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Past Exhibitions
Spring Members' Exhibition
- April 8 - May 14, 2023
- Opening Reception: Saturday, April 8, 6 - 8 pm. Award presentation at 7 pm.
The annual spring show of work by Friends of the Hopkins Center for the Arts Member Artists. All members are eligible to show 1 to 2 pieces of work in this show. Works will be judged for awards and announced at the award presentation on April 8 at 7 pm. For more information about participating, please visit: Spring Members' Show
Minnesota Artists Association
- March 2 - April 1, 2023
- Opening Reception: Thursday, March 2, 6-8 pm
Formed in 1937, the Minnesota Artists Association is an all-inclusive organization welcoming members working in a variety of mediums. Throughout MAA’s history, their membership has boasted a veritable who’s who of art in our state. Celebrating its 86th year, this exhibition features a juried selection of work by current members.
Ubah Students Exhibition
- March 2 - April 1, 2023
- Opening Reception: Thursday, March 2, 6-8 pm
Ubah Medical Academy presents work from their Photography, Visual Design, and Sculpture students. Their aim is to show their talent and passion through various mediums. This gallery is a sampling of what the students have accomplished throughout this school year.
J Pony Allen '... Ampersand Anon'
- March 2 - April 1, 2023
- Opening Reception: Thursday, March 2, 6-8 pm
This body of work examines and explores the delicious friction between organic growth and manufactured disruption. Inspired by discoveries of bush plane wreckage on barren high tundra, intrusive thoughts, F250s abandoned in woodlands, Darth Vader's paternal admission, irritated molluscs birthing nacreous gems, and stick framed barns caved in by giant's feet; these paintings are, in essence, bootleg interior & exterior landscapes. Like unauthorized recordings of Rock Gods, their authenticity is questionable but the spirit of fanaticism is earnest.
J Pony Allen lives and works in the area. He was born and raised in an interstitial space, a pocket universe between the IDS building and Amber Waves of Grain. He grew up in the wilds of Minnetonka where great mares once ran free, Dead Man’s Hill swallowed sleds, and the Swamp and Woods held great treasure. The woods and swamp have shrunk, fully plundered. The hill has been capped with gardens and Dishes. And the horses have scattered west and east, north and south.
Arts North International
- January 14 - February 25, 2023
- Opening Reception: Saturday, January 14, 6 - 8 PM
In its 28th year, this highly competitive international juried exhibition showcases work by artists from throughout the United States and abroad.
Recent ANI exhibitions have featured work from 27 states, four provinces of Canada, and China. There is a wide range of mediums represented including acrylic, oil, and watercolor paintings, sculptures, fiber and textiles, ceramics, photographs, and more.
JURY & AWARDS More than $10,000 in awards are available, including Best of Show ($3000), 2 Awards of Excellence ($1000 each), 2 Awards of Merit ($500 each), and First, Second, and Third in media categories. Awards are subject to the discretion of the jurors. All jury decisions are final. Additional Special Awards ($100+ each) will be selected by the sponsors.
Reveal: Adult Art Students & Their Instructors - Hopkins Community Education
- December 8, 2022 - January 7, 2023
Reveal features the work of Hopkins Community Education adult students and instructors. Hopkins Community Education, a component of Hopkins Public Schools, strives to create meaningful opportunities for lifelong learning, connection, and engagement within our community.
Greg Lecker 'Watershed'
- December 8, 2022 - January 7, 2023
- Opening Reception: Thursday, December 8, 6-8 PM
Greg Lecker’s art transports viewers to natural & inhabited settings filled with motion, emotion, and color. Energetic chaos up close; then coming together as light & objects when viewed from a distance.
This body of work originated during artist residencies Lecker completed on both the Mississippi and St. Croix Rivers. Funded in part by a Minnesota State Arts Board grant, he traveled across Minnesota painting the major watersheds: the Mississippi River, Lake Superior and the Red River of the North while engaging passersby. The resulting paintings embody the physicality of exploring water and its environment.
Josh Bindewald 'Muchness'
- December 8, 2022 - January 7, 2023
- Opening Reception: Thursday, December 8, 6 - 8 PM
Josh Bindewald creates active, maximal images that reference natural and developed environments. Approached in playful and intuitive spirit, he composes prints, collages, and paintings that are a distillation of the splendor he finds in the natural world, the need for order imposed by humankind, and the resulting discord. This embedded contradiction reinforces the oft-conflicting emotions informing it. The resulting art contains the power to enchant, intended to separate the viewer from all context and provide an undefinable but beneficial type of nourishment.
Members' Juried Exhibition
- October 27 - December 3, 2022
Annual fall show of work by Friends of the Hopkins Center for the Arts Member Artists. The art on display is the result of a juried competition.
Susan Hensel 'At Play in the Fields of Color Perception'
- October 27 - December 3, 2022
Susan Hensel makes sculptural textile work, transforming personal experience, private and public spaces, and experiences of beauty, through the alchemy of color, scale, lighting and placement. She combines mixed-media practices with fabric and embroidery across digital and manual platforms. Her desire to communicate ideas through art continues to be a powerful motivator.
Kar-Keat Chong 'Impressions of the Twin Cities in Ink & Watercolor'
- October 27 - December 3, 2022
Kar-Keat Chong’s life experiences have always been highly informed by the rich heritage and culture of his hometown. He grew up honing his sketching and painting skills on the vibrant streets of Penang, Malaysia, where multi-racial communities co-exist and live in harmony. Over recent summers, Kar-Keat has been out and about sketching landmarks and industrial relics in the Twin Cities he has called home since 1999. Working on location with fountain pens, watercolor and rice paper, he seeks to capture the atmospheric quality of these buildings and sites at a specific moment. As a result, the art he creates is his emotional response to this phenomenon - always striving to be honest and realistic in his interpretations. Through sketching and painting, it makes Kar-Keat pause and be present, truly observe with keen eyes, and understand his subject matter at a more refined level. He hopes through his artwork, he can inspire others to slow down from our fast-paced lives to pause and truly appreciate the beauty that surrounds us each and every day.
