2014 Artisans Road Trip Artist Bruce Morrison at Clear Lake Arts Center Exhibition

(top to bottom)

 "M12 Bales" - photograph, "Sun Dogs and Barn" - photograph, 

"Summer Memories" - oil painting

Images © Bruce A. Morrison

(click on image for a larger view) 

2014 Artisans Road Trip artist Bruce Morrison was invited by the Clear Lake Arts Center to participate in the exhibition "Salute to Agriculture".  

Morrison works in several different mediums, from photography to painting, drawing and serigraphy. His subject matter is the landscape and flora/fauna of the tallgrass prairie region of NW Iowa.  "Agriculture was the biggest benefactor of the prairie soil and it certainly becomes a frequent subject in my landscapes as well.", says the artist.

The "Salute to Agriculture" exhibit is being sponsored by Sukup Manufacturing and runs through March of 2015. 

Morrison and his wife Georgeann live on a small prairie remnant in SE O'Brien county where Bruce works from a brooding house/sheep barn studio they remodeled some years back - retaining the "character" of the building's past (in keeping with its agriculture heritage).  You can learn more about the artist by visiting - www.morrisons-studio.com

The 2014 Artisans Road Trip is Coming!

A sampling of the art treasures to be found on the

2014 Artisans Road Trip! (Artwork © each artist

'top left clockwise' - Bruce Morrison, Linda Fries, Timothy J. Arand-McIlrath, 

Joleen Dentlinger, Barb McGee, Ron Netten, Dennis Dykema, 

Joanne Alberda, and 'center' Beth Cathcart.

(click on image for a larger view)

The 2014 Artisans Road Trip is this weekend!  Saturday, October 11th (9AM-5PM) and Sunday October 12th (Noon-5PM)!  Its been a good year of working and exhibiting as a group and individually - now comes the big event!

In its 11th year, the Artisans Road Trip is your opportunity to visit artists where they work and exhibit. Visit countryside studios overlooking scenic valleys, in picturesque towns, or even lakeside! This year's event includes 25 of NW Iowa's best artists, working in painting, pottery, wood turning, photography, fabrics, mosaics, sculpture, jewelry making and other mediums. This artist studio tour is well known for its intimate look at various artist's work spaces, their gallery locales, and the artists make themselves available for your questions and insight into their work. 

Search for treasures made by the hands of some of the region's finest artists and discover the hidden beauties in their studios and galleries - as well as enjoying the beautiful fall season and harvest time in NW Iowa!

Hope to see you this weekend!

 

 

2014 Artisans Road Trip Exhibit at Arts on Grand in Spencer, Iowa!

Examples of work by 2014 A.R.T. Artists 

(Artwork is © the following artists - top row left to right - 

Danielle Clouse, Perry Polson, Marisa Sidles, middle row

left to right - Glenda Drennen, Sue Biederman, Mel Myers, 

bottom row left to right - Robert Ansorge, Mitch Eveleth and Bill Lieb)

The 2014 Artisans Road Trip is exhibiting at Arts on Grand in Spencer, Iowa - now through October 25th.

Get a nice preview of the works of those artists participating this year in A.R.T.!  

There will be an artist's reception for the exhibit at Arts on Grand on Tuesday October 14th from 5 PM - 7PM -

meet the artists and enjoy the Spencer gallery and what it has to offer!

Want to take in the Artisans Road Trip?  This is a great way to see a sampling of what each artist does, and visiting the Spencer exhibit beforehand can help you plan your A.R.T. weekend!

 

Remember - the 2014 Artisans Road Trip is the weekend of October 11 and 12th this year and will run from Saturday October 11 (9AM-5PM) and Sunday October 12 (Noon-5PM)!  Make plans for a road trip in NW Iowa this fall - visit artists where they work and/or exhibit and enjoy a nice autumn drive to top it off!

 

Hope to see you then!

