Event Link: https://www.gizhiigin.org

FEE: FREE to attend gallery space.

Ceremony Blankets

An Exhibition by Rick Kagigebi
2024 McKnight Fiber Artist Fellowship Exhibition

February 21 – August 21, 2025
Opening Reception: March 18, 2025
Gizhiigin Arts Incubator
701 E Jefferson Ave
Mahnomen, MN 56557

Rick Kagigebi (Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe) is a blanket maker whose appliquéd mural blankets are created as ceremonial gifts. Every aspect of his process—from sketching to fabric selection, sewing, and tying—carries deep storytelling significance.

Event Link: https://www.artsidc.org

Event Link:  Project412mn.org/Charley-Harper.

FEE: FREE to attend the exhibition.

A vibrant new art exhibition featuring the work of iconic American artist Charley Harper has arrived in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota thanks to a unique international collaboration with the Muséum de Toulouse in France in partnership with the Charley Harper Art Studio. 

 

Muséum de Toulouse —the second largest museum in France—contacted Project 412 after learning about its recent work bringing artist Thomas Dambo and the world’s largest permanent troll exhibition to the area. Impressed by the organization's commitment to engaging the community through art and nature, the Muséum de Toulouse offered Detroit Lakes the first stop on the international tour of their “Colors & Shapes – Nature as Seen by Charley Harper” exhibit.

 

The indoor-outdoor exhibit features over 50 reproductions of Charley Harper’s art throughout Detroit Lakes in three locations: 

Zone 1: Who Was Charley Harper?  / See 12 Works of Art at Ortenstone Gardens & Sculpture Park (28499 Randolph Rd)

 Zone 2: Charley Harper’s Unique Vision of Nature / See 27 Works of Art at the Becker County Museum (714 Summit Ave)

Zone 3: Charley Harper, Artist & Activist / See 13 Works of Art at the Washington Square Mall (808 Washington Ave)

 

The exhibits will remain open during each venue’s operating hours through September 15. This exhibition is free and open to the public - thanks to Project 412 Wave Makers.

 

“We’re thrilled to bring this visually striking display to Detroit Lakes and to continue showcasing internationally renowned art in our community,” said Amy Stearns, Executive Director for Project 412. “Charley Harper’s distinctive style and joyful celebration of nature align beautifully with our mission and our community’s creative spirit.”

 

For more information about the exhibition visit Project412mn.org/Charley-Harper.

Event Link: https://www.hcscconline.org

FEE: Regular admission is $12 for adults, $11 for seniors, $9 for college students, $8 for youth 5-17, and free for under 5, for active military families, HCSCC members, and everyone on Tuesday evenings from 5 to 8pm.

The Unchosen Ones is a photography exhibition displaying the work of R. J. Kern. His photography explores the ideas of home, agriculture, and rural livelihoods. The Unchosen Ones focuses on young contestants at county fairs throughout Minnesota in 2016 and 2020 who didn’t win in their contests. These contestants, some of them as young as four years old, dedicated time and energy to raising livestock to show and Kern's portraits capture a sense of wisdom and heartiness in his subjects beyond their years.

Event Link: https://www.kaddatzgalleries.org/current-exhibitions.html

FEE: Free to Attend the Gallery and reception on July 10th.

NAOMI RAMONA SCHLIESMAN:
HEILUNG SAAÁM (HEALING MEDICINE)

On View at in the Charles Beck Gallery July 8 - August 16, 2025

Opening Reception: 5-7PM Thursday, July 10, 2025
This event is free to attend and open to the public.

​Exhibition Statement (in her own words):This new body of work reflects a deeply personal journey—one of healing, connection, and transformation through art. It tells the story of how I have used creative practice as a tool for personal healing, both for myself and in relationship with my child. Rooted in the belief that healing is multi-sensory and multifaceted, these works explore how we can use our senses—touch, sound, vibration, color, and spatial awareness—to reestablish a connection with ourselves, our bodies, and our environments.
Drawing from both Western and Eastern understandings of medicine, this installation considers the role of art as a form of care and restoration. I am interested in how we nurture the body—not only through what we consume physically, but through the environments we create and inhabit. In this work, healing becomes a sensory conversation between the self and the space: art is the medium, and the body is both the receiver and the responder.
I create immersive installations that explore the interplay of material, scale, and perception. Using a vibrant palette and a diverse mix of materials—wood, plaster, fiber, and paint—I build tactile environments that play with contrast and contradiction: hard and soft, domestic and institutional, playful and contemplative. These material tensions become metaphors for emotional and physical states, inviting the viewer into a space where meaning shifts depending on perspective and experience.
My goal is to create a space that is both nurturing and provocative—a place where viewers feel compelled to touch, to feel, to pause. Color becomes a bridge between the aesthetic and the emotional; texture becomes a point of entry into deeper contemplation. Through these works, I invite others to consider how they care for their own bodies, how they create spaces of healing in their lives, and how art can act as both a mirror and a balm.
This body of work is not just an installation—it is an offering. A space for curiosity, comfort, reflection, and ultimately, connection.


About the Artist:
Naomi RaMona Schliesman is an award-winning interdisciplinary artist with over 20 years of experience of exhibiting her work in New York, Chicago, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Pittsburgh, Brooklyn, Seattle, and throughout the Midwest. With a deep-rooted passion for sculpture, mixed media, and community engagement, she holds an MFA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (2009) and a BFA with an emphasis in sculpture from Minnesota State University Moorhead.
Schliesman has been recognized with prestigious fellowships from Ragdale and Kimmel Hardening Nelson Center for the Arts and was awarded 2nd place in the Miami University Young Sculptors Competition for the William and Dorothy Yeck Award. She was also a LEAP finalist for the Society of Contemporary Craft Award. Her commitment to art as a catalyst for community engagement led to her selection by Smart Growth America, Forecast Public Art, and West Central Initiative to develop a reusable community engagement kit, integrating both virtual and physical tools to benefit West Central Minnesota.

