Shawn McNulty - Painter

Bled White – Acrylic and Pumice on Canvas – 60x60”

Shawn McNulty

Name: Shawn McNulty
City/State: Minneapolis, MN
Email: info@shawnmcnulty.com
Website: http://www.shawnmcnulty.com
MNartist.org profile: http://www.mnartists.org/artistHome.do?rid=3082
Facebook page
Twitter: @shawnmcnulty
Etsy Page: http://www.etsy.com/shop/slmcnulty

Google+: https://plus.google.com/114158744444542392039/posts

Instagram: http://instagram.com/shawnmcnulty

Bio~ 

I graduated in 1997 with a BA from St. John’s University.   After college, I moved to Minneapolis and started painting and building up a portfolio along with my website.  In 1999, I was profiled by current Huffington Post writer John Seed as one of the first artists to start selling their art on the Internet.  In 2002, I was one of the founding members of the Rosalux Gallery cooperative. I’m still an active member and have maintained the gallery’s website and online presence over the past 11 years.  I’ve had a studio in the Thorp Building in the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District for the past eight years, and I’m currently a full time artist.  My work can be found in private and corporate collections all over the world, and I’ve exhibited in the Twin Cities, Miami, San Francisco, London, and British Columbia.  I also work with a local publisher and create archival pigment prints on canvas and paper from my original paintings.

Sulphate – Acrylic and Pumice on Canvas – 60x60”

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

I’m working on a series of eight 60x60” pieces, and three of these are completed and will be part of my upcoming exhibition in the Inez Greenberg Gallery at the Bloomington Art Center in January 2013.  My current process involves working acrylic and pumice on stretched canvas flat on the floor from a standing position utilizing a shoe palette knife, Swiffer tool, and other non-conventional objects. The idea is to challenge the way I connect to the surface, and create marks that would not otherwise occur from a conventional approach.  

I need the give and take of a stretched canvas to vary the amount of pressure I use to get the desired result as the layers start to mesh together.  I don’t have any preliminary plans when I start a new piece, and I usually do about three to five sessions before I start to see where it’s going.  I also peel off dried paint from the palette knives, and collage the paint skins on to the canvas.  If I can’t finish it this way, I put the canvas on the easel and figure out what’s needed to reach a resolution.

Continuum – Acrylic and Pumice on Canvas – 60x60”

How did you decide to become an artist?
I’ve always been creative.  I remember drawing while the other kids took naps in kindergarten.  I attended St. John’s University and enjoyed the variety of a liberal arts education.  I began painting soon after graduation and eventually turned it into a full time career.

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

I was lucky to have an amazing high school art teacher named Richard Doolittle.  After I spent a lot of time with design fundamentals and had a strong grasp of realism, we talked about subject matter and I began to break away into abstraction.  He offered much guidance which has always stayed with me including “less is more” and “learn the rules before you break them.”

Salvation – Acrylic and Pumice on Canvas – 36x36”

Many artists struggle to find ways to sell their art.  How do you sell your work?  How do you market yourself?
I’ve been marketing myself and selling work all over the world via my comprehensive website http://www.shawnmcnulty.com for almost 15 years.  This has lead to many interesting things including filling the corridors of a luxury hotel in Manhattan with 206 of my 30x30” archival pigment prints, creating ten large pieces for a country club in Michigan, and having one of my pieces featured in a national M&M’s ad.  I also use social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, Tumblr, and Pinterest.

Stallion – Acrylic and Pumice on Canvas – 40x40”

Who are some of the Minnesota artists you enjoy?

