenda Manthe

Name: Brenda Manthe  (1/13)
City/State: Saint Paul, Minnesota
Email: roxbren@gmail.com
Website: www.urbanabstractart.com
MNartist.org profile: http://www.mnartists.org/Brenda_Manthe

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

Currently, I'm enjoying taking abstract photos in urban settings, photos of industrial structures and experimenting with my herd of film cameras. The abstract photos are what I'm most focused on right now and have been inspired by my urban exploration past. I have always been an explorer and love to get lost in the details.

Tire

"What is Art?" is certainly too big of a question to ask here, but what do you hope your audience takes away from your art? What statement do you hope to make?

I hope that my audience takes away whatever they need to take away from my art. I do it for the pure joy of exploring, traveling and thinking. People who are interested in my photos tend to fit into two categories. The first category wants to know everything about where the image came from. Both are OK with me! I prefer to keep some mystery around my photos, but I don't mind telling every detail if that's what is asked for. But I have to say, I don't fully understand the concept of "art", and I'm not sure if anyone ever can. What I do know is that creative expression is important to humans and it doesn't really matter what the final product is, as long as it makes the artist happy.

Rotten

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

Do art for yourself. If other people like it, bonus.

Tell me about your work space and your creative process.

My main workspace is wherever I happen to be, totally fixed location independent. When it's time to process my photos (digital or film), my workspace is my living room couch.

My creative process is pretty simple. I walk around and take pictures of things that catch my eye. You can usually find me walking around in alleys, by Dumpsters, through industrial districts or anywhere else that has interesting textures, patterns and color. My other love is travel, so I plan trips specifically to take pictures. I've been to a lot of different cities in the United States and a few cities abroad. My travel wish list is a mile long!

Eat

Who are some of the Minnesota artists you enjoy? (Provide links) 

Drew Peterson  http://drewpetersonart.com/
Carolyn Swiszcz  http://www.carolynswiszcz.com/
D.C. Ice  dcice.com/
Chuck U  http://chucku.com/
Marnie Karger  http://www.crafterall.blogspot.com

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

First, you'd be sitting in my living room and getting lost in internet search results for artists and events. Then, we'd either walk, bike or take a bus to the museum(s) or gallery(ies). But, I would probably get sidetracked by the surroundings on the way there and take pictures, which would probably result in us being late or not making it at all to said museum(s) and gallery(ies). It's not that I don't want to go, it's just that I can get distracted, ya know? But seriously, I really love the Walker Art Center and the Weisman Art Museum and I never pass up the opportunity to visit a gallery.

Havland

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 usually go where Google tells me to go, ha ha! But some specific sites that I like are:
DGrin  http://dgrin.com/
Springboard for the Arts  http://www.springboardforthearts.org/
MAEP  http://www2.artsmia.org/wiki/index.php/Main_Page
MNArtists  http://mnartists.org/

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

I'll answer this in two parts, the near future and the general future.

In May 2012 I will be spending four days photographing the Chernobyl nuclear disaster site and the neighboring abandoned city of Pripyat. During this visit, I will have access to many of the buildings in the area – as safety allows of course. I first learned about this opportunity a few years ago through a photography forum and thought that it would be an excellent place to take abstract and film photos. From an artistic standpoint, I'm not trying to make a statement with the photos that result from this trip. I'm mainly interested in creating beautiful images, and this is one of the best places to do so. But I have done a lot of research about the Chernobyl disaster and have personal, non-artistic goals for this trip too.

In the general future, you can expect to see even more abstract and film photos. I don't think that I'll ever stop with that. But, I'll always be evolving as an artist, otherwise I'd get really bored. Right now, I have plans for a few new photography projects, a book project and a painting project. We'll see where they go!

D.C. Ice - Illustrator - St Paul Art Crawl 2011 Feature

”I Love Shy”

D.C. Ice

Name: D.C. Ice
City/State: St. Paul, MN
Email: dcice.art@gmail.com
Website: www.dcice.com
MNartist.org profile: http://mnartists.org/work.do?rid=298556
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/DC-Ice/

Bio~
After attending The College of Visual Arts I went full swing into illustrator mode. I have been lucky enough to have 6 children’s books published and have been very busy creating art for gallery shows and various events.

“Let’s Hunt Something Up”

Tell me about your work? What are you currently working on? How is this different from past projects?
As an illustrator I draw and paint. However, I also enjoy creating 3D versions of my sinister but sweet characters. I sew scary dolls and design vintage inspired feathery hair accessories and broaches. I try to find new ways to express my creativity. Right now I am trying to teach myself 2D stop motion animation.

"What is Art?" is certainly too big of a question to ask here, but what do you hope your audience takes away from your art? What statement do you hope to make?
For me, art is “the safe place where I can be hurtful and cruel without feeling guilty.” This quote is a part of my artist statement and it holds true to most of my creations. Art is an outlet for me. A place I have a voice to relay my deepest concerns and personal truths.