2014 Artisans Road Trip Artist Karen Ruddy - Working at the Grotto of the Redemption this Past Summer!

2014 Artisans Road Trip artist Karen Ruddy has been busy this summer! Karen finished a commission over at the Grotto of the Redemption in West Bend, Iowa, contracting for work on the restoration of mosaics throughout the Grotto. The grant was for five weeks of work but ten weeks were spent working on in-place and new mosaic panels on the East Wall of the Courtyard.

Karen completed half (14 - foot long -mosaics) on one side of the pool around the statue of Michael the Arc Angel, and four 3x1 foot panels that will be implanted in the East Wall of the Courtyard when the leaks that blew out the hundred  year old mosaic panels are found and repaired. 

Ruddy says If you have never visited the Grotto, you might consider a trip there. It is a truly holy place. Father Dobberstein, the German priest that was stationed there in the early years of the twentieth century built it over his lifetime. There is a statue of him on the grounds and his work is known worldwide through the SAMA (Society of American Mosaic Artists) conferences. In fact, the last one Karen attended, the first presenter was a woman from France who studied mosaics all over the world and the first frame shown on the big screen was The West Bend Grotto in the middle of the U.S.A.

The tours are well worth a person's time as you learn things about Father's talent and ingenuity. For example, he made stones by melting children's crayons and glass during the war years when he could not obtain rocks, minerals, or Smalti glass for his grotto walls. You will find some in the base of the stations,  along the way of the cross.

The web site is http://www.westbendgrotto.com/.

The Restoration Expert wanted Karen to harvest the old gold Smalti and use it instead of new. The artist had already started building the panels when he called from Wisconsin, so she finished the one with the new Smalti as an extra project and began grinding the cement off all sides of each small piece to prepare it for implanting into the newly restored substrait. The pool project was really difficult as Ruddy had to hammer and chisel each piece out of the original mosaic so that she could create an even surface for the new Smalti image. That was after she clambered over a three foot high metal fence, the only way to get to the work site.

The artist states that if she is still around next summer, she may get to complete the fourteen mosaics on the other side of the pool. 

To find out more about the artist Karen Ruddy, read more about her at the Artisans Road Trip web site - http://www.artisansroadtrip.com/Dr%20Karen%20Ruddy.htm  

And Remember - this year's Artisans Road Trip event will be held the second weekend of October on Saturday - October 11 from 9AM - 5PM and Sunday - October 12 from Noon - 5PM!  See you then!

2014 A.R.T. Artist is September Exhibition Cove Artist at a Piece Of Work, INC.

"Breezy" - printed fabric, crocheted yarn, 24x 36"

© Tim Arand-McIlrath

Timothy J. Arand-McIlrath will be showing this summer's collection of new 2 D artwork and a small collection of recent 3D works. All of the 2D work uses recycled fabric from garments as backgrounds. The artist will be giving an artists talk at A Piece of Work about 6:10-6:15. Art on 16th (around the corner from A Piece of Work ) will also be featuring his work as well and  will be open until at least 7:30p.m.

Artwork © Tim Arand-McIlrath

Tim's artwork will be on display throughout the calendar month of September at A Piece of Work, Inc. in Spirit Lake, Iowa.  You can see more about Timothy J. Arand-McIlrath's work at the 2014 A.R.T. website at - http://www.artisansroadtrip.com/Timothy%20McIlrath.htm

 Remember the 2014 Artisans Road Trip is fast approaching - coming up this October 11 and 12 - enjoy the beautiful autumn in NW Iowa and the wonderful artwork of the 2014 A.R.T.!!!

Two 2014 Artisans Road Trip Artists at the "Paint the Iowa Great Lakes" Plein Air Painting Exhibition!

Top two works (Acrylic paint, crocheted yarn) - ©Timothy J Arand-McIlrath

Bottom work (Acrylic painting) -  ©Marisa Sidles

The Pearson Lakes Art Center in Okoboji Iowa features two A.R.T. Artists, Marisa Sidles (Terril) and Timothy J Arand-McIlrath (Okoboji) as two of the participants in the "Paint the Iowa Great Lakes" Plein Air Painting Exhibition. The exhibition of painting done in the open air style will be on view through Oct 11th in the Pearson Lakes Art Center's Weaver Lobby Gallery.