I enjoy seeing new work from the other non-objective painters from Rosalux:

James Wrayge  http://www.jameswrayge.com/

Tara Costello:  http://rosaluxgallery.com/my_portfolio/tara-costello/

Jack Dale:  http://rosaluxgallery.com/my_portfolio/jack-dale/

Duane Ditty:  http://www.duaneditty.com/

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

I enjoy the permanent collections of the Walker Art Center http://www.walkerart.org/ and M.I.A. http://www.artsmia.org/   I also check out the shows at my cooperative Rosalux Gallery http://www.rosaluxgallery.com/, as well as SooVAC http://www.soovac.org/

Scrubble – Acrylic and Pumice on Canvas – 40x40”

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 keep up on the art world with Hyperallergenic http://www.hyperallergic.com/ and Artforum http://www.artforum.com As for new artists, I like what Saatchi is doing with http://www.saatchionline.com. It’s a clean interface, and they do a good job with social media.  One of the curators asked me to participate in a 12x12” show promoting affordable work for the holidays.

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

I have a show called “An Archeology of Color” in the Inez Greenberg Gallery of the Bloomington Art Center from January 4^th to February 15^th, 2013. http://btacmn.org/3visual/at_galleries/exhibits/archeology.html My studio at the Thorp Building will be open for Art-A-Whirl May 17-19, 2013. http://www.shawnmcnulty.com/contact/contact.html I’ll be exhibiting at Rosalux Gallery again in November 2013.  http://www.rosaluxgallery.com/

Shawn McNulty

Gina Louise - Sculptor - Painter

Gina Louise

name: Gina Louise
website: www.divergentlayers.com
email: gina@divergentlayers.com
MN artists.org page: http://www.mnartists.org/artistHome.do?rid=267303
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/ginalouise.divergentlayers

Bio:
Gina Louise is a sculptor and painter born 1972 in St.Paul, Minnesota, USA. In 1994 she received her B.F.A in Sculpture from Minneapolis College of Art & Design.
 Within Louise's artwork, the most predominate propositions materialize as an acknowledgment to what she sees as both the important visual conversations as well as the tactile leftover layers of our unified human imprint upon the landscape in flux. The structural footing which visually underlies all of Louise's art is her reverence for the "Industrial Installations" of her childhood, IE. oil refineries, grain elevators and concrete batch plants.

Fundamentally, her work investigates the compositions we may pass daily which might otherwise be overlooked; the underdog compositions, the scraps of our existence.

Through her sculpture, this compositional conversation generally presents itself simply with the materials themselves. For example, the juxtaposition of steel, concrete, plastic and soft fabric elements. However, within her painting and drawing this consistently spills out as flattened form and line referencing the chosen context.

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

For the last 15 years I have been working as a sculptor, creating large scale pieces with steel, concrete and epoxy for museums, zoos, aquariums and private residences across the US. However, During the last 4 months I have taken a sabbatical from doing sculpture full time during the day and painting at night to focus strictly on the 2D work for my upcoming solo show "S.E.A.10" which opens 11.11.11 at Cult Status Gallery.

There will be 150 pieces, each one referencing a moment pulled from within the landscapes of South East Asia. In addition, I am making several pieces for the "Beauty School Dropouts" show at Gallery 13 which opens on 11.12.11.

The pieces for "Beauty School Dropouts" are a complete departure from my usual inspiration in that they are referencing the female body in the context of modern society.


While the individual pieces for S.E.A. 10 are themselves not rigidly rendered, my self imposed parameters of process were methodical in nature. My intent is that each piece is a visual conversation reduced further and further down. In this way the true disposition of each moment being referenced is able to unfold.

Part 1: pictures
I am by no means a photographer, however it was ultimately necessary to document the compositional junctures that grabbed me, so I could work with them upon returning to the studio.

Part 2: drawings
Next, using the photos as reference, I drew from them. Only 5" x 8" in size, they are small drawings meant to be held close.

Part 3: paintings
Lastly, no longer referencing the original photograph, only a completed drawing, I distill and paint said compositional moment.

At 24" x 36", each painting is larger than the corresponding drawing. However, the paintings are small enough to still feel intimate.

"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?

While all my artwork is an offering to others as a visual acknowledgement of the way I see, I hope that the experience of viewing my work is personal to them. it is not necessary to see the way I see, but perhaps there is a momentary shift. In turn, I do believe that it is only through making that I will ever get close to understanding the layers of our existence which I hold dear;
construction sites, 
oil refineries, 
batch plants, 
broken pavement, plastic scraps, trains, 
bio-mimicry, 
concrete, and steel structures. 


