Archives

Here are the particulars about our summer program for kids. It is very exciting, well-organized and expanded in hours over 50% from last year’s successful program. Basically, we have set the program up for two age groups: grades one, two and three, and then a second group for grades four, five, and six. Join “kewl” instructors like Andy Lum, Cynthia Welle, Katie Schmitt, Erica Ness, April Rypka, Jennifer Simpson-Dahl, Paul Christianson, Katie Wall, and more for a productive and FUN experience. Each week long class costs $80 with an additional $10 material fee, and each Saturday class costs $15 plus a $5 material fee. You can register in person at The Art Store in downtown Northfield, by phone by calling 507-645-2555, or by mailing to ArtOrg, 200 Division Street (riverside entrance), Northfield, MN 55057. Remember that registrations are only held if you have paid.

We are holding SIX WEEKS of classes throughout the summer, and each week runs Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. The younger age group runs from 9:30 to 11:30 and the older age group runs from 1:00 to 3:00.

In addition, TEN SATURDAYS will also have special classes. 9:00 am to 10:30 am for grades one, two, and three; and from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm for grades four, five and six.

Each class can be registered for independently. Here are the topics:

SIX WEEK LONG CLASSES:

June 19-22: morning (A1) and afternoon (B1) session
Pop-Art: Learn about the Pop-art movement as you discover the work of Claus Oldenburg and Andy Warhol. Make over-sized sculptures; plunge into printmaking, and design portraits. Katie Schmitt

June 26-29: morning (A2) and afternoon (B2) session
Early Tribes: Cynthia will be researching early native tribes from Mexico and South America to get art ideas for this class. Collage using traditional items is just one of the activities planned. (Please note that this is a bilingual English / Spanish class!) Cynthia Welle

July 10-13: morning (A3) and afternoon (B3) session
Multiculturism & Multimedia: We will look at and use as a resource work from Africa, Asia, South America, or the Pacific Islands. Even our snacks will reflect the area of study. Erica Ness

July 17-20: morning session only (A4)
Write and Illustrate a Book: Using a collection of fabulous picture books as a starting point, we will create a rough draft, ‘story board’, make illustrations, add text, and bind our own stories. Jennifer Simpson-Dahl

July 17-20: afternoon session only (B4)
Body Parts: Faces, hands, and feet all have been easy subjects for artists. Come and use drawing, painting, cut paper, and collage to express yourself. Connie Halpern

August 7-10: morning (A5) and afternoon (B5) session
Mobiles: Do you like to tinker? Learn how American artist Alexander Calder turned his love for tinkering into art in motion. Make mobiles, draw with wire, and create a circus scene inspired by Calder. Katie Schmitt

August 14-17: morning session only (A6)
Puppet-making: We’ll use a favorite story to get us started, create puppets, and put on a show. Jennifer Simpson-Dahl

August 14-17: afternoon session only (B6)
Mask-making: Animals will be our jump off point. With different paper techniques we will make masks. Look for real, semi-real, or mystical creatures at the end of the session. Katie Wahl

TEN SATURDAY CLASSES

June 17: first 9:00-10:30 (A7) and second 11:00-12:30 (B7) session
Abstract Expressionism: Using paints, kids will experiment with color, composition, and form. We’ll start by getting ideas from famous artists and their work. Paul Christianson

June 24: first 9:00-10:30 (A8) and second 11:00-12:30 (B8) session
Drawing Flowers: Drawing what you see is a challenge! Using colored pencils students will learn to use their eye to create a drawing of a flower. Paul Christianson

July 1 and July 8: (sign up for both Saturdays) first 9:00-10:30 (A9) and second 11:00-12:30 (B9) session
Relief Printing: Animals will be our theme – we’ll explore the process of relief printmaking. Andy Lum

July 15: first 9:00-10:30 (A10) and second 11:00-12:30 (B10) session
Memory Landscapes: Painting will be our medium. Using memory we will reproduce a familiar landscape. Examples will get the process started. Paul Christianson