 "Looking Down- Heuchera/Moneywort"

Acrylic paint, crocheted yarn, 12”W x 12”H - ©Timothy J Arand-McIlrath

Arand-McIlrath has four works in the exhibit and has chosen the concept of "looking down" as a theme for his plein air works for this exhibition. His works are acrylic paint combined with crocheted yarn. Juror Dennis Dykema selected "Looking Down- Heuchera/Moneywort" as second place winner in the exhibition.

 Look for Arand-McIlrath's artwork during  Artisan Roadtrip 2014 at the Pearson Lakes Art Center.  You can see more about Timothy J Arand-McIlrath's work at the 2014 A.R.T. website at - http://www.artisansroadtrip.com/Timothy%20McIlrath.htm

 

 "The Trail At Lakeside Lab"

Acrylic painting - ©Marisa Sidles

Marisa Sidles has 2 works in the exhibit and has gone "outside" her comfort zone to create her plein air works for this exhibition. Her acrylic paintings include bright and bold colors creating a landscape of trees. Juror Dennis Dykema selected "The Trail At Lakeside Lab" as an honorable mention in the exhibition. Dykema referenced her bold use of color and painting style as having an innocent familiar quality of the "le fauves" (wild beasts) of the early 1900s.

Look for Marisa's artwork during  Artisan Roadtrip 2014 at her Studio in Terril, IA. And you can see more about the work of Marisa Sidles at the 2014 A.R.T. website at - http://www.artisansroadtrip.com/MarisaSidles.htm

 Stop by the The Pearson Lakes Art Center in Okoboji and catch the exhibition through October 11th - which is also the first day of the 2014 Artisans Road Trip this year!!!

Remember the 2014 Artisans Road Trip this October 11 and 12 - enjoy the beautiful crisp fall air and the wonderful artwork of the 2014 A.R.T.!!!

2014 A.R.T. Artist - Timothy J. Arand-McIlrath in "Past and Future" Exhibition - Ruth Davis Design Gallery, University of Wisconsin - Madison,WI

2014 Artisans Road Trip artist Timothy J. Arand-McIlrath writes - " I am very pleased that twelve pieces of my current artwork are included in an exhibition at the Ruth Davis Design Gallery at the University off Wisconsin Madison. The exhibition will be on view from June 19- August 8. The exhibit features the work of three alumni who pursued professional careers in the arts  and  student work. There will be a closing reception on Aug 8 from 1:30-3:30pm during which I will be giving a gallery talk.

The gallery link is  http://sohe.wisc.edu/what-we-do/design-gallery/  The gallery Facebook page is:  https://www.facebook.com/UWMadisonDesignGallery

If you are in the area, please check out the exhibit. I would love to see you at the closing reception Aug. 8."

Thank you for stopping by to learn more about the artists of the 2014 Artisans Road Trip - check back again soon!

2014 A.R.T. Exhibit at the Witter!

Just a sampling of the artists exhibiting at the Witter in June!

(Artwork © the artists - upper left/clockwise - Bill Lieb, Glenda Drennen, 

Ron Netten, Robert Ansorge, Joleen Dentlinger, Ken Harskamp, 

Perry Polson and Dennis Dykema.)

The 2014 Artisans Road Trip is exhibiting at the Witter Gallery in Storm Lake, Iowa this month!  A.R.T. participates in exhibits as a group throughout the year.  This latest exhibit opened June 5th at the Witter Gallery and runs through June 27th.

 

There will be an artist's reception at the gallery on Wednesday evening from 5-6:15 p.m.  The exhibit at the Witter is being sponsored by Paxton's Jewelry of Storm Lake. 

 

Come and meet many of the artists involved in this year's Artisans Road Trip, and get a sampling of what this year's A.R.T. has in store for NW Iowa!

Mel Myers and the Iowa Festival of the Arts!

All pottery ©Mel Myers

 

Mel Myers' s most recent kiln load of glazed fired pottery is now unloaded, and packing is underway in preparation for the Iowa Festival of the Arts hosted June 6 -8 in Iowa City. Mel's hand thrown, hand carved pottery draws a crowd as well as devoted, returning purchasers who await his Spring collection. 

