Fiber Fashion Show

Check out this short clip to get a sneak peak at the Fiber Fashion Show this Saturday the 14th at 3:00pm. See you there!

All Fiber Exhibit

The All Fiber Exhibit is now open at the Arts Alliance! The show runs from Sept. 4th - Oct. 5th. Events coinciding with the exhibit include the reception on Saturday Sept. 14th from 2pm -5pm and a Fashion Show at 3pm the same day. Come see the wide variety of fiber arts on display.

Open Arms by Angie Mueller

Vintage Shawl by Kathryn Grafsgaard

Grandma Standley's Nine Piece Quilt by Jean L. Orr

Stained Glass by Carol Hendrickson 

A Day at the Fair by B. Gooby 

A Conversation

What do you want to see on the Arts Alliance blog?

We want to make this page more interactive and get people talking about art and sharing ideas. 

Make suggestions

- Have a class in mind you would like to see?

- Project ideas for kids?

- What have you been working on?

Ask questions

- What's the difference between oil paint and acrylic paint?

- When did the Arts Alliance start?

Post your favorite art quotes

- "Painting is just another way of keeping a diary" - Pablo Picasso

Leave us a comment!

Reading Frenzy Corner at the Arts Alliance

Are you planning your Labor Day weekend getaway? Maybe heading up north to the cabin? Looking for a good book to read while away relaxing and soaking up the last days of summer? The Arts Alliance and Reading Frenzy Corner is the place to pick-up a good read! The Reading Frenzy Corner features a variety of local authors covering everything from cooking to fiction AND if we don't have the book you want we can order it for you. 

 Come check it out!

 Just a few of the many books signed by the author!

Have a seat!

The Arts Alliance and Reading Frenzy Corner is open Wed.- Sat. 11:00 AM- 5:00 PM.

The 4th Annual Photography Exhibit is going on now at the Elk River Arts Alliance, and will be up until August 31st.  Our featured photographer and 'Best in Show' winner for the second year in a row is Roger Williams.  Get to know the artist better by checking out the interview below and come down to see the show for yourself!!

Grace, Roger Williams (Best in Show 2013)

Tri-colored Heron, Roger Williams (Best in Show 2012)

 

Arts Alliance: Is there a particular subject that interests you? Why?

Roger Williams: Birds are of particular interest to me. A number of years ago, I stumbled upon a reference to Arthur Morris and his concept of "Birds as Art". The idea here is to photograph birds with backgrounds that are non-distracting. I purchased Morris' first book, "The Art of Bird Photography," invested in suitable camera equipment (long lenses are a must) and began my love affair with photographing birds. I also enjoy photographing other forms of wildlife and have spent more time recently with close-up/macro photography. We don't see many of the mini-treasures around us until we go afield with only a macro lens.

AA: What inspires you to take photographs?

RW: The challenge of creating likable images and the joy of being in the out-of-doors. Flight photography is particularly fun for me.

AA: How important is composition to your work? What do you look for?

RW: Composition is extremely important. Proper placement of the bird (or other subject) in the      frame, accounting for the direction the bird is looking or flying, along with the perch or other elements in the field of view makes the image a winner or loser. Perfect composition is not always possible in the field, but can often be attained through selective cropping.

AA: Do you have a favorite time of day to take pictures? How does lighting play a role in your work?

RW: I prefer shooting in low light conditions, particularly early morning and late afternoon when the sun's colors are the warmest. I also like cloudy days which even out the light and minimize bright spots and allow longer shooting hours.

AA: Do you have an online portfolio or website where we can view more of your work?

RW: my website is www.pixelsgoingwild.com

AA: Is there anything else you would like to tell us?

RW: I appreciate the efforts of the Arts Alliance and its staff in fostering the arts in the Elk River area of the State.

NEW Arts Alliance Video

Elk River Arts Alliance Promo Video created by Shanti Goth

Artist Spotlight - Shanti Goth

For a small town, Elk River MN, sure has one heck of an art scene. I would be no where without it. My Art career started as being one of the original guinea pigs of the Elk River Arts Magnet Program nearly twenty years ago. I took a watercolor class. From there I have gone on to teach, show and sell my work in shows, stores and galleries across Minnesota and Wisconsin. I am slowly moving into the online Market.

