Art Gallery
CURRENTLY ON EXHIBIT:
June 29 – August 9
Mary Jo Winter, black and white photography and haiku
Dick Zawacki, wood carving
Photography has always been a great way to captures moments in time. I have been taking photographs for a long time. Topics and series have varied over the years. My tree photos have been going on for over 20 years. These tree photos simply stood out to me in such a way to try and capture the essence of the tree. I don’t think of myself as a tree hugger but I have been known to hug one or two.
I actually live outside of Dennison and grew up in Bloomington MN. I do have a Fine Art Degree from the College of Art and Design from 1984. Biggest accomplishment in the last few years is being a Grandma to 4 wonderful grandkids.
Mary Jo Winter
As a woodcarver with over 30 years experience I mainly carve realistic animals, birds, human faces, and chip carved items. My favorite woods to carve are native Minnesota butternut and basswood. I have tried most types and styles of carving and find them all enjoyable. When taking classes and participating in carving seminars, I find that parts of the process I learn in one carving style can often be applied to another style. I have had the pleasure to study with many nationally known teachers, but I find, that like most art, you learn best by doing.
Carving has changed how I relate to things I encounter in every day life. I now observe and perceive things instead of just “seeing” them. For example, I look at the difference in people’s noses or ears that I see in a crowd when I carve a new face. Even animals and birds of the same species have a lot of individual differences. My carving subjects are often taken from things that are part of my life or have special interest to me. At the same time, exploring new subjects helps me develop and expand my carving skills.
I really enjoy seeing the beauty of the wood grain emerge and enhance a carving as it gets down to the final form. My carving sessions serve as a great way to turn 15 minutes into 3 hours. Recently, I started wood turning and that is a new passion of mine. Turning has really exposed me to the beauty found in many common wood species. Often a piece of wood that has a very ordinary exterior, and might have been on its way to someone’s fireplace, reveals a finished product with a grain pattern and internal effects that are striking.
One of these days, when I finally grow up, I will decide on which style or subject suits me best. Until then, I will just keep learning and making more wood chips.
–Dick Zawacki
Coming up next in the FiftyNorth Gallery!
“Seeing Our Cannon River Watershed”
Mary Ellen Frame, photography
August 10 – September 13
Mary Ellen Frame Artist Statement
Why do I make photographs? Wherever I am, whatever I’m doing, I keep seeing images, bits of the visual world that I want to preserve and to share with others. Sometimes what I see appeals to me because of the joy that sheer beauty brings me; sometimes a scene tells a story or makes a connection that others might not notice; sometimes it’s the happenstance arrangement of shapes, colors, textures that make an arresting combination. For me, the best photographs combine two or more of these elements.
Why the Cannon River Watershed? I’ve had a long connection to the Cannon River, growing up on a farm in Waterford Township, about a half a mile from it, and now I live five blocks from it. It provides a rich connection with the natural world for me. For many of us, the river and its tributaries are part of our daily lives, as we cross bridges, or walk along the various streams. We fear the river in flood stage, but on benign days we enjoy canoeing, fishing and walking or biking beside it. The watershed, as a whole, attracts and supports wildlife. Changes of seasons and its many moods make it a multi-faceted presence.
Creating this exhibit has enlarged and enriched my knowledge and appreciation of this entire region. I want to share some of that with others, perhaps to stimulate the viewer’s curiosity and awareness of the river and the complexity of what a watershed is.
This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts & cultural heritage fund.