 All pottery ©Mel Myers

 

The Iowa City show is the first of eight shows for Mel this summer. Under the building sign of "Clay County Clay", Mel works daily at his studio where walk-ins can see the master ceramic artist at work, admire works in progress, and visit the gallery shop -- all located at his work place at 717 13th Ave West in Spencer, Iowa. Walk-ins are welcome.

 

Tim Arand-McIlrath - "A Fiber Artist's Journey"

"Swooped" (top view)
artwork ©Tim Arand-McIlrath

Tim Arand-McIlrath, Okoboji, will be the featured exhibition at the Witter Gallery in Storm Lake, IA for the month of May. The exhibition is titled "A Fiber Artist's Journey".

"I realized that I had been making art for over 45 years. Recently I have been revisiting printed fabrics from many years before, and incorporating them into new mixed media artwork .  The exhibition will feature selections from the different approaches I have taken with my work over the years. The emphasis will be on the 2D mixed media work and the 3D sculptural mixed media pieces. Also included will be felted artwork, woven and screen printed pieces.

"Eruption", Felted wool, wool fabric, 30"H x 22"W - $350
artwork ©Tim Arand-McIlrath

Folk art has long been an area of interest for me. I have researched and collected folk art in all my travels. I have spent extended visits to Mexico and in particular to the Oaxaca area. The color, texture and freedom of expression have fascinated me for many years. There is an incredible excitement in the work of folk artists.

I have been 'accused' of having too much fun creating my art. Not possible in my world. Having fun is one of the prime motivators in my work. I love having viewers smile. I smile a lot while I am working on my art.

"Mementos" -  3 panels, 14"x14" Crocheted yarn, shells, sand, $150 each panel
artwork ©Tim Arand-McIlrath  

In my two dimensional pieces, the backgrounds are painted with acrylic paint or are surface designed fabrics and sometimes embellished with found objects. The foregrounds have crocheted webs introduced onto the compositions. The three-dimensional pieces are usually constructed out of willow branches and are many times painted or varnished. The found objects and crocheted yarn inhabit the structures. Color, texture, repetition, and pattern have always been strong elements in my work. The compositions are based on my observations of the world around us."

The exhibition dates are May 7- 30 with an opening reception planned for May 8 from 5- 6:30PM. The Witter Gallery is located at 609 Cayuga St. Storm Lake, IA.  For additional information contact Ron Stevenson, Gallery Director at 712-732-3400 or wittergallery@yahoo.com.

2014 Artisans on the Map!

 

Locate your favorite artist participating in the 2014 Artisans Road Trip!  All Maps are "drawn" and linked up to your favorite artist or that artist you always wanted to visit!

Just visit http://www.artisansroadtrip.com and click on the homepage "Map" link.  Artists are spread out through the Iowa Great Lakes region, all the way down to Storm Lake and through Spencer, Terril, Estherville, and the Peterson and Sutherland/Hartley areas!

Actually you may visit these artists any time of the year, their contact information is on each individual's web page on the 2014 A.R.T. web site - But be sure and plan a fun studio tour outing this October!  Saturday and Sunday - October 11th and 12th!

Enjoy the 2014 Artisans Road Trip!

"Improvisations" Exhibit by 2014 Artisans Road Trip Artist Joanne Alberda!

"Still Life Cherries"

Artwork © Joanne Alberda

2014 Artisans Road Trip artist Joanne Alberda will be exhibiting "Improvisations", An exhibition of photographs and fabric collages at the Witter Gallery in Storm Lake March 4 to 28, 2014.

"Ball Game"

Artwork © Joanne Alberda

"My work can be described as a translation of everyday images into an aesthetic format. The viewer’s attention is at first attracted to images of common subjects from nature…leaves, flowers, seed pods, cocoons…but quickly moves to the rhythms and textures and colors of the formal arrangements of these images."

"Firestorm"

Artwork © Joanne Alberda

 

Three groups of works will be shown under the theme of Improvisations: "Improvisations on Nature", "Tales from a Ghost Town" and "Games".