Twin Cities Iranian Culture Collective
- September 22 - October 22, 2022
This exhibition showcases work by local Iranian-Americans whose creative work in the arts reflects or illuminates their rich heritage. It is an opportunity for viewers to learn about Iran’s history and culture through visual art.
Barbara Lidfors 'Metaphors of Trees, Woods and Forests'
- September 22 - October 22, 2022
Barbara Lidfors is a landscape and figurative painter who paints the allure of everyday moments and celebrates the significance of the people and places around her. Her nature paintings often incorporate the deeply symbolic and metaphoric possibilities inherent in the natural world to reference universal experience and meaning.
Recently returned to her Minnesota roots after decades of involvement in the German art world, she is enjoying rediscovering the specific beauty of Minnesota’s people and natural wooded areas. She earned an MFA from Vermont College of Norwich University and has exhibited her work in over 100 solo and group shows throughout Germany, the United States and 5 other countries.
Gwen Partin 'Material Elements'
- August 4 - September 10, 2022
In this exhibition, Gwen Partin explores the relationship of people and their environment, reflecting on and questioning how humans fit in the schema of nature. This series of artists books and accompanying monotype and collagraph prints call attention to the beauty of the human/nature relationship, in the spirit of quiet gratitude.
Amy Usdin 'Remnants'
- August 4 - September 10, 2022
Amy Usdin pays homage to aging bodies and landscapes of memory, using worn nets as armatures for woven sculptures that explore ecologies and histories, loss and longing, and the dissonance of nostalgia.
Brandon Movall 'Embracing Our Shadows'
- August 4 - September 10, 2022
Photographer Brandon Movall believes the beautiful image we show off to the world is made better by the act of embracing the shadows we find within. "If we learn to accept and care for these once-rejected dark sides, an extraordinary thing happens: we grow and evolve into our best selves." Movall leverages his ability to see the world as both a civil engineer and a self-taught photographer to craft each image with a unique balance of engineering and art.
Jean Hawton & Shelby Meyerhoff 'Beyond & Bizarre: Natural Illusions'
- June 23 - July 30, 2022
A playful duet of two artists inspired by the natural world. Jean Hawton transforms women's wearables into surprising new expressions for her wardrobe, while Shelby Meyerhoff transforms herself into new creatures. Both artists approach their work as surrealists, provoking not only curiosity but also insights into the nature of self.
Angie Huffman 'Dear'
- June 23 - July 30, 2022
Painter Angie Huffman renders scenes from generally unremarkable life events that bring her joy when she first sees them. Though mundane, they call to her with a harmonious balance of composition and color. Quiet and wordless, these events imply undefined visual narratives and ask for further consideration.
Nishiki Sugawara-Beda 'To Your Own Space: Truthful Peace'
- June 23 - July 30, 2022
Nishiki Sugawara-Beda was born and raised in Japan, where all schoolchildren learn calligraphy. This craft provides the foundation and inspiration for her practice. She uses calligraphy as an entrance point to understand her own culture and to recognize the existence of underlying meanings in all forms -- language, images, even the mundane interactions of being.
Carol Jenkins, Eloise Larson, Kim Presley, Cathy Valentine 'And Now This...'
- May 12 - June 18, 2022
An exhibition of four artists' very personal responses to the shifting uncertainties and challenges of our current times. Each finds respite and inspiration in employing the intuitive mind to explore truths of humanity, compassion, and free thinking.
Carolyn C.S. Kleinberger 'Up Close From A Distance'
- May 12 - June 18, 2022
This series of portraits address the alienation of isolation Carolyn Kleinberger felt during the social distancing of COVID and her drive to recapture a sense of connection with community. She chose models whose faces, personalities and emotions she knows well - friends, children of friends or, in a couple of instances, family. They differ from each other not only in appearance, but also in terms of backgrounds, life experiences, stages of life and approaches to life. As she worked on each painting in her studio, Kleinberger "felt closer to people whom COVID prevented me from embracing in real life."
Jeanne Aaron 'Silk Paintings & Batiks'
- May 12 - June 18, 2022
Jeanne Aaron draws and paints from life and nature around her. Fascinated by the intricate patterns found in flowers and leaves, she seeks to capture the interplay of light and color on natural forms using silk painting and batik. Aaron sees silk batik as an ideal medium for exploring the natural beauty of flowers and leaves.
Spring Members' Nonjuried Exhibition
All Galleries
- March 26 - May 7, 2022
Annual spring show of work by Friends of the Hopkins Center for the Arts member artists. For information about membership and all of the benefits at become a member.
Dan Tran, 'Lost & Found'
February 17 - March 19, 2022
Artist Statement:
As an immigrant deeply indebted to my adopted country, with no formal art training, I offer a fresh look – through the eyes of a child - at socio-political contemporary issues (climate destruction, criminal injustice, human rights, racism) and subjects of eternal human interest (friendship, love, hope, healing.) My paintings express horror, shock, revulsion, at what we as a community have lost, but also joy, hope, wonder, at what we have collectively found. Occasionally I incorporate naive reflections by alien characters upon our sad conundrums.