What was the best advice given to you as an artist?
My Dad, Charlie Grote, taught me through example that to honestly create beauty, one must work ,work, work, work, and not ever be afraid of getting dirty.

Kinji Akagawa shared with all of his students at MCAD many bits of sage wisdom, but the one that I keep forever in my pocket is "you cannot create in a vacuum".

Tell me about your workspace and your creative process.

In order to be able to fully focus on my S.E.A.10 series, I set up a studio for the time being in Seattle. Here at the studio there is a wonderful south facing, sliding glass door with a deck from where I can see the mountains. Inside there are numerous older wood crates (originally for fruit and ammo) stacked vertically, holding books, tools, paint cans and random bits of colored plastic. On the wall, a sweet painting by Christopher (CAW) Williams, and by my side, Mildred the bulldog.

The crates are an attempt to create order but usually the order has to be put back together every few days as it starts to spin into chaos while I'm working.

My working methodology differs quite a bit from 3D and 2D. While work from either dimensionality consistently reference structure as form, they each commence in seemingly different operational modes. With this new body of 2D work I am simply taking the initial compositional moment that drew my attention and exploring it through the act of sifting, pulling and flattening visual information.

Who are some of the Minnesota artists you enjoy?
Shannyn Joy Potter www.shannynjoypotter.com
Christopher Williams christopherwilliamsart.blogspot.com/
Allison Hiltner www.alisonhiltner.com
John Grider / Broken Crow www.brokencrow.com
Shawn McNulty www.shawnmcnulty.com
Erin Sayer erinsayer.com and her Gallery, Cult Status.
+ ALL her ladies that currently make up THE CULT SISTERS. the original core includes the following super talents :

Kara Hendershot,

JM Culver
and Louisa Greenstock

Mark Edward Hayden www.markedwardhayden.info
Todd Peterson http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/todd-peterson.html
Louis LaPierre www.louisnlapierre.com
Tara Costello www.mnartists.org/artistHome.do?rid=97935
Caroline Keefe carolinekeefe.com

If I were to follow you around to see art in Minnesota, which places would we go? What would we see?
1st stop would be AMBLES www.amblesmachinery.com/ for it is truly the closest thing to heaven in my mind. What could be better than a machine and hardware shop / tool bone-yard / scrap yard?! Plus the owner is .... well, someone needs to put him in a movie. Ambles is my one stop resource and inspiration destination.

2nd, the studios of Shannyn Joy Potter, Tracy Olson , Duanne Ditty, and Mike Welton in the Northrup King Building. They each consistently remind me how truly beautiful art can be to experience.

The train yard along HWY 61 by Pigs Eye.
In addition, the train yard along HWY 61 by Pigs Eye.

And lastly, My parents property in Denmark Township where they have created a 20 acre earthwork/ living sculpture.

Where do you go on-line for good art resources, whether to find a new artist, or to see what is going on in the art world locally and otherwise?
In addition to learning about artists in-depth through your interviews on LAI, the 3 sites that I simply relish are:

The Dirt Floor www.thedirtfloor.com
Artlog artlog.com
Artslant www.artslant.com

What can we expect to see from you in the future?
If the S.E.A.10 show goes well, then hopefully I can start on plans to head back to Bangkok. My overarching hope for this show is to raise funding to travel back, and in conjunction with the Empower Foundation, make art alongside the amazing women who are part of the Sex Workers Union.

My desire is to have an exhibition with their artwork that is able to be shown in their home city of Bangkok and also here in Minneapolis. In the mean time, I will be starting straight away on my next 2 series. The first is inspired by the structures within the villages of Juan Mata Ortiz and Santa Rosa, Chihuahua Mexico. The show dates for this series are TBA for this but will be opening in Los Angles, CA sometime in 2012.