July 22 and July 29: (sign up for both Saturdays) first 9:00-10:30 (A11) and second 11:00-12:30 (B11) session
A 2-day Clay Special: Coil building and pinching are a couple of techniques we’ll experiment with and then paint our creations. April Rypka

August 5: first 9:00-10:30 (A12) and second 11:00-12:30 (B12) session
Masquerade: Uncover the magic of masks! Design masks that express your emotions and creativity. Learn about masks from other cultures and how to build masks using a variety of materials. Katie Schmitt

August 12: first 9:00-10:30 (A13) and second 11:00-12:30 (B13) session
Color: Learn what color can do. Using paint we’ll see how different colors affect us in different ways. April Rypka

August 19: first 9:00-10:30 (A14) and second 11:00-12:30 (B14) session
It’s a Bug’s Life: Summer is here and so are the bugs! Create large-scale creepy, crawly insects that are big enough to scare away those pesky mosquitoes. Learn about scale and proportion in art while discovering the insect world. Katie Schmitt

The second year of our big summer arts program is here!

There will be six weeks of classes which run from 9:30 am to 11:30 am for grades one, two and three; and from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm for grades four, five and six. The classes run Monday through Thursday. The weeks of Continue Reading…

ArtOrg has a 2500-square-foot printmaking studio located under The Art Store in downtown Northfield. The startup of such an “equipment-intensive studio” can take time and the acquisition of the proper equipment can be a lot of hard work.

As luck would have it, however, ArtOrg contacted Minneapolis artist Jerry Brodish when it was learned that Jerry had a nearly complete printmaking etching studio in storage. Jerry ran this studio in a 1600-square-foot loft in Northeast Minneapolis for many years, and some of those years the studio was operated on a co-operative basis (where artists rent time in the studio for a monthly fee). Jerry liked what he saw and has agreed to integrate his printmaking studio into ours.

Prints that were produced by the German printmaker Linda Schwarz in Jerry’s former studio are in the print collection at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts!

The equipment that will soon be part of the ArtOrg printmaking studio include a 40” x 72” Takach etching press, various large flat files and other furniture, and a large 24” x 36” hotplate. A large Nuarc flip top exposer that has been improved with a more contemporary xenon light source, and various stainless steel wet and dry sinks are also a part of the package. In addition to Jerry’s stuff, ArtOrg has recently put large 50″ x 81″ 50-tray drying racks in the studio. These racks are the largest size commonly available and can service both the Jerry’s etching press and our large 48″ wide litho press.

Join us in welcoming established printmaker Jerry Brodish and his wonderful equipment to ArtOrg!

Studio Art and Art History senior Joe May has received a Finstad Grant to start a new business from the Finstad Office for Entrepreneurial Studies at St. Olaf College. The description reads:

Morgan Photography Studios provides the St. Olaf and Northfield communities with high quality photography services at a price more reasonable for local artists and college students than full professional rates. Specializing in studio portfolio shooting as well as your special event photography, flexibility is one of our strong suits! By working through an outside developer, MPS is able to keep developing costs down allowing anyone to have their portfolio slides or their last college events recorded forever without breaking the bank! Look to Morgan when you’re thinking of applying to art grad schools or when the Conference Game or Home Concert is coming up!

Joe has already completed groups of high quality and also web-ready portfolio photographs for artists in the area, and is ready to do more. Please contact Joe May of Morgan Photography Studios at “jmay at stolaf.edu” for your photography and portfolio needs.

Monday, April 10 and Tuesday, April 11. Click here for details.

ArtOrg is pleased to announce a gallery show of the watercolor paintings of Nancy Carlson and the intaglio prints of Virginia Kelly. Both artists explore the influence of other cultures in their work. The opening of the show is Friday March 10 from 7 to 10 pm at the ArtOrg Moving Walls Gallery at the riverside entrance of 200 Division Street in Northfield.