Viewers will meet childlike stick figures, floating urban landscapes, imaginary space, and characters from history, pop culture and contemporary politics telling today’s narratives. To bring about a rich, dreamlike background, I lay down several layers of paint on each canvas, and texture its flat surface with mesh-shaped acrylic paste, or glue on foreign objects to create a rough, 3D illusion of gritty realities. Childlike I disregard the rules of perspectives and proportions, and freely engage in geometric abstraction of forms. I then unleash the power of brushstrokes, line drawing and mark making to tell the story.
I walk a fine line between the primitivism of a Henri Rousseau and the social engagement of the Mexican muralists, the color exuberance of a Matisse and the subconscious action of the Abstract Expressionists.
Jessie Rasche, 'The Spirit of Prairie Life'
February 17 - March 19, 2022
This exhibition celebrates the abundance of life in rural America, through paintings that focus on the connection grouping animals have with each other and with the land. Rasche aims to capture something true and fundamental about all of us through a close observation of animals and coaxes experiences of comfort, nostalgia, and enhanced sense of connection between the viewer and her subjects. As a contemporary impressionist painter, her goal is to capture something honest and universal, prioritizing gesture and emotion over detail. All of the paintings in this exhibit have strong brush and pallet knife marks, expressing a love of the materials and process as well as of the subject matter.
- January 8 - February 12, 2022
In its 27th year, this highly competitive international juried exhibition showcases work by artists from throughout the United States and abroad.
The jurors selected 158 works for display out of over 800 entries from 27 states, four provinces of Canada, and China. On view is work from China to Rhode Island, New York to Arizona, and 40 communities of Minnesota from Bemidji to Mankato, Battle Lake to Rush City.
There is a wide range of mediums represented including acrylic, oil, and watercolor paintings, sculptures, fiber, ceramics, photographs, and more.
Arts North International 27 Award Winners
The Award Presentation Video and Virtual Tours are available for viewing below -
Arts North International 27 Jurors
Susan Hensel
Susan Hensel received her BFA from University of Michigan in 1972. She has a history, to date, of well over 200 exhibitions, 35 of them solo, twenty + garnering awards. Most recently, Susan had 2-person and group exhibitions scheduled with the Howard County Art Council, Ellicot, MD, Artistry, Bloomington, MN and the Garrett Museum of Art, Garrett, Indiana. Hensel's artwork is collected nationwide, represented in collecting libraries and museums as disparate as the Museum of Modern Art in New York and The Getty Research Institute with major holdings at Minnesota Center for Book Arts, Baylor University and University of Washington. Her new innovative work that blends commercial embroidery processes with sculptural concerns is gaining attention and awards mainly in the US with inroads into Europe. Susan’s knowledge of materials makes it possible for her to create small to large scale hard edge sculpture from soft fabrics that paradoxically keep their crisp form with minimal armatures. Hensel has curated over eighty exhibitions of emerging and mid-career artists from all over the United States and Canada. Hensel's curatorial work ranges from 2000 to the present. The Susan Hensel Gallery promotes Midwest artist online at Artsy.net.
Curt Pederson
Curt Pederson is Senior Curator of Historic Properties at the American Swedish Institute, the past 20 years, working with over 100 exhibitions in the US and Europe. He has developed exhibitions dealing with a variety of mediums and artists, as well as the care of collections at the ASI.
Curt is the Superintendent of the MN State Fair’s “Creative Activities” competition, supervising the entry, judging and display of 5000+ entries from across the state.
John T. Salminen NWS, AWS.DF
John T. Salminen earned his Bachelor’s Degree and Master’s Degree in art from the University of Minnesota. He lives and works in Duluth, Minnesota. John teaches workshops, makes presentations and participates in painting events around the world.
John is a signature member of numerous art societies in the United States, including: the American Watercolor Society – Dolphin Fellowship; the National Watercolor Society; and the Transparent Watercolor Society of America – Distinguished Master. He has had 34 one-person exhibitions in the United States, as well as several small group shows.
John is the President of the International Masters of Watercolour Association centered in Shanghai China and is a member of top organizations in China and Australia. He is an honorary member of the Jiangsu Watercolor Research Institute in China and the first American ever to be awarded membership in the Australian Watercolour Institute.
John’s work is included in permanent collections in Asia and Europe as well as in numerous private and corporate collections around the world.
John has served as juror and/or judge of over 90 national and international exhibitions. His work has been featured in many articles in eight major national and international magazines and in forty-two books in the United States, Europe, Australia, Russia and Asia.
Tom Dimock, 'Boats, Wind, and Sea'
First Floor Lobby Gallery
December 2, 2021 – January 2, 2022
Opening reception: Thursday, December 2, 6-8pm
Tom was born in Omaha, the first of ten children. A Vietnam Navy veteran service finished, he attended and received his BFA from the Art Center in Pasadena and an MFA in Design from the University of Minnesota. Tom is a Minneapolis based award winning artist with true international acclaim having worked in Ireland, Italy and France as well as from coast to coast here in the States.
Carrie Price Schwert, 'Beauty in the Ordinary: Paintings from the Pandemic'
Upper Lobby Gallery
December 2, 2021 – January 2, 2022
Opening reception: Thursday, December 2, 6-8pm
Artist Talk: TBD
In this exhibition of gouache paintings, Carrie Price Schwert examines the beauty of everyday activities and situations:
I'm interested in how experiencing the Covid-19 pandemic has influenced my idea of home. Having spent the last year almost entirely at home with my family, in a small space with limited engagement with the outside world, I've created art work that focuses on that environment. Dynamics between family members became the subject of my work. My daily walks became a source of inspiration as I found respite in meandering the neighborhood. Life became simpler and more ordinary and this is depicted in my work.
ArtHop on Main
Redepenning Gallery
December 2, 2021 – January 2, 2022
Opening reception: Thursday, December 2, 6-8pm
ArtHop on Main features the work of Hopkins Community Education adult students and instructors. Hopkins Community Education, a component of Hopkins Public Schools, strives to create meaningful opportunities for lifelong learning, connection, and engagement within our community.