Concurrently, I will be embarking on what I hope is a long running series relating to spatial form and structure within major Shipping Harbors as well as processing the nature/necessity/nurture of their qualified existence. Finally, for each of the above mentioned series', including S.E.A.10, there will be a corresponding book published cataloging each body of work.

Hannah Albert - Painter

Hannah Albert

Hannah Albert

seacat63@gmail.com

www.mantrart.typepad.com

On Facebook: Mantra Art

MNArtists Profile
http://mantraart.wordpress.com/

Bio~

I grew up in a small town mostly surrounded by water north of Boston. My family encouraged creative endeavors so early on I gravitated to making art, writing, dancing, and occasionally performing.

After a lot of confused meandering through various art schools I graduated from Tufts and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston with a B.S. in Art Education. I did enough public school teaching to know that wasnʼt my calling - the public school part. I continued making art as I stumbled upon my next phase.

Having always had an interest in alternative health, I ended up earning a doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine in Portland Oregon, and spent about 10 years practicing Homeopathy, a holistic paradigm of medicine. But when I was diagnosed with cancer in 2003 is when my life came to a distinct turning point.

At that time I reconnected with my creative instinct in a more serious way. My art suddenly became more charged. I began to produce retreats for my patients that brought together various healing processes and art-making; a kind of “art therapy.” Since moving to Minneapolis the retreats and workshops have developed into a business and Iʼm starting to bring the work into clinical settings for people in the healing arts. I enjoy bringing together many disciplines that Iʼve practiced for years into a shared experiential event.

What are you currently working on? How is this different from past projects?

Iʼm working on a series employing the sacred geometric symbol known as the

Seed of Life; stencils, acrylic, and oil paint. Iʼm combining more precise, con-

trolled marks and pattern with more spontaneous techniques. Last year was all

about layering acrylic and oils together, 2009 was more controlled and figurative,

this year Iʼm bringing it together. In the past Iʼve stitched on the canvas; this year

Iʼll be doing it in a different way. I work intuitively. The blending of sensuality and

spirituality and the ways we experience being in a body as a spirit are ongoing subjects.

Why did you become an artist?

Itʼs in my blood. My whole family is artistic: my sister does web design, dad loves wood working, and mom paints and was a potter for 35 years.

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

“Look at the negative space” was formative. To be honest, Iʼve tried to forget most of what teachers have said.

Tell me about your working space and your creative process?

I work in my studio at the Casket Arts Building. My process involves creating an

altered state through music, yoga, or dance that allows my thinking mind to step out of the way and I can become a channel. I deliberately work with chance by using techniques over which I have only partial control. Iʼm interested in the intersection of head and heart, that familiar human struggle; but itʼs only after the

work is complete that I start to recognize what itʼs about. Sometimes that produces darker work, sometimes lighter, depending on whatʼs happening in my life.

Which Minnesota artists do you enjoy?

Joseph Naughton http://www.josephnaughton.com/Site/start.html

Doug Beasley http://www.douglasbeasley.com/index.html

Laura Stack http://www.laurastackart.com/

Josie Lewis http://www.josielewis.com/

Tara Costello http://rosaluxgallery.com/artists/tara-costello.html

Jennifer Davis http://www.jenniferdavisart.com/info.html

Nicholas Harper of Rogue Buddha

Caitlin Karolczak http://studiosilenti.com/

Iʼm still pretty new to MSP so thatʼs a partial list.

If I were to follow you around on an “art day” in Minnesota, which places would we go?

What would we see?

Iʼd start with the Asian arts collection at the MIA. I canʼt go there without looking

at the buddhas, scholarʼs rocks, and landscape paintings. I most appreciate art that

makes me feel transported, emotionally touched. I also enjoy whatever is new at the

Walker; even though my work is not conceptual I find inspiration from a wide range of

work. For galleries, Rosalux and Rogue Buddha are my favorite.

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?

There is not one single source. It ranges from random googling, to Mplsart.com, friends

and Facebook. When I travel I let my nose lead me.