“Division by Geography”

What was the best advice given to you as an artist?
Try damn hard to say “YES” to every opportunity, whether it may be a small gallery show or an oddball event.

Tell me about your work space and your creative process.
My studio is in my home and although I liked having studio mates, the convenient factor of having a space right in your home makes for crazy productivity. My creative process is ever changing and exciting. I keep things fresh by trying to explore different mediums.

Who are some of the Minnesota artists you enjoy?
I really enjoy:
Chuck U: www.chucku.com
Jennifer Davis: www.jenniferdavisart.com
Broken Crow: www.brokencrow.com
Amy Jo: www.missamyjo.com

“Ghostly Noises”

If I were to follow you around to see art in Minnesota, which places would we go? What would we see?
I am a co-op member at AZ Gallery, we would be there a lot. I am a big fan of the Northrup King Building. I show there during Art Attack and Art-a-Whirl with my friends from Bicycle Theory (www.bicycletheory.com). The vibe of that building is so inspiring. I also like going to random art shows in tiny gallery venues to view illustrative paintings--my fave.

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 am constantly going to www.illustrationmundo.com to check out amazing illustrators.

”Valentine”

Do you have any exhibits to promote in the near future?
October 7,8 & 9, 2011 : St. Paul Art Crawl.

I’ll be showing at the AZ Gallery in Lowertown St. Paul.

October 14th, 2011: “Spotober” at Spot Art Gallery. 1828 Marshall St NE Mpls.

November 4,5 & 6, 2011: Art Attack. Northrup King Building NE Mpls
November 11th, 2011: “Art Brawl, the Art Crawl’s mean older brother.” AZ Gallery

Anna Miller - Painter

Anna Miller

SpotArt Gallery Featured Interview

"Spotastic"

February 11th - March 11 2011

Reception: Friday 2/11 7-11pm

Details and Directions

Anna Miller
Saint Paul, MN
AnnaRUok@msn.com
http://www.bluecanvas.com/annamiller
http://www.mnartists.org/Anna_Miller

Artist Bio ~
Anna Miller hails from Sioux Falls, SD and received a BA in Art and Art History from the University of Minnesota. Since then she's been showing steadily throughout the state in salons, restaurants, coffee shops, and galleries. Currently, she works at Wet Paint Artists' Materials, which allows for many opportunities to meet other artists and experiment with new materials. Her favorite mediums include acrylic, watercolor, ink, oil pastel, and the beloved Pentel Pocket Brush Pen.

December 2010 (part of monthly self portraits), Marker in Sketchbook, 5x8”

Tell me about your work. What are you currently working on? How is this different from past projects?
Generally, I like to draw and paint women. When looking for inspiration, I’ll leaf through a fashion magazine or one of my many pin-up art books. Themes change, but more often than not a drawing or painting by me is going to include a lady. My work is also very driven by color and I like to work with contrasting hues. My older works are saturated with bright reds and greens, whereas recently, I’ve been working with blue and orange. My two newest paintings depict a mysterious woman dancing in a blue abyss with orange and green accents. Some people have pointed out that I’ve taken a turn to a more nautical style, which may be true, but it’s entirely based on a tube of Old Holland, Indigo Deep that I fell in love with.

This past year, I set out to create a self portrait each month. It was meant to be just an exercise, but it turned into a nice little body of work. Each drawing reflects my attitude towards that time of year and is a record of how I've changed. I think it would be interesting to continue this for a number of years, kind of like a growth chart for adulthood.

A Lady Never Admits Her Feet Hurt, 2006, Relief Print, 12x20”

"What is Art?" is certainly too big of a question to ask here, but how do you hope your art is perceived by your audience? Or what statement do you hope to make with your art?
I include myself in many of my paintings and these works usually have a strong personal meaning. Painting can be a cathartic form of therapy that allows me to release frustrations and fears that I build up inside myself. A lot of the time, other people will interpret a meaning based on their own ideas and experiences that is not what I intended, but just as valid. This is what I love about making art. It opens discussions and there is no right or wrong answer. I like to suggest to the viewer a narrative and a sense of familiarity that they can take away with them to ponder and interpret.

I’m not really into relaying a message through my art, be it politically or socially, but if someone gets that out of my work, I won’t dispute it. Above all, my intentions are to add beauty to my world. This may explain why I use a lot of feminine imagery, bright colors, and organic shapes. To me, that’s beautiful and I hope that others respond positively to that.

The Misadventure of Holly Hobby, 2006, Watercolor on Paper, 15x19”

What was the best advice given to you as an artist?
Avid visual journalist Roz Stendahl (http://rozwoundup.typepad.com) stresses that you shouldn't cover up your mistakes. I like this attitude because it allows for creative freedom in my artwork. I don't worry about what the outcome will be when I'm drawing in my sketchbook or starting a new painting, which is always so daunting. I tend to just let things happen and often times, the “mistakes” are what give the art life and make it interesting. Letting go can also be a learning process in discovering new techniques or knowing what not to do next time.