Fall Members' Juried Exhibition 2021
Redepenning Gallery
October 28 - November 27, 2021
Opening reception: Thursday, October 28, 5 - 8pm
Annual fall show of work by Friends of the Hopkins Center for the Arts Member Artists. The art on display is the result of a juried competition.
Andrea Canter & Cindy Fuerstenberg, 'Naturally Unexpected'
Lobby Gallery, both floors
October 28 - November 27, 2021
Opening reception: Thursday, October 28, 5 - 8pm
Artist Talk: Tuesday, November 2, 6pm
This exhibit brings together two spirited mid-career artists who excel at working in textural layers. In work inspired by nature, Andrea Canter and Cindy Fuerstenberg each bring a fresh freedom from representation while maintaining the context of nature’s reality through their use of natural and upcycled materials. In this exhibit, the artists invite our community to examine and reflect on their own unique relationships with nature.
Cindy Fuerstenberg is a fiber and mixed media artist who finds inspiration in the heartbeat of the land and the inhabitants who came before and live to teach us. She uses organic processes to alter textiles and fibers to achieve her subject matter. Her goal is to share history, science, and endangered species concerns through her work.
Andrea Canter is a photographer and mixed media artist who finds inspiration in the interaction of surfaces and textures found in nature and seeks to reinterpret or reinvent reality. She uses photographic composites and an array of materials on canvas and wood panels to attain her personal, multi-layered compositions.
Keren Kroul, 'An Architecture of Longing'
Redepenning Gallery
September 23 – October 23, 2021
I am interested in the landscape of memory and in the way time collapses, porous and liquid, into magnificent realities. I mine personal memories for moments of vulnerability and longing, and for places of wonder and intimacy. Fascinated by the process of retrieving, recreating, and rearranging memories into building blocks of identity, I reference brain function, crystallization, and topography, visualizing structures of time and the connective network of memory.
Working with watercolor on paper, the imagery begins as small marks and units of shape or color that are accumulated, repeated, and layered into larger fragments. They twist and turn, moving forward and away, revealing depth as they overlap, and expanding into rhythmic organic formations. While some pieces encompass multiple panels or rolls of paper, others form sequential groupings, hinting at the impossibility of borders to contain their progressive growth.
The fragility and fluidity of the watercolor speaks to this quality of memory, resurfacing across and over time, coming in and out of focus, being recreated as it is remembered. The repetition and layering speaks to remembering, a progressively tainted process of reimagining, obliterating, and resurfacing.
Dense and detailed, the works reveal themselves slowly the more time is spent with them. This unfolding of time suggests a slowing down, and by extension, invites the viewer to engage in a more attentive, empathetic experience. The play between micro and macro, the fragility of the single line against the physicality of the overall piece, and the fluid interconnectedness of memory, time, and place, drives the work.
Brenda Litman, Dona Kos, Joan Porter-Einsman, 'Nature, Transformation, and Vision'
Lobby Gallery, both floors
September 23 – October 23, 2021
‘Nature is beautiful, awe inspiring, powerful, serene. It can be described in many ways. Artists have interpreted nature in their art for centuries. It can’t be improved upon. However, visual artists can utilize it with their own vision and artistic freedom. We are three artists inspired by nature, each transforming it as we create art…’
Dona Kos feels a painter can capture the powerful healing energy of nature with brushes and canvas. The energy of trees and water, wind and breezes whether in an abstract or an impression can be a source of transformation for those who view our paintings.
Brenda Litman, strongly influenced by nature references it in abstract paintings with the gestural stroke she considers a natural means of human expression. The forces of nature surround our journey. We are part of nature, her seasons and cycles, her interdependent plan. She considers us blossoms in nature’s garden, wending our way along the pathway of life.
Joan Porter-Einsman Utilizes symbols of nature as metaphors for life itself, a tree for example is all life. It is survival and strength. Its branches reach out. Its roots are as large as the tree itself and communicates using them. Water is needed for life universally. A fish in my art means food for body and soul. A fox is a universal symbol for animal intuition and survival.
Twin Cities Iranian Culture Collective
Redepenning Gallery
August 5 - September 11, 2021
Opening Reception: Thursday, August 5, 5 - 8 pm
This exhibition showcases work by local Iranian-Americans whose creative work in the arts reflects or illuminates their rich heritage. It is an opportunity for viewers to learn about Iran’s history and culture through visual art. Participating artists include Leila Rastegar, Ensi Mohammadian, Niccu Taffarodi, Nicky Torkzadeh, Katayoun Amjadi, Mohammad Noori, Fariba Mousavi, and others.
Minnesota Iran Photographers, 'Iran Today: Photographs by Minnesota Travelers'
Lobby Galleries, first and second floors
August 5 - September 11, 2021
Opening Reception: Thursday, August 5, 5 - 8 pm
In November of 2019, a group of Minnesotans visited Iran, traveling from Tehran in the north to Isfahan, Shiraz and the islands of Qeshm and Hormoz in the Persian Gulf. The photographs in this exhibition document their experience, and capture insights they gained into Iranian culture and the daily lives of its citizens. The work contrasts with the images of Iran presented by the media and presents an alternative view of a country few Americans find opportunity to see for themselves.