Do you have any exhibits or any interesting things going on in your life

or coming up in the near future?

I have about 10 pieces hanging at The Om Collective on 34th and Lyndale in up-

town. My work seems natural in an environment designed for spiritual and yoga prac-

tices. Iʼve just been invited to show work at One Yoga March 27- May 1, 2011. Iʼm working on

getting my art into a gallery space in the Twin Cities.

Shannyn Joy Potter - Sculpture

so close, detail. oak. 2010

Shannyn Joy Potter

Cult Status Gallery Featured Interview for

VD11

Exhibit Dates: 2/11/2011 through 3/4 2011

Opening Reception: Friday 2/11 7pm- 1AM

Shannyn Joy Potter
City/State: minneapolis, mn
Email: info@shannnjoypotter.com
Website: shannynjoypotter.com

Bio:
Shannyn Joy Potter received her B.F.A. from College of Visual Arts in St. Paul, MN with a focus on drawing. Her interest turned to wood sculpture in the mid 90’s where it is still held today. She lives and works in Minneapolis where she exhibits sculpture and curates and organizes art events.

Tell me about your work? What are you currently working on? How is this different from past projects?
My work consists of abstract, wood wall reliefs. They tend to be large, averaging around 8 feet for the horizontals lately, with the smaller ones around 4 feet. They're minimal in aesthetic and composition. I'm currently working on finishing one smaller vertical piece for the show VD11 (Cult Status Gallery), which I am also curating. It has been a huge, really fun, project that I've been working on for months. The show will be similar to other local events that we have had, (VD09, and Eleven on Eighteen of '08), multi-media art events. One significant difference is that we will be having the show at Cult Status instead of the Northrup King building this year. Erin Sayer's two story gallery is especially conducive for creating a separate space for video artist and music, which will make a great entrance to the show.

connect, detail. maple + steel. 2011

"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'm not trying to make a statement with my work. I do it because I have to. I don't feel like myself without making it. I see beauty in nature, and life, and that has created a dialogue within me that is expressed through a material. That dialogue expands when the work is exposed and exhibited. I welcome whatever response that may arise as a result of that.

What was the best advice given to you as an artist?
My grandmother Lucille who told me, 'no matter what, never stop.' It haunts me when I feel lazy.
Tell me about your work space and your creative process?
I've been working out of the Northrup King Building (http://www.northrupkingbuilding.com/) in NE Minneapolis on and off for the last 20 years. My first studio space was there. Although I moved out of Minnesota twice, every time I've returned one of three spaces in row has opened up. I love that building. Regardless of the time of day, there's always someone working. Despite all of the working artists around, it's still quiet.


That is especially useful for me when I am starting a sculpture. I spent a lot of time, often in silence, often sitting on the floor, just looking at a roughed planed board. I look until the composition becomes clear, which may take hours or months. The next phase is the subtraction of material through chiseling, grinding and sanding. Then layers are added. I often use stains, paints, venetian plaster, and lately have been incorporating steel wires, plates and rods, through and around. I continue adding and removing until the piece is quiet, or at least resolved.

unfold, detail. elm. 2011

Who are some of the Minnesota artists you enjoy?
I've always admired the work of sculptor and now public artist Randy Walker (http://www.randywalkerarts.com/index.htm). Robert Brown is also a sculptor who has had me in awe for years but is fairly private about his work. Then also you must also look to everyone who is in VD11. Gina Louise (http://www.divergentlayers.com/) does amazing things with pom pom's. Caroline Keefe (http://carolinekeefesculpture.blogspot.com/) has changed the way I see felt. Whitney Tuthill's abstract ceramics are stunning. John Erste's (http://www.kierans.com/Erste/Erste-Resume.htm) twisted paintings will burn in your brain. Tara Costello (http://bcexhibitions.com/costello.html) paintings must be experienced. So many more, I know I am forgetting.