For more information about this exhibit, contact the Witter Gallery, 609 Cayuga Street in Storm Lake, IA at 712-732-3400 or via e-mail: wittergallery@yahoo.com

Check back again to find out more about the artists, exhibits and activities of the 2014 Artisans Road Trip!

2014 Artisans Road Trip Artists Announced!

A sampling of Artists participating in the 2014 A.R.T. Event

(From upper Left - Clockwise: Daniel Clouse, Perry Polson, Marisa Sidles, Mel Myers, William Lieb, Mitch Eveleth, Robert Ansorge, Glenda Drennen, and Center: Sue Biederman)

(click on image for a larger view)

The artists for the 2014 Artisans Road Trip have been announced!

They are as follows - listed under their names, medium(s) and locale:
1.   Marisa Sidles - Painting, Terril 
2.   Ron Netten - Potter, Storm Lake 
3.   Judy Hemphill - Photography, Spencer 
4.   Beth Cathcart - Pottery - Linn Grove 
5.   Timothy Arand McIlrath - Abstract Compositions, Okoboji 
6.   Barb McGee - Painting, Peterson 
7.   Linda Fries - Watercolor, Peterson 
8.   Ken Harskamp - Watercolor, Ida Grove 
9.   Joanne Alberda - Collage & Stitched Fabric, Sioux Center 
10. Robert Ansorge - Photography, Storm Lake 
11. Sue Biederman - Painting, Drawing, Everly 
12. Danielle Clouse - Painting, Okoboji 
13. Mel Myers - Pottery, Spencer 
14. Pettina Perkins - Painting, Anthon
15. Dennis Dykema - Painting, Spirit Lake  
16. Anita K. Plucker - Watercolor, Terril 
17. Diane Noll - Jewelry, Linn Grove 
18. Bill Lieb - Abstract Sculpture, Spirit Lake 
19. Joleen Dentlinger - Pen & Ink Drawing, Storm Lake 
20. Bruce Morrison - Painting/Photography, Hartley 
21. Karen Ruddy - Multi-Media/Beaded Painting, Emmetsburg
22. David Strom - Pen & Ink/Painting/Collage, Windom, MN 
23. Mitch Eveleth - Pen & Ink, Estherville

24. Glenda Drennen - Watercolor, LeMars 

25. Perry Polson - Woodturning, Spencer

With many returning artists and some new participants, we're looking forward to another great year!

Check back often for more about the Artisans Road Trip 2014!

Happy New Year from A.R.T.!

The artists of the Artisans Road Trip would like to wish everyone out there a very Happy and Prosperous NEW YEAR! 

Be sure and watch this blog and check out the A.R.T. web site often throughout the year for A.R.T. exhibits and events!  And if you are an artist (or may know one) that would like to participate in the 2014 Artisans Road Trip - be sure and download the application from the website at the following link - http://www.artisansroadtrip.com/2014-CallforEntry.pdf or call or e-mail one of the A.R.T. members listed on our website's information page - http://www.artisansroadtrip.com/ataglance.htm
and they can mail an application to you!

See you in the New Year!

Artisans Road Trip Looking forward to 2014!

The Artisans Road Trip is ramping up to prepare for its 2nd decade in 2014!  Since its beginning back in 2004, the A.R.T. has been bringing the best artists in the region to the public's eye and creating opportunities for area and regional exhibits, and opening many artist's studios to everyone taking in the event when it culminates every October.  This coming season - A.R.T. 2014 will hold its October event during the "second" weekend of October; a change from the first weekend due to large event conflicts that have taken place in recent years.

And, as in every year at this time, A.R.T. is putting out the welcome mat for new and past artists to join in for the 2014!  Artists are encouraged to download the application for the Call for Entry at - http://www.artisansroadtrip.com/2014-CallforEntry.pdf  If an applicant does not have access to the internet, or just desires more information, they can call 712 732-6286.

The Artisans Road Trip is looking forward to bringing more of the great art and art events to NW Iowa in 2014 - we hope you can join us throughout the year ahead!