Chris Cinque, 'Beyond the Reach of Words'
Lobby Gallery, Second floor
June 24 - July 31, 2021
Given the fact that my life was upended by trauma at an early age, the phrase “art saves lives” is literally true for me. Working as an artist has always been my salvation and my solace. My task has been to create order in a disordered and disoriented life. I did this first for many years in theater as a playwright, performer, and director, and for almost as long a time now as a visual artist. My work continues to be about finding connections: to the muddled and mysterious past, to the dynamics of the present moment, and to the hope that lives in the future. Storytelling, whether it be through line and color or actual words, embodies that desire: to connect to myself so that I may also connect to others. This always happens by turning towards the light that lives in all of us. For me, that means practicing the art of manipulating color and form to tell stories that are full of emotional content, but which lie just beyond the reach of words.
Kristi Kuder, 'Momento'
Redepenning Gallery
June 24 - July 31, 2021
As an installation artist, pushing boundaries by exploring different materials and ways to express myself has always been an instinctive part of my process and artistic effort. My interest as a maker focuses on the ambiguous aspects in our daily life. In a world where boundaries are blurred and presence and absence intersect, I'm compelled to dig into the emotional core of what this means. I believe memory is the author of ambiguity and that belief informs my work.
I often choose to work with wire mesh for its illusive qualities and then augment it with other materials. Mesh’s ability to both reflect and filter light, as well as be delicate yet strong is integral to my artistic expression. Treating wire mesh like fabric and wire like thread; I stitch, fray, knit, felt or layer to create three-dimensional forms and installations that capture the enigmatic nature of ambiguity. Using eyebrow tweezers, in a methodical process, I deconstruct wire mesh thread by thread. I appreciate that the memory from the weave in the deconstructed mesh remains present in the newly formed work.
I’m also intrigued by the inference of presence and absence found in nature. Impressions left by lapping waves along the shoreline, daytime tracings of night-loving creatures and shadows from plant-life upon the earth—their orphic aspects are captured using a cyanotype process with water to create prints on paper and fabric.
Leah Yellowbird, 'Can You Hear Me Now'
Lobby Gallery, First floor
June 24 - July 31, 2021
As a young person, I learned from my extended family how to follow traditional beading patterns, and I have been working in this medium my entire life. This knowledge, combined with my interest in explorations in color has spilled over into the realm of painting. After a challenging time in my life I took a step back from everything and decided to pick up a paintbrush – something that had been absent from my hand for two decades. I had my first solo exhibition in 2013. Since then I have been painting, beading and creating full time. I think of my process in the context of survival; painting and beading are like breathing to me. I draw inspiration from the traditional art forms of my ancestors while adding a modern voice to the imagery. My pointillism work is a visual manifestation of time, each dot embodying a moment and a prayer. I appreciate the synergy of working in a variety of mediums from birch bark to paint on canvas to beads on velvet – each practice informs the others and connects me with my First Nations Algonquin-Metis and Anishinaabe heritage. Through my journey as an artist I know that I never want to stop learning and expanding my understanding of the many voices that came before me.
April Malphurs, 'Refraction: Capturing Joy Through Glass'
Display Cases
May 13 - June 19, 2021
- Artist Talk: https://youtu.be/zn9VDr7_hew
My work is whimsical, capturing my enthusiasm for life and a playfulness inspired from my years of work with children. I use bold colors, patterns and textures to create a feeling of joy in my work. Much of my work is non-representational with inspiration coming from the forms, colors or patterns of the beads or blown bases. Once the initial idea occurs to me, I work to create a feeling of harmony between the beads and base. I watched glass blowing from a young age, but my interest in light and shadow in sculpture is what eventually lead me to the medium. Since I approach my work primarily from the vantage point of a sculptor, assembling the pieces together using flexible wire armatures, my work has an illusion of movement or a “bounciness” that adds to the joyous mood of the work. The parts represent the beauty of diversity and individuality in each of us making up the world as a whole.
Contemporary Realism: Work from the Atelier
Lobby Gallery, first floor
May 13 - June 19, 2021
- Artist Talk: https://youtu.be/hInLlNDctGk
This exhibition presents current works from the directors, staff, and students, as well as historical work by R. H. Ives Gammell and Richard F. Lack. The original Atelier, founded by Richard Lack in 1970, has based its aesthetic philosophy on a direct lineage to the Boston school of American Impressionists and the French Academy. The Atelier, directed by Cyd Wicker and assistant director Laura Tundel, closely follows these original precepts offering students an opportunity to master the fundamental principles in the classical discipline of realistic drawing and painting.
James Byrne, 'New Works'
Lobby Gallery, second floor
May 13 - June 19, 2021
- Artist Talk: https://youtu.be/STsMVuzQt4g
Artist Statement: I use digital means to layer and combine images from drawing, photography and painting to create my composite collages. I’m most excited when I’m surprised by what I’ve made - the image stuns me for a second. For me, art is all about discovery and sharing.
Biography
While his previous work has spanned video art and narrative filmmaking, James Byrne is now focused on creating two dimensional composite images on canvas, paper, and projected. He is very pleased to have his first solo exhibition of these new works at Hopkins Center for the Arts. Recent group shows of this new work include Divulgarti, Genoa, Italy; PACE Center Gallery, Denver; Vine Arts Center, Minneapolis; Jimmy Wilson Gallery, Minneapolis; and D’art Gallery, Denver.
His video art has been exhibited throughout the United States and Europe including Walker Art Center, Minneapolis; Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco; and National Gallery of Art, Warsaw, Poland. His work is in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, New York, and Walker Art Center, Minneapolis. His short films have screened nationally as well as at the Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival.
Byrne lives in St. Paul and graduated from the University of Minnesota with a BA in Elected Studies. He earned an MFA in Video Art from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Fawzia Khan, 'Becoming Visible'
Redepenning Gallery
May 13 - June 19, 2021
- Artist Talk: https://youtu.be/0AbPwAx-VOc
I am a practicing artist who has embraced art as a second career. A Pakistani-American born in Nigeria, I became a U.S. citizen at age 18. Like many child immigrants, I feel I have a foot in more than one culture but do not wholly belong to any. I grew up with certain expectations of my role as a daughter, wife, and mother. Identity, gender roles, veils and barriers are themes that run through my art.
