Fifty-four artists have grappled with the question—what is so special about the North Shore?—in the upcoming exhibit at the Grand Marais Art Colony that opens Sunday, April 10 and runs through Sunday, April 24. In Biophilia: Sacred Inner and Outer Landscapes, artists express their affinity for nature and their sense of how this particular place affects their inner lives – in media ranging from oil to clay to fabric to glass.
The spring theme exhibit is an annual collaboration between the Grand Marais Art Colony and Spirit of the Wilderness Episcopal Church dedicated to using art to express the intangible experience. This year artists were challenged to dive deep within to express how their inner landscape resonates with the outer one. Spirit of the Wilderness Vicar Mary Ellen Ashcroft says, “It’s powerful to see how artists move these abstract ideas into the concrete world of the senses.”
Exhibit participants spoke of art’s transformative effect. “For me, there is no separation between the meditation of the walk and the meditation of the work,” Two Harbors Artist Rose Kadera Vastila writes. “This teapot is a direct response to a meditative life of living on the North Shore.” Or as Grand Marais Artist Tim Young states, “The act of creation is a spiritual act. My paintings have always come from my spirit, and they incorporate what I see and how I feel.”
For others the physical experience is more clearly religious, seen as a gift from God. Hovland Artist Mary Jo Flack writes her inspiration is drawn from “the Master Artist, with materials supplied from Him in nature.” Regardless of how you name it, each artist in this exhibit depicts the profundity of the spiritual experience and the duality of how the inner and outer landscapes inform each other.
The opening reception is at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 10 and will include an opportunity to meet the artists, view the artwork and listen to a musical/ spoken word performance, The Story of Music, Stories from Home by author Gary Holthaus and musician Lauren Pelon. According to Pelon, “The music and readings offer unique perceptions of the natural world and celebrate our sense of place, community and home.” They received an Arts Tour grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board to perform their acclaimed performance for free at the exhibit opening. “We wanted to give the audience an opportunity to experience the exhibit theme through all their senses,” said Amy Demmer, director of the Grand Marais Art Colony.
how did you frame the
stars in the night sky
did you place them or
pound them into place
these fireflies caught in
the spider’s inky web
pinned to an
entomologist’s bug board
guiding me across the
chilling doorway
of the terror-filled
moonless night?
-Will Tanner.
Artist Statement for Biophilia
Some Artists’ Reflections on their work for Biophilia: Sacred Inner and Outer Landscapes
I make art to express thoughts and feelings that are difficult to verbalize. Artwork declares a state of being, but symbolizes so much more. This more-ness is what I hope to capture, allowing the viewer to spin out into their own imagination. Nancy Daley
The nest created for Home reminds me that we live surrounded by the homes of others who live simpler and beautiful lives. Nancy Haarmeyer
Deep into the vast unbroken wilderness, nestled by woods, I can observe creatures living their lives day by day, season by season, according to laws of predator and prey, abundance and scarcity. I am one of them. Linda Bauer
Lake Superior’s power and beauty are so overwhelming sometimes that I can do nothing but stand as a mute witness with hands at my sides, palms open, accepting the gift of its being. Joan Farnam
delight in the shape, pattern, and color of botanical elegance. With tiny glass beads, and new and recycled textiles, I hand-stitch intimate impressions of the world around me. Jo Wood
There are not many places in Minnesota with a horizon line the likes of Lake Superior. Even in deep winter, the beating waves from Superior provide a pulse that can inspire and awe one’s senses. Tony Rau
The dragonfly is a subject I’ve been exploring for most of my life. They begin underwater and later soar to great heights. They blend into the muck on the lake bottom and then glimmer, reflecting the nature’s wide ranging colors. They may flow through their stages in life, but our path is not so smooth. We cycle from the muck to the heavens and back again. It’s those moments when we reflect the beauty around us we hope we are remembered for. Nancy Hemstad Seaton
Leave a Reply