“Jalapa” is the title of Nancy Carlson’s showing of brilliant, jewel-toned watercolors which reflect Nancy’s mission travels to Nicaragua. Nancy studied nursing at St. Olaf and has recently traveled to Nicaragua tin order to bring health services to the people of Japlapa. “Mystery” is a showing of the rich symbolism which speaks to Virginia’s inspiration. Virginia Kelly is a designer of luxery fabrics and fashion clothing who has lived a life of art, travel and exploration of of many cultures which is reflected in her work.

The show runs from March 10 to March 19 and the gallery hours are Thursdays 5 to 8 pm, Fridays 5 to 8 pm, Saturdays from 1 to 4 pm, and Sundays from 1 to 4 pm. Please request special viewing by making an appointment by calling 507-645-2555.

Here is a pdf file of our new winter class schedule.

Winter 06 Class Schedule

Thank you.

Northfield, Minn.—Fiber arts, space, family farms, young artists and the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. are the themes explored during Northfield’s winter Art Crawl on Friday, Jan. 13. Exhibitions and festivities will take place at ArtOnWater, ArtOrg’s Moving Walls Gallery and nearby Printmaking Studio, Northfield Arts Guild and the Northfield School of Arts and Technology (ARTech). All ArtCrawl events are free and open to the public.

On Jan. 13 from 6 to 10 p.m., ArtOrg’s Moving Walls Gallery will host a closing party for the exhibition “John Berkey Observed,” which was extended for an additional month due to demand. The show was one of the most financially successful in Minnesota during 2005, with proceeds benefiting ArtOrg’s nonprofit activities. ArtOrg will display custom made giclee prints of Berkey’s work and will offer discounts on orders placed during the evening.
In addition, ArtOrg will initiate an extraordinary Berkey-approved eBay auction of one of his original 1977 conce! ptual art pieces for the movie “Star Wars”—timed to close during the Jan. 13 evening festivities, which Berkey and his wife, St. Olaf College Class of 1956 member Demi Wahl Berkey, plan to attend. ArtOrg’s Moving Walls Gallery is accessible from the back parking lot at 200 Division St. S. For more information, call (507) 645-2555.

ArtOrg’s 2000 square foot Printmaking Studio will celebrate its Grand Opening with printmaking demonstrations on Friday, Jan. 13 from 6 to 10 p.m. and Saturday, Jan. 14 from noon to 4 p.m. Scott King of Red Dragonfly Press will be demonstrating letterpress techniques and local artists, inclu! ding Rick Swearer and Liz See, will demonstrate many of the available presses. The community studio was created so that working printmakers and those who want to learn about the process have a place to create and use specialized equipment, including one of the few surviving large lithography presses in the country. ArtOrg’s Printmaking Studio is located on the lower floor of 314 Division St. S., accessible by stairs near The Art Store entrance. For more information, call (507) 645-2555.

ArtOnWater Gallery is celebrating Continue Reading…

ArtOrg has worked hard to create a viable printmaking group for about one year, and it is just now coming together in a big way! Last Saturday’s unveiling of a large traditionally-made lithographic print to rave reviews was one of many highlights to the special Northfield Sesquicentennial Governor’s Ball. The print was sold in a silent auction for $2300, which means that the committee has recouped its investment in the project already.

Photos of the print can be seen courtesy of Northfield.org’s wonderful coverage of the event. The first photo shows artist Kari Alberg and the print. The second shows MC Chip DeMann presenting a small color study to former Governor Al Quie. Another photo shows the print in the background, and still another shows the same. The litho print itself measured almost four feet wide and six feet tall. The print was a glowing participant on the left side of the Minnesota Jazz Orchestra and the Northfield Youth Choirs, and the large black-walnut presentation frame manufactured by Myrl Dahl was a wonderful accompaniment to the print.

It seems that some kind of a “perfect storm” came together that allowed the print to happen.

1) The special super-size litho press. The printing press was Continue Reading…