Tell me about your working space and your creative process?
I do have a studio in the basement of my house, but really, it’s just a space to keep all of my art supplies and collections of junk. In the summertime, I move my easel and paints up to my screened in back porch. Sometimes I'll spend the entire day out there painting, drawing, or reading. It's blissful. I wish I could use the porch all year round because the basement is just too cold and dank for creative thinking. I keep sketchbooks and carry one with me almost everywhere I go, so in reality, my working space is wherever I happen to be.

I like to draw people and record strange situations in my sketchbooks, but I don't like to be noticed when I’m working. For me, drawing and paintings is a private act, but people are always interested to see an artist at work. I'm kind of a hypocrite because, here I am invading the privacy of strangers by secretly drawing them, but I get all defensive when they want to take a peek.

My creative process is pretty spontaneous. I don’t do a lot of planning because I find that when I do, the outcome is stale and unexciting. When I start a new painting, I choose a couple of key colors, turn on some music, and intuitively move the paint around the canvas. More often than not this doesn’t create a final product, but a nice backdrop for a focus character. The main characters in my paintings are usually inspired by a photograph, either from a photo session with a model or some spontaneous act of awesome caught on camera. I participated in Urban Arts: A Night of Art and Burlesque last August and took a lot of photos during the burlesque show. These have been great fodder for new paintings.

Identity Can't Save You Now!, 2006, Acrylic and Marker on Canvas, 24x36”

Who are some of the Minnesota artists you enjoy?
I recently discovered Michael Thomsen (http://www.mdthomsen.com) and love the tiny worlds he creates with found object. His style really reminds me of two other artists, whose work I admire: Mary Solberg (http://marysolberg.30art.com) and John Ready (www.johnreadyart.com).

I've participated in two shows put on by Urban Arts (http://www.urbanarts-tc.com) and had the opportunity of showing with wonderful artists such as Kao Lee Thao (http://www.innerswirl.com), Mai C. Vang (http://www.chaosmaiart.com) and Chris Navarre.

Other artists I've come to admire are Dan Weiken (www.danwieken.com) for his intricate pen and ink drawings, Chuck U (www.chucku.com) for his colorful and psychedelic urban illustrations, and Caitlin Karolczak (http://studiosilenti.com) for her haunting, monochromatic oil paintings that seem from another world and time.

Also, I can't forget some of my talented co-workers at Wet Paint: Kristina Fjellman (www.kristinafjellman.com), Justin Terlecki, (www.mnartists.org/terlecki), Paul Damon (http://www.pauldamonlandscapes.com), Gregory Graham (http://www.gregorygrahamart.com), Dana O’Malley (http://www.danaomalley.com), Steve Robbins (www.comicartiststeve.com), Liz Carlson (www.mnartists.org/liz_carlson), and Kate Katzer (http://katzerova.blogspot.com).

Plenty of Fish in the Sea, 2010, Acrylic, Ink, and Oil Pastel on Canvas, 18x24”

If I were to follow you around to see art in Minnesota, which places would we go? What would we see?
I don't generally go to galleries randomly. That is, I'm only going to see an art show if I've gotten a postcard that intrigues me or an invitation from somebody I know.

If you were to follow me around to some of my favorite places to draw, you might find yourself at the Como Zoo and Conservatory, The Life Drawing Co-op at MCAD on Monday nights, a music venue where some of my favorite local bands play (Gluek's, The Fineline, Palmer's, Bunker's, etc.) or at a friend's house during what we call “Art Club.”

All Dolled Up (detail), 2009, Installation, 1-car garage

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’m a member of BlueCanvas.com, which is a social networking site for artists that also prints a quarterly periodical. I’ve discovered a lot of great artists through that site. I'm also a huge fan of Hi Fructose (http://hifructose.com). I don't visit the site as much as I devour the magazine.

Do you have any exhibits to promote in the near future?
February 11 through March 11, I'll have work up at SpotArt gallery in Northeast Minneapolis. This is a group show with a lot of different artists and a variety of styles. I’m showing most of the monthly self portraits from 2010. I don’t have anything scheduled at the moment because I took a hiatus from showing to create new work. I'm starting to get out there again, so look for me when you're out and about.

If you were to receive a $2,000 art grant to do anything you want, what would you do?
A year and a half ago I did my first installation in my garage. It was called All Dolled Up and it was based on the interior of a doll house from my childhood. All of the materials used were my own or handed down from my relatives, which worked for the nostalgic nature of the show. I have many more ideas for installations and would like to pursue these, but my resources are limited. If I had a $2,000 grant, I would put it towards building a name for myself as an installation artist.

Northeast Minneapolis Arts Association