But as an adult I am letting my first and secret passion come to the surface. Film. I have been IN LOVE with everything film since the very first movie I saw. E.T. I volunteered to make a small promotional video for the Elk River Arts Alliance to do with what they will, as they have been paramount to the support I have as an artist today. It is my very first video.  I managed everything pre and post production with subpar equipment and a budget of zero.

With regards to my budding film career I have also enjoyed such adventures as screenwriting, pitching to studios, working with special effects, editing, camera and switch operating and working part time as a Production Assistant and Casting Producer.

I most admire the work of Zack Snyder, Oliver Stone, Tim Burton and Peter Jackson and I hope to grow up to be a sum total of my four favorite Hero’s.

 

Thank you Shanti for creating such a wonderful video!  Lets keep sharing the Arts Alliance!

~ Arts Alliance Management ~

Natural Elements Artist Spotlight

The Natural Elements Exhibition, going on right now at the Arts Alliance, features a variety of different types of artists and media, such as clay, glass, metal, stone, and wood. This post will feature two artists from the show that have been interviewed about their creative process.

Artist Spotlight - Gene Olson

Arts Alliance: Where do you gather most of the inspiration for your works?

Gene Olson: From conversations with people. My mind tends to free associate during and exchange and I often come up with ideas for things to do; not that I make them all; but many pieces have come about this way.

AA: What is the hardest step in creating your work?

GO: Getting started and then once going making the final strokes.

AA: What kind of creative patterns or routines do you have when working on a piece?

GO: Perhaps I should cultivate a routine...

AA:  What are you trying to communicate with your art?

GO: Art is about emotion and the unspoken portions of dialogue, even in theater or poetry, the unspoken sum is what comes across as art.

AA: How do you know when a work is finished?

GO: When somebody buys it.

AA: Do you have an online portfolio or website where we can view more of your work?

GO:  www.Mettleworks.com has some of my stuff up.  I put a few pieces in the gallery section.

I also have collaborated on pieces, and helped others as well as doing restoration work, that work is listed here… http://www.mettleworks.com/projects.html

 How They Make Trees 

 Bean Can Wind God & Hero

Artist Spotlight - Mary L. Olson

Arts Alliance: Where do you gather most of the inspiration for your works?

Mary L. Olson: It depends on the media I'm using. If I'm photographing nature, it's close observation. If it's stained glass, I have to change my thinking to developing shapes. Or if I'm painting from nature or life, I look for patterns of light.

AA: What is the hardest step in creating your work?

MLO: Getting started, then once I'm into it, it's hard to put it down.

AA: What kind of creative patterns or routines do you have when working on a piece?

MLO: Composition is the most important. Then I study the light patterns and try to create a flow through the piece. Next I concentrate on the values, and last the color.

AA: What is your most important artist tool?

MLO: My studio.

AA: Is there something you can’t live without in your studio?

MLO: Everything.

AA: What are you trying to communicate with your art?

MLO: Photography: capturing the world the way I see it. Stained Glass: add a focal point of color and sparkle to a space. In the case of restoring an antique window, I find bringing it back to life extremely rewarding. I'm in the process of studying painting; Oil in particular. I prefer painting from life, and hope to develop my skill as well as my style.

AA: How do you know when a work is finished?

MLO: I've learned early on to stop painting a subject before you think it's done. Keep it fresh, and leave the paint strokes alone. The hard part is doing it. The stained glass process is more of a craft, and a strict process must be followed to finish a piece.

AA: Do you have an online portfolio or website where we can view more of your work?

MLO: Not at this time. I hope to get something up soon. You can always email me at MLOanddustyhorse@aol.com.

AA: Is there anything else you would like to tell us?

MLO: I've been "creating" art all of my life, and it's an exciting time for all artist because of the advances made by technology, but with those advances, art has become easier. Digital photography has made photographers out of everyone. People are becoming more casual consumers of Art. Art made from countless hours in the studio has been replaced by factory copies, sold at discount stores. We as artist have to find our place in this revolving world. Anyone can use a pencil, but only an artist can make a masterpiece. We have to keep finding ways to educate ourselves and make our own masterpieces. We have to educate ourselves and the public of the difference.

Orange Poppy Lamp (left), Red & Green Dragon Fly (right)

 Orange, Blue & Gray Window  

- All works shown are for sale at the gallery.