State Fair Art

Along with the sword swallowers, the carny barkers, the chunk-o-choco cookies, and really large hogs, there is real art at the State Fair again this year. The largest juried Minnesota only annual exhibit has once again something for everyone. Everyone that is unless you were rejected.

Not that we need to toot our own horn, but a number of Art Alliance members, lapsed members, and past entrants to our Arts in Harmony exhibit (the largest juried annual national exhibit in Minnesota) are present.
Six members of the Arts Alliance were among those whose work was chosen to be shown in the 96th Annual Fine Arts Exhibition at the Minnesota State Fair. Over 1,900 artists vied for one of 371 spaces in the exhibit.

Local artists accepted into the show are Kathleen Braud, who received a third place award for her watercolor Park Trails. Kathy Braud will be a guest on Dave Phipps Creative Department Radio Show on Sunday, September 9th, at Noon on Newstalk 1450 KNSI, The Talk of St. Cloud. Check out the live webcast at http://www.1450knsi.com.
Rita Beyer Corrigan who also received a third place for her pastel Morning Walk and Ron Merchant had his oil on canvas Street Walkers juried in.
Mark Pederson is showing his pastel Maroon and Gold Landscape, Richards Poey took first place honors for the second year in a row. His alabaster sculpture this year is Daydreams, and Kasey Westra is showing her oil on panel Blue and Yellow in Winter.
Other area artists exhibiting are Jody Brosko of Big Lake with an acrylic on canvas titled Chrysler in Pink Sky, Steven Hudak of Big Lake is showing his wood sculpture Body Broken - Faith Bruised - Cancer, and Chris Wilson of Otsego has an acrylic wash called Rooster 2.

When you are at the Fair this weekend don’t forget to check out the student art work in the Education Building, especially the shoe lace piece, and the fine crafts in the Crafts Building. We think creativity comes in lots of different packages, so enjoy the neon, the curly fries, the braided manes on the show horses, and of course the seed art in the Ag Building.