I have made several works about the burka and niqab, the robes and face veils that some Muslim women wear. Covering a woman’s face makes her anonymous and invisible. Patriarchy is less obvious in western society, but exists nonetheless. For example, in Minnesota we still have not ratified the Equal Rights Amendment. Even though western women may not wear the niqab, their accomplishments are still undervalued.
As the fortunate recipient of a 2020 Minnesota Artist Initiative Grant, I interviewed twelve Minnesotan women (including transwomen and nonbinary individuals) from various walks of life, from the original inhabitants to our newest immigrants. I manipulated photos of them and digitally embroidered images of their eyes on flour sack dishtowels, a symbol of traditional gender roles. I use embroidery as a metaphor for the laborious nature of unacknowledged “women’s work.” The work is hung at eye level around a room so that upon entering, the viewer becomes “the viewed.” With this relationship reversal, the women become visible. The installation also incorporates the contributions of these women to Minnesota through written summaries and a video. There are longer videos on each woman available on the website. The work will allow audiences to see the strengths and contributions of these women to Minnesota and acknowledge the many roles women play today.
Videos:
| Catherine Youngman | Fadumo Hassan |
| Isabella Star Lablanc | Natya Stroud |
| Ellie Krug | Caitlin Gregg |
| Mary Lyons | Suzann Willhite |
| Sharron Steinfeldt | Khou Lor |
| Maria Ponce-Khoury | Kate Tucker |
Spring Members' Nonjuried Exhibition
All Galleries
- March 26 - May 8, 2021
Annual spring show of work by Friends of the Hopkins Center for the Arts member artists. For information about submitting work to this show, please visit Spring Member Show. Not yet a member? Find out about membership and all of the benefits at become a member.
Spring Members' Nonjuried Exhibition Awards Presentation
Thank you to our Awards Jurors, Joan Porter Einsman and Shawn McNulty, and to all the Member Artists who are participating in the show.
Member Artist Moments
Member Artists talk about their work and other works in the show that they like
Genie and Paco Castro 'Cold Press'
Genie and Paco Castro 'Cold Press'
Redepenning Gallery
- February 18 - March 20, 2021
In sculptures expressing a push/pull between rigid materiality of object and captured gestural movement, Paco Castro explores dependency of each part of a form for it to stand, as well as the tension that is created against gravity.
Genie Castro's monotypes, derived from an intuitive mind set, are rich with robust color and gestural flow. Approaching her work as a creative outlet and a temporary freedom from 'roles in society as a woman, mother and provider', she deftly crafts organic expressions or outward pouring joy.
Akama Paul 'Things Fall Apart'
Akama Paul 'Things Fall Apart'
Lobby Gallery, first floor
- February 18 - March 20, 2021
Akama Paul was born and raised in Nigeria: "I pull a lot of my inspirations from my experience as a young and spirited kid in Lagos city and the different cultures I was exposed to growing up. I take a minimal approach to photography and create art that is easy and aesthetically pleasing to the eyes."
Linda Snouffer 'Grasslands, Woods & Wetlands: Muckboots Recommended'
Linda Snouffer 'Grasslands, Woods & Wetlands: Muckboots Recommended'
Lobby Gallery, second floor
- February 18 - March 20, 2021
Linda Snouffer uses nature for both inspiration and source of materials in her botanical printmaking, creating intricately detailed landscapes of prairies, shorelines, forests, and mountain ranges utilizing the actual plants for the printed images.
Snouffer states "Prairies have a rich history; they beckon me to recreate them and share their stories in my printmaking. I admire the structure of prairie plants, which, when healthy, have root systems three times the length of the stalk height to draw flood waters into aquifers and to draw water to the plant, persevering through drought periods. The work begins with the foundation of the sky - the sky brings it all to life and provides depth and dimension to my work. No two skies are alike and with the botanical print landscapes, I am realizing my unique vision."
Arts North 26: International Juried Art Exhibition
Arts North 26: International Juried Art Exhibition
All Galleries
- January 9 - February 13, 2021
In its 26th year, this international juried exhibition showcases work of thirteen different classes of media by artists from the United States and abroad.
ArtHop on Main: Adult Art Students and Instructors, Hopkins Community Education
Redepenning Gallery
- December 3 - December 31, 2021
- Please visit the Virtual Gallery to view students and instructors works on display at Hopkins Center for the Arts
ArtHop on Main features the work of Hopkins Community Education adult students and instructors. Hopkins Community Education, a component of Hopkins Public Schools, strives to create meaningful opportunities for lifelong learning, connection and engagement within our community. Visit Community Education for more information about classes.
KEN HERREN VIDEOS
Ken Herren "Soul Patch"
Lobby Gallery, first floor
- Please visit the Virtual Gallery to view Ken Herren's works on display at Hopkins Center for the Arts
- December 3 - January 3, 2021
Soul Patch is a collection of unique and colorful abstractions that were inspired by a rare childhood experience. And while this particular exhibition invites the viewer into a world of riotous color and visceral experience, it is simultaneously exploring the complexity of self-identity in a social media world. In traditional social interactions, people generally walk away knowing certain facts about you through what they saw and what you let them see. In today's social media interactions, what is "known" is often strategically crafted to be audacious enough to stand out amongst the vying voices, but ultimately proves to be abject concealment of human vulnerability. This work challenges the viewer to sit with the tension of wanting to see more, wanting to know the "true colors," wanting to wipe away the course veneer that hides the true soul of another.