If I were to follow you around to see art in Minnesota, which places would we go? What would we see?
Soap Factory is one the best galleries by far. They're always showing a good range of fresh work. I also appreciate Burnett Gallery at the Chambers Hotel. The MAEP gallery at the MIA is a local treasure. I try to attend openings at the Circa Gallery, Rosalux, Midway Contempory Art, Fox Tax, the SOO Gallery and the Highpoint Center for Printmaking. As well as the big shows at the wonderful Walker and the Weisman. There's so many great art venues here, small and large.

one, detail. cedar + steel. 2009

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 tend to follow links through Twitter which often tends to lead from one link to another. I regularly visit the NY times art section often on my phone, and the Huffington Posts arts. Facebook has also been really useful for sharing and finding out about local events as well.

relent, detail. oak + steel. 2010

Do you have any exhibits to promote in the near future?
Yes, very, very soon VD11, http://www.vd11.com/ will be happening. Opening reception will be Friday, February 11th, 2011 7pm at Cult Status Gallery at 2913 Harriet Ave. S. Mpls. Then Art-A-Whirl is right around the corner in May in Northeast Mpls.

Burnsville Visual Arts Society

Terrence Payne - Painter

Terrence Payne has lived and worked in the Minneapolis area for the past fifteen years, building a body of unique and thought provoking work while exhibiting at galleries and universities throughout the united states. His work can be found in private, corporate and collegiate collections throughout the world. Terrence founded Rosalux gallery eight years ago to give local emerging and mid career artists an opportunity to exhibit their work in an environment that would bring them higher visibility while nurturing their artistic callings without the limitations imposed by many commercial galleries. Serving as gallery director since its inception , he has helped over sixty local artists further their art careers through their involvement with Rosalux.

Terrence Payne

www.terrencepayne.com

terrencepayne.blogspot.com

tjpayne@comcast.net

You are currently exhibiting as part of the Minnesota Artist Exhibition Program (MAEP) at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. This seems like quite and honor and opportunity. Tell me about the work you are showing there.

I'm showing a group of eight large oil pastel drawings. My drawings are typically portraits of different archetypes defined by the figure in the piece, their costume, action, secondary objects around the figure and a sort of wallpaper pattern behind them which sets the undertone for the entire work. For this show I am using the same pattern in each individual drawing to give an underlying unity to the entire show. I'm hoping that it will read as to how different sorts of personalities react to a similar situation and how what each one brings to a scenario can affect its outcome.

You have a special place in the Minneapolis arts community in that not only are you an artist, but you are also the founder of the Rosalux Gallery, which is one of the relatively few galleries in the twin cities accessible to emerging artists to show their work. Whose work have you shown that you are proud to say you have been able to provide an opportunity for exposure?

I would have to say that I am proud to have been a part of giving any and all of our artists past and present an opportunity for exposure. When I started the gallery I had this idea of creating a space where the artists have an active roll not only in the creation of their work but also in the promotion and exhibition of it as well. By asking that they take on the financial risks of exhibiting their work that also gave them the freedom to do what they wanted to do how they wanted to do it. Specifically for emerging artists I think that this is an extremely valuable experience because they are learning how to write a press release, edit the work in a show, garner and maintain a database of individuals who are interested in their work, put together a portfolio of their work to send out to new markets and begin to build a network of peers to share information with with regards to furthering their careers.

In the time since we opened our first location we have worked with over sixty local artists as members in the group, as well as the many others who have participated in the annual open door exhibition, and through these connection I hope that we have managed to make a positive impact on the local arts scene. The main motivation for Rosalux has always been to act as a tool with which to strengthen the Minneapolis arts community with the belief that by strengthening our artists at how it will create a better impression for all abroad.

Many artists find art to be a solitary experience, where creating community can be difficult. I wonder if you might have a different experience. I referring specifically to the Pilot Arts Group. The Pilot Arts webpage says it was created to provide updates of the “collective and individual endeavors of Pilot Artists.” Can you tell me how this group came together? What advantages have you found by working as part of a collective? Do you have any advice for others who might want to go down this same path?

