En Liten Svensk (A Little Swedish) Shoppe is a destination retail store, offering unique Scandinavian gifts, home goods and decor. They’re a business that believes in cultivating community through sharing and celebrating our beloved heritage and traditions. Stop in to see the wares of local artists.
The Northwest Minnesota Arts Council is pleased to announce that the 4th edition of our Artists of Northwest Minnesota booklet is available for retail locations and others who are interested. This is a marketing booklet that will be distributed throughout our region.
The booklet includes information about a variety of creative people and artists, including visual artists, dancers, bands, musicians, performing artists, and theater directors, editors, writers and fine crafters. The booklet helps those who are listed reach out to the general public and is a means to help the public “get in touch with them” to purchase art, book them, or have them provide a service.
Arts organizations, dance studios, stores with local art, local suppliers of supplies and materials for artists, coffee shops that have open mic or live bands often, etc. are included in the back of the booklet.
Please let us know if you would like copies to distribute or for yourself. To view the booklet online click here.
director@nwartscouncil.org or 218-745-9111.
Arts Expo. The Northwest Minnesota Arts Council hosted an Arts Expo on Saturday, April 28 at the Ralph Engelstad Arena in Thief River Falls. The event included presentations from representatives from a variety of arts organizations. These representatives staffed tables to meet with attendees, answer questions and provide information about their organizations and services. The NW Art Exhibit was open during the Expo.
Before the Expo opened, Craig Dunn of VSA Minnesota gave a presentation for artists with disabilities, arts leaders, or other organizations trying to provide access to people with disabilities. He was also available during the Expo to answer any questions. Vsamn.org
MCA (Minnesota Citizens for the Arts): Sheila Smith, Executive Director
Springboard for the Arts: Dominic Facio 
North Dakota Museum of Art (located on the UND campus in Grand Forks): Matthew Wallace, Deputy Director
Minnesota State Arts Board in St Paul: Sue Gens, Executive Director. MN Arts Online and the River Walk Artists Gallery: Therese Masters Jacobson
Northwest Minnesota Arts Council in Warren: Executive Director Mara Hanel. Teaching Artist Roster Program Artist Stephanie Olson.
Playwrights’ Center: Julia Brown and Alayna Barnes. MN Fringe Festival: Dawn Bentley
Northern Clay Center: Kyle Rudy-Kohlhepp. Minnesota Music Coalition Ryan Lee.
Jerome Foundation in St. Paul: Ben Cameron
MN Association of Songwriters: Carl Unbehahn
MN Theater Alliance: Joanna Snedman
Nemeth Art Center: Board Member Dawn Rossback
Women’s Art Institute: Anna Garski
Explore MN Tourism: Dave Bergman
Three awards are given each year to recognize artists and arts advocates within our seven county region who stand out in terms of artistry or volunteerism in the arts. “Of the Year” Award winners were nominated by area residents. We are proud to announce this year’s recipients are Jim Kent of Crookston, Betsy Saurdiff of Grygla and Scott Pream of Thief River Falls!
These “Of the Year” awards and the NW Art Exhibit awards were presented at the Northwest Minnesota Arts Exhibit Reception on Saturday, April 28 in Thief River Falls at the Ralph Engelstad Arena (REA).
Of the Year Award Winners include:
Scott Pream of Thief River Falls was awarded the Northwest Artist of the Year Award. Mr. Pream is an extraordinary actor who also works behind the scenes to help others shine. Our Artist of the Year award can be given to any discipline artist including visual, performing, or creative writing who are emerging or at a mid-way point in their artistic endeavors. It is a cash award of $500.00.
Betsy Saurdiff of Grygla was awarded the Northwest Arts Advocate of the Year Award. Ms. Saurdiff is an art teacher in the Goodridge School District. She is passionate about the visual arts, an accomplished artist who works primarily in ceramics and encourages art exploration in her community. Our Arts Advocate of the Year award is $500 and includes arts from all disciplines.
Jim Kent of Crookston received the Northwest Star Award. Mr. Kent is a musician and previously a school teacher in the Crookston School District. He is active in the Crookston arts community through the community theater, civic music league, Pirate Fine Arts Boosters and Community Oratorios. He shares his music skills with his church, the school and the community. This award comes with $5,000. Artists can only receive our Northwest Star Award once, as a lifetime achievement award.
Thank you to everyone who attended the event on April 28 to honor these very deserving award winners!
Funding for Northwest Star and Northwest Artist of the Year comes from The McKnight Foundation. Funding for Northwest Arts Advocate of the Year comes from the Minnesota State Legislature.
The Northwest Minnesota Arts Council is excited to announce the Northwest Minnesota Art Exhibit Winners. Student and adult artists residing in a seven-county region including Kittson, Marshall, Norman, Polk, Pennington, Roseau and Red Lake recently entered into the Northwest Minnesota Art Exhibit and competed for $2,300.00 in cash awards. The winners were recognized at the Northwest Minnesota Artist Reception in Thief River Falls, Minnesota on Saturday, April 28.
Exhibit cash award winners were chosen while the exhibit was on display at the Ralph Engelstad Arena in Thief River Falls from April 18 to 28 by qualified juror and North Dakota Museum of Art Director of Education Matthew Anderson. “What was most interesting to me was to be able to witness an artistic conversation between the generations of art makers. Many of the pieces in the student work were highly emotive while the adult work tended to be more contemplative. The art conversation in this show also merges into the larger Conversation of Art that has been happening for hundreds of years. At the end of the day, all of the works are part of that larger dialogue and I hope all the artists continue to participate in the Conversation of Art.”
To view the entire exhibit watch the video here!
Exhibit Awards include:
Adult Winners
1stPlace $500 Rock Bakken of Hallock for an acrylic painting “Hereford”
2ndPlace $300 Debbie Aune of Gatzke for a watercolor painting “East Grand Forks Grain”
3rdPlace Bert Foster of Thief River Falls for photography “At the Lighthouse” 
Merit $100 Margaret Ehling of Red Lake Falls for a painting “Where the Wild Things Are”
Merit $100 Cathy Forgit of Fertile for a textile “Norwegian Nights”
Merit $100 Lucille Nelson of Argyle for a drawing “Taking a Break”
Merit $100 Betsy Saurdiff of Grygla for pottery “Fiery Dragon Bowl”
Merit $100 Sherri Kruger of Badger for mixed media “Fiery Stump”
People’s Choice $100 Andrew Youngblom of Thief River Falls
Student Winners
1stPlace $300 Trystan Jelle of Grygla in sculpture “Mosquito”
2ndPlace $150 Kristy Williamson of Greenbush for a print “The Tower”
3rdPlace $100 Teagan Carlstrom of Crookston for drawing “The Elephant”
Merit $50 Alexandra Overholser of Thief River Falls for drawing “Persevere”
Merit $50 Elysa Christensen of Crookston for sculpture “Grace”
Merit $50 Alexis Folden of Halstad for painting “Iceberg”
Merit $50 Madeline Everett of Crookston for drawing “Margaret Atwood”
Merit $50 Soravit Auchotananan of Ada for sculpture “Sky Inu”
People’s Choice $50 Teagan Carlstrom of Crookston
Approximately fifteen exhibit pieces of art were chosen to be included in the Traveling Art Exhibit, which will travel from May until November to area libraries. Watch for it to arrive in your community.