BONNIE FOLKERTS VIDEOS
Bonnie Folkerts "Common Threads"
Lobby Gallery, second floor
- Please visit the Virtual Gallery to view Bonnie Folkert's works on display at Hopkins Center for the Arts.
- December 3 - January 3, 2021
A Minnesota-based artist working primarily in acrylics and watercolors. Bonnie spent her youth in the beautiful Driftless Area in Southwestern Wisconsin. Bonnie says of her work " My creative influences include the detailed works of Albrecht Durer and the macro views of flowers found in Georgia O'Keefe's paintings. My own extensive gardens and travels around the world provide inspiration for my work. The animals, landscapes, and flora that i paint represent my relationships to nature. They are thoughtful and deeply personal. "
"We are such a small piece of this expansive universe...and we are all connected to each other: Humans. Animals. Earth. Sky. Water. I am drawn to paint the creatures and landscapes we share this world with. What one does affects the others, and by slowing down and paying attention to this we can develop a deeper and more positive relationship to all."
Erik Jon Olson "Downstream Sacrifices"
Lobby Gallery, first floor
- October 29 - November 28, 2020
- Artist Talk: Virtual Artist Talk premieres on Facebook on Tuesday, November 24 at 7 pm
Using quilted plastic waste as his medium, Erik creates works that deal with the effects of consumerism, mass consumption and unfettered capitalism. By layering environmental issues with social justice messaging, his art emphasizes our alienation from the environment and each other, our willingness to waste and our subsequent need for healing. By minimizing his carbon footprint in the creation of pieces and transcending the medium without denying what is, Erik creates art that embodies Marshall McLuhan’s concept that "the medium is the message."
Keith Holmes "Pursuit of Happiness"
Lobby Gallery, second floor
- October 29 - November 28, 2020
- Artist Talk: Virtual Talk available below
In this exhibit, documentary artist, Keith Holmes explores "the collective desire to belong, the need to represent and the inevitable collision of aspirations in a pluralistic society." In his approach, Holmes explains, "cowboys and zombies, Chicanos and punks, born-agains and anarchists rub shoulders with each other and up against the dominant culture of middle America." Holmes adds, "While I do my best to document genuine happiness, much of the imagery in the show reflects the restless search for an elusive fun that everyone else seems to be enjoying."
Members’ Juried Exhibition
Redepenning Gallery
- October 29 - November 28, 2020
Annual fall show of work by Friends of the Hopkins Center for the Arts Member Artists. The art on display is the result of a juried competition.
51 works were chosen from 175 submissions. Thank you to all the Member Artists who participated in the competition. And, thank you to the following jurors for their time and thoughtful selection process:
Betsy Alwin lives and works in Minnetrista, MN. She attended the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, holds an MFA from Illinois State University, a BFA in Sculpture and a BA in Spanish language from Minnesota State University. Her work has been exhibited widely, including the Berkshire Botanical Gardens (Mass MoCA), the National Botanic Gardens in Washington D.C., The University of Washington, Tacoma, AIR Gallery, New York, No Globe Exhibition Space, Brooklyn, NY, The Waiting Room Gallery, Edina, MN, and Rubine Red Gallery in Palm Springs, CA. Public commissions include outdoor sculptures Onoden Elementary School in Tokyo, Japan, Franconia Sculpture Park in Shafer, MN and Silverwood Park in St. Anthony, MN. She is the recipient of numerous awards including a 2017 Artist Initiative Grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board.
Alwin is a member of the Minneapolis collective Rosalux Gallery and the Minnesota Women’s Ceramic Artists. She is represented by Rubine Red Gallery. She will be a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of Art and Art History at Gustavus Adolphus College for the 2020-2021 academic year.
Dani Roach was born and raised in Wisconsin and received her BFA from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. She also studied at the Instituto Allende in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Roach moved to Minneapolis in 1980 and was a member of WARM Gallery from 1983-1988. Roach has been granted many artists' residencies: at the Ragdale Foundation in Lake Forest, IL, the Millay Colony in Austerlitz, NY, and VCCA in Amherst, VA. Additionally, she received a Jerome Foundation Travel and Study Grant in 2000. Other awards for Roach's work include the Moebius Exceptional Achievement Award from the University of Wisconsin, and a Purchase Award from the University of Minnesota. In 2012, Roach was one of twelve artists selected to participate in the Minnesota State Fair’s inaugural 12’12’12 project. Concurrent with her artistic pursuits, Roach has worked in academic libraries for over 40 years and currently works at the University of St. Thomas, O’Shaughnessy-Frey Library. Roach has been represented by Groveland Gallery since 1984 and has widely exhibited both oils and watercolors in solo, juried, and invitational shows.
Daniel Volenec (b. 1955) trained at the Atelier Lack (Minneapolis) under the tutelage of Steven Gjertson. Working figuratively for over a decade, Volenec's drawings and paintings emphasize subtlety and delicate execution. He explores deeply personal themes; the act of decision making, the struggle for acceptance, the reconciliation of broken relationships.
For information on becoming a Member Artist, including all of the benefits you will get (including participation in this show,) visit Become a Member
Marcia Haffmans "Out of Touch"
Redepenning Gallery
- September 24 - October 24, 2020
Marcia Haffmans’ visual art has evolved from abstract writing in wet paint on canvas to conceptual 3-D work incorporating handwriting. Out of Touch is a mixed media installation that came out of art workshops that I have offered for women trapped inside Minnesota county jails. Since 2017, we have engaged in visual art dialogues that include the art of handwriting, among other creative explorations.
Michael Borg "Being Havana"
Lobby Gallery, first floor
- September 24 - October 24, 2020
"Like most photographers, I strive to make compelling and memorable images. The opportunity to experiment with new ways to help my images to connect more deeply with the viewer is the driving force behind my work. I've found that my travel and street photography images speak to me much more clearly with the removal of color. Black and white images offer a clarity of message that can be lost in the visual distractions of color."