Pilot is something that grew out of an idea that John Alspach and I had for Rosalux several years ago as a different way of promoting our art in hopes of finding a larger audience for the work of local artists. The basic idea of it being that we would work with a smaller group of artists and buy advertising in national design magazines to promote a website for the group and do one or two shows at alternative spaces each year.

The Rosalux group wasn't ready to give it a go so we decided to work with some other artists who were further along in their careers and would be more comfortable trying some new things. The first show we had was in a vacant storefront in uptown that coincided with our first ads in Dwell magazine and it went pretty well. As time went on and newer less traditional media started to spring up which made more sense for artists to put their efforts into pursuing rather than print ads the group changed its focus to being an annual exhibition collective which seeks out one show a year outside of minnesota.

Our next show is this coming october at the Greyduck gallery in Austin, Texas. Overall I think that pilot has been a great thing for us, its seems to have evolved into more of a guild than a collective in that it is a place for a group of peers to share ideas and experiences and try new things.

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

I can't remember any specific words of wisdom that I ever received from anyone in particular, but I would like to give a shout out to M.C. Anderson of the former M.C. Gallery which used to be downtown back in the day. It was my first experience showing in a gallery and M.C. tolerated me hanging around and asking annoying questions about the art world which was really where I learned great deal about how things work in the world of art and commerce.

Which Minnesota artists do you enjoy?

eeerghh! I am terrible at remembering the names of artists but I have no problem remembering the images I see. First off, there are none better than Jen Davis, Joe Sinness, and Erica Olson Gross who are my exhibition partners this fall inthe MAEP Galleries at the MIA. I have seen a lot of awesome local art this year but these are a few that have really stuck with me: I have really enjoyed following the design work of Land Land this year, the drawings of Nick Howard, the photos of Areca Roe, and the sculpture of Amelia Biewald. These are some of the artists who have made definite impact on what I am doing right now in one way or another.

If I were to follow you around on an “art day” in Minnesota, which places would we go? What would we see?

We would probably start our day at the MIA looking around and wandering aimlessly waiting for something to spark something for us( I usually go there and do that when I am stuck on an idea or looking for inspiration). then we might stop for lunch at Victors and head over to Andy Ducetts garage and see what kind of weirdness is going on there. next stop is the shiny robot studios in NE to see whats being made up there and probably we would end up at Jim Wrayge's studio in the Northrup King getting drunk and embellishing stories about stupid things we used to do.

What was the last local exhibit you saw and what were your impressions?

I just went to the opening for Tara Costello's new show at Rosalux this past weekend as well as the new shows at SooVac the weekend before which features work by Liz Miller, Justin Stewart, Pam Valfer and Allen Brewer. They were all top notch and the biggest impression I am usually left with after visiting most shows in the twin cities is how lucky we are to be living in a community that turns out and supports its artists as well as the quality of work happening in town on any given day.


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 like to check out Fecal Face, Tiny Showcase, Artist a Day, and then whatever links I find on Facebook or that get sent to me by other artists.

How do you incorporate your blog, Facebook, and other social media/internet resources into your life as an artist?

I pretty much use my blog as a diary for my own purposes considering the amount of traffic it gets. Its a good place to put up new work and sketches I am working on to see how they fit in with a larger group of work. Facebook is great for sending out invites to shows and spy on what others are doing and I use my website as an online point of reference for others to get a sense of who I am as an artist.

Do you have any exhibits or any interesting things going on in your life or coming up in the near future?

I do, I will be showing in the MAEP galleries at the art institute (MIA) this month with Jen Davis, Joe Siness, and Erica Olson Gross in a show called Flourish which opens October 21st as well as another group show this month in Austin,Ttexas at the Grayduck Gallery with the Pilot Arts Group and that one opens on the fourteenth. Then its back to Rosalux which will be hosting our annual juried competition Open Door this November and I'll be spending the winter preparing new work for a show there this coming April.