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The Grand Marais Art Colony, the oldest art colony in the State of Minnesota, announces the initiatives surrounding its 75th Anniversary in 2022. To celebrate this milestone, the Art Colony has planned a number of special activities that reflect both the history of the Art Colony as well as its current and future commitment to visual artists. These activities include a zine project, 7-5 exhibition, historical display, alumni exhibition as well as new studio expansion and renovations.
Contribute to our Zine Project
Zines are self-published books usually made in small batches. They are great tools to celebrate free speech, and anyone can make them regardless of age or skill level. Our Zine Project will celebrate the Art Colony’s 75th Anniversary by honoring the diversity and unique narratives among our members and the artists with whom we work. Participation is open to anyone regardless of location, ensuring that everyone who has ties to the Art Colony is able to participate. This project is funded in part by the Cook County Community Fund and aims to include those of all ages, including youth.
Zine templates and instructions are available on the Art Colony website’s 75th Anniversary page. Participants have multiple ways to share their finished pieces. Locally, zine templates can be picked up at Studio 21, Drury Lane Bookstore, or the Grand Marais Public Library. See our 7-5 Exhibition
Celebrating its seven programmatic areas and its place in the Great Lakes Region, the Art Colony has invited seven Great Lakes artists to include five pieces each for its summer-long exhibition at Studio 21, 21 West Highway 61. The exhibition will run from June 10, 2022, through to August 28, 2022.
An opening reception is planned for June 10, 2022, from 5 – 7 p.m., with an Art Colony Members Preview Party from 4 – 5 p.m.
Artists for the 7-5 Exhibition include:
Magdolene Dykstra | St. Catharines, Ontario | Mark Making/Drawing
Danny Saathoff | Bayfield, WI and Minneapolis | Sculpture
Anthony Ingrisano | Cleveland, Ohio | Painting
Mary Brodbeck | Keewanah Peninsula, MI | Printmaking
Jonathan Herrera Soto | Chicago and Minneapolis | Residencies (Print)
Mika Laidlaw | Mankato, Minnesota | Ceramics
Leslie Smith III | Madison, Wisconsin | Mixed Media Discover our history
“When I come up here (Grand Marais) and I see that great big horizon line, all the crooked thoughts in me straighten out.”
– Birney Quick, Founder of Grand Marais Art Colony
A historical timeline will be displayed at the Art Colony’s original buildings, located at 120 West 3rd Avenue. The timeline will include historical photographs and a limited number of artworks by Birney Quick, founder, and Byron Bradley, co-founder.
This display will be up from June 10 – August 28, 2022.
View our Alumni Exhibition
By way of honoring our legacy of curating excellent educational opportunities and the instructors who have worked with us, we’ve invited a cohort of longstanding students to apply for a juried alumni exhibition. The exhibition will be at Studio 21, 21 West Highway 61, from September 23 – October 22, coinciding with the Cook County (MN) Fall Studio Tour.
Campus Expansion
In 2019, the Art Colony purchased 17 & 21 W Hwy 61 in downtown Grand Marais. These buildings are now known as Studio 17 and Studio 21 and together they increased the organization’s available space by 60 percent. This expansion represents the organization’s commitment to visual artists through the provision of additional classroom, exhibition, lodging, studio, and retail space.
Despite the challenges presented by the pandemic, the Art Colony pursued these capital projects and expects to launch all spaces during Summer 2022. While the capital projects are nearly complete, the Art Colony invites supporters, old and new, to help push it to the finish line so it can dedicate its resources to underwriting the quality programs for which it is known. Acquisition and renovation costs have totaled nearly $500,000. Contributions may be made on the Art Colony’s website.
Explore the Arts with our 2022 Summer Season
The Art Colony’s 2022 Summer Season showcases a spectrum of learning opportunities, some of which are well-known in the artistic community, and some newer offerings.
Dave Gilsvik will lead a four-day painting class located at Bearskin Lodge on the Gunflint Trail. Students will paint, gather, canoe, hike, and explore the midtrail landscape.
Explore Art Colony classes which delve into the spectrum of techniques and approaches, from printing on clay with Pattie Chalmers to porcelain sculpture with Shiyuan Xu. Find your story with author, Carolyn Holbrook, explore the science of color with Maggie Maggio or mixed media drawing with Russ White. Options also include a biochar and restoration focused class at Sugarloaf Cove Nature Center with Sean Connaughty as well as some more familiar offerings, such as watercolor with Ted Nuttall and pastel with Nancie King Mertz.
A full list of classes can be found on our website.
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