Jeanne Kosfeld "Coffee Portraits"
Lobby Gallery, second floor
- September 24 - October 24, 2020
Artist Jeanne Kosfeld works primarily with water-based media, but her body of work also includes print design, board game creation & design, and public sculpture. She began her career as an illustrator and cartoonist and led the design department at the University of Alaska, where she was also was an adjunct faculty member. In Minnesota she was the creative director at Ordway Center for the Performing Arts. Jeanne has been honored with artist-in-residences in Arles, France; Mesa Verde, Colorado; Hot Springs, Arkansas; Pine Needles on the St. Croix, Minnesota; Maiden Rock, Wisconsin; Whiskeytown, California; and most recently in Juneau, Alaska. She has attended International Urban Sketchers Symposiums in Portugal and the Netherlands.
Members’ Non-Juried Exhibition
All Galleries
- August 13 - September 19, 2020
Annual spring show of work by Friends of the Hopkins Center for the Arts Member Artists. This year, due to COVID-19, this show was moved to late summer. For information on becoming a Member Artist, including all of the benefits you will get (including participation in this show) visit Become a Member
Congratulations to the 2020 Members' Non-Juried Exhibition Award Winners
BEST OF SHOW: Linda Kelly, 'Eye Wide Shut'; AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE: Scott Zimmermann, 'Donkey One' and May Ling Kopecky, 'Bohemian'; AWARDS OF MERIT: Peter Wong, 'Nude on the Dunes'; David Tomlinson, 'Decommissioned'; Joan Hughes, 'See Me-Haitian Schoolgirl'; HONORABLE MENTIONS: Diane Blau, 'No One I know'; Chris Walton, 'Rainy Night Reflections'; Jan Dufault, 'Conversation'; Ken Herren, 'Funhouse'; Charlie Brown, 'Rapture'; James Byrne, 'Chance'; PEOPLE'S CHOICE: Scott Zimmermann, 'A Day to Remember.'
For information about submitting work for the exhibition visit Spring Members Show
Kristin Pavelka "Bohemian"
Display Cases, main lobby
- May 14 - August 1, 2020
Kristin Pavelka admits that she loves food. Growing it. Cooking it. And, of course, eating it. So, as she says, "it’s no surprise that I make art for food." Potters, Pavelka explains, "share the desire to make mealtime special. Using handmade pots engages all five senses, enhancing and creating a memorable experience." In addition to her pottery, Pavelka is also a certified Master Gardener, a member of the Flowers for Pollinators Speaker’s Bureau and has a growing interest in botany.
Kristin Hoelscher-Schacker, Klaire Lockheart, Becca Cerra "Embodiment"
Redepenning Gallery
- June 25 - August 1, 2020
The three artists in this exhibition tackle issues of identity. Kristin Hoelscher-Schaker looks at our skin - both the way we define ourselves with it and the way others see us. Klaire Lockheart explores the concept of femininity - pairing modern expectations with old social customs. And Becca Cerra focuses her work on Western society’s unrealistic standards of beauty and perfection. Together, these three artists create a thought-provoking collection of images and ideas that look at who we are, how we see ourselves and why.
Charlie Brown "The Monumental Aspects of Nature"
Lobby Gallery, first floor
- June 25 - August 1, 2020
Nature has had a profound effect upon Charlie Brown. Growing up in a small farming community in Iowa, Brown was captivated by the big sky and the grandeur of nature. He spent the majority of his adult life in advertising and marketing, but now that he has left that world, he’s happily getting back to his roots. That has meant spending more time in nature and in his studio, creating large-scale drawings with layers of charcoal and graphite on Arches paper.
Aaron Packard "Networks of Noise"
Lobby Gallery, second floor
- June 25- August 1, 2020
Aaron Packard tells us his "fascination with photography comes from my obstacles in memory." In fact, he admits that he has few "really clear memories, especially before the fifth grade." Instead, he has "vivid memories of colors, objects and emotions, but in most the context is skewed, abstracted with the noise of intermingling and conflicting visions." He calls this body of work "a kind of photomontage," adding, "my subject is photography, subject is myself; my subject is fiction; my subject is memory."
Living Tradition: Figure Drawings from the Hopkins Center for the Arts Life Sessions Cooperative
Redepenning Gallery
- May 14 - June 20, 2020
Historically a staple of artists’ education and professional development, drawing from the live model remains an active practice and inspiration for many. The works on display were created by participants in the Life Drawing Sessions here at the Center. Facilitated by Hopkins artist John Caron, the sessions are ongoing and occur on select Sundays throughout the year. For more information on participating, visit Figure Drawing.
Mary Catherine Solberg "Shine"
Lobby Gallery, first floor
- May 14 - June 20, 2020
Solberg often refers to her body of works as "Everybody Icons." Her painting method - literally working from dark to light - is how she "explores the inner light or shine that emits from within." She employs "the use of scale, color, gold leaf, texture, varnish and glitter to give depth and reverence" to her pieces. Her work incorporates aspects of her influences - including Renaissance, religious iconography and circus sideshow banners - adding her present day musings, overall optimistic outlook and occasional dark humor.
Sue Cranston "American School Girl"
Lobby Gallery, second floor
- May 14 - June 20, 2020
"American School Girl," the work of full-time high school teacher, Sue Cranston, is a series of acrylic and mixed-media paintings and digital art that represent her version of childhood experiences for a young girl. Each piece features variations of symbolic evidence portraying vulnerability, earnestness, wholesomeness, honesty, pride, good intentions, ambition, commitment and civic duty.