Thursday, June 14, 2012

CYCLONE OF CREATIVITY, PART II

This bit highlights a few of the myriad talented artists that I viewed. I urge you to attend next year’s AAW or an art-crawl in your area. Many of the buildings and independent studios have events throughout the year. Prepare to be awed. Part I of this review was posted on June 11th. www.nemaa.org

Porcelain glazed plates, vases, and forms are coupled with the friendliest artist on the art crawl, Jeff Longtin at the California Building. He was gracious and informative regarding the process. Mr. Longtin can be reached at 612-824-5939. Artistic Indulgence wins high marks for their hospitality. They had an impressive array of treats to consume while viewing the music inspired artwork of Mike Menasco. Bright jazzy paintings and a fine art custom framing shop beautifully arranged despite just moving into the Thorp Building. www.theartisticindulgence.com

Giving a boost to others is helpful for the whole community. The Thorp Building hosted the Bethel University Senior Thesis Exhibition. Some of the emerging artists were quite impressive and I look forward to their future work. www.bethel.edu/galleries Altered Esthetics in the Qarma Building is a nonprofit gallery featuring revolving exhibits. I was pleasantly surprised by the artwork displayed. www.alteredesthetics.org

Happy to have visited with a couple of last year’s winners, Alison Price and Nicole Fierce. They both are doing well in their new studio spaces and creating exciting pieces. I have written about them in this blog and you should visit their websites for information. Contact Alison Price at www.alisonpricestudios.com or 612-805-1886. Nicole Fierce can be contacted at www.fiercedesignstudio.com or 651-271-2502. Please patronize all the artists listed.

BEST OF SHOW:
Song Thao fabulously blends traditional Hmong story cloth (pan dau) images with abstraction. Large sweeping work. He is clearly talented and his hefty canvases reflect a variety of moods. Contact Mr. Thao at www.songyerthao.com or 651-210-9715.

HONORABLE MENTIONS:
* Rabi Sanfo creates sculptures and wall hangings with strength. Multiple layers of design, metal and meaning. www.yarbidesign.com
* Larry Retzlaff mixes good humor with his media. Daring garish cartoon buildings and silly Styrofoam crayon heads are in his repertoire. llretzlaff@gmail.com
* Farida Hughes is dotty, polka-dots with a twist, that is. Her multihued dots dance on the canvas. frhughes@comcast.net
* Frank Wetzel creates stunning portraits and lovely landscapes. Beauty is beheld. fbwetzel@yahoo.com
* Neal Perbix mixes wire, paint, and cut out sculpture for creative wall hangings. www.nealperbix.com
* Marcia McEachron is a sculptor, painter, and wire twister extraordinaire. Her war horse painting looks like its about to charge into the room. www.marciamceachron.com
* Candice Simpson eases the eye with ephemeral nature paintings. Soft, sweet, and breezy. www.candicesimpson.com
* Martin Arend is a modern icon maker. His audacious, complicated images are the stuff of deep dreams or nightmares. mea421@gmail.com
* Geri Retzlaff weaves fiber into artistic scarves and fabrics. Geri.Retzlaff@gmail.com
* Reynaldo Diaz has a sharp eye for design. Bright scenes move through his work. Reynaldo_diaz@comcast.net
* Nanci Yermakoff watercolors are meditative. Sit down, relax, and view the rising or setting sun over the lake. www.mnartists.org/nanci_yermakoff
* David Sollie blends ad-type with irreverent puns. Snappy absurdity brings a smile. www.shackway.com
* Leslie A. Pilgrim doesn’t hesitate with her stunning pieces. Bold vision to brighten up any space and place. www.winterberryinc.com

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© 2012 Ima B. Musing

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