A passionate advocate for mentorship and storytelling through art, Schliesman was one of two Artist Organizers leading a youth mentorship project in Otter Tail County. This initiative resulted in Return to Normal? COVID Diaries from Local Youth, a multimedia exhibition funded by the CDC Foundation in partnership with Springboard for the Arts, Otter Tail County Historical Society, and Otter Tail County Public Health Department.

Her artistic journey extends internationally, having traveled to Italy, Scotland, Ireland, France, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Belize to study art movements and participate in prestigious residencies, including Vermont Studio Center, Kimmel Hardening Nelson Center for the Arts, Ragdale, The Traveling Museum, and Hospitalfield Arts.
In addition to her own practice, Schliesman is deeply committed to arts education and professional development. She taught 2D and 3D Design and served as Gallery Director for the School of Arts at Minnesota State University Moorhead (2011–2013). From 2013 to 2020, she was the Artist Development Director for rural programming at Springboard for the Arts in Fergus Falls, MN, where she managed the Hinge Arts at the Kirkbride residency program, led Work of Art: Business Skills for Artists workshops, facilitated artist development panels, and provided career consultations for artists across the United States.

Currently, Schliesman resides in rural Minnesota, where she maintains an active studio practice and continues her freelance work. She is a contracted Artist Career Consultant and Work of Art: Business Skills for Artists facilitator for Springboard for the Arts, a teaching artist for Kaddatz Galleries, and the Gallery Curator at Lake Region Legion Arts Council.

Through her extensive collaborations with artists and organizations nationwide, Schliesman remains dedicated to fostering creative storytelling, community engagement, and producing her work in her studio practice.

Naomi RaMona Schliesman is a fiscal year 2025 recipient of a Creative Individuals grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.​​

Event Link: https://www.chalkinsauk.org

FEE: Event is free. There is a booth fee for artists ($125 single/$250 double)

Sauk Centre Festival of the Arts combines a chalk festival, "Chalk in Sauk" with an art fair, "Art on the Avenue" and also includes a free concert with Robbie Vee in the Sauk Centre Bandshell on Saturday night. The event will be held at Sinclair Lewis Park in Sauk Centre, where Main Street meets Sauk Lake. Last year's event attracted approximately 2,000 people. We are looking for artists in any of the following areas: painting, drawing, pottery, wood, fabric, glass, jewelry, and mixed media. Cost for a 10x10 booth is $125 after that. Double booths are available for $250. No electricity. Link to apply directly is: https://form.jotform.com/250276299668170.

Event Link: https://lrac4.org/call-for-artists

FEE: FREE to Apply!

“ART of Toys”

Exhibition Dates: Monday, October 7th – Tuesday, December 16th, 2025

Call for artists Monday, July 21st - Monday, August 18, 2025

https://lrac4.org/call-for-artists to apply

Reception Tuesday, October 7, 2025 - 5:30-7pm – Artist Talk 6pm

Toys are a part of our lives at a very young age and help us to use our imagination! You can build with toys, create with toys, play with others and be inspired by toys. We ask artists, “how toys have inspired you, and how they “played” a role in your life?

Eligibility & Guidelines

This Call for Art is open to all artists living in the nine counties served by the Lake Region Arts Council:
Becker, Clay, Douglas, Grant, Otter Tail, Pope, Stevens, Traverse, and Wilkin counties in west central Minnesota.

• Artists may submit 1 to 3 works of art for consideration.

• All mediums, styles, and themes are welcome!

• 2D artwork must be framed and/or ready to hang.

• Pedestals will be provided for 3D artwork.

How to Apply

The online application portal opens on Monday, July 21, 2025.
Apply here: LRAC Online Application

• New applicants will need to create an account.

• Returning applicants should log in using their previous credentials.

Important Dates

Call Opens: Monday, July 21, 2025
Application Deadline: Monday, August 18th, 2025 | 5:00 PM
Artist Notification: Friday, August 29th, 2025
Exhibition Dates: October 6th – December16th, 2025
Opening Reception: Tuesday, October 7th, 2025 | 5:30 – 7:00 PM

For more information, please visit the LRAC Gallery website or contact:
Naomi RaMona Schliesman, Gallery Curator: gallerycurator4@gmail.com

All Artwork needs to be framed and/or ready to hang for 2D pieces with hanging wire. We have pedestals for 3D artwork. Please fill out the online application located on the LRAC Gallery website page.

Call for Art Information: 888-735-9622

https://lrac4.org/call-for-artists

***New applicants will need to create an account, and returning applicants should use their previous credentials to log on.

https://www.grantinterface.com/Home/Logon?urlkey=lakeregion

 “These activities are made possible by the voters of Minnesota through Lake Region Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.”

Event Link: https://www.kulcher.org/2025-kalevala-puppet-pageant/
FEE: $5/adult gate donation (children under 16 free) to get into Finn Creek Festival. Freewill donations will be collected at both performances to help cover the costs of this enriching community experience.

2025 Kalevala Puppet Pageant

16th Annual Community Theater for All Ages
Workshops begin Mon, Aug 4, 2025!
TWO Public Performances:
Friday 8/15/25 @ NYM Corn Feed
Saturday 8/16/25 @ Finn Creek Fest

The Puppet Pageant is an original large-scale street theater play based on stories from the Finnish national epic poem, the Kalevala, written and narrated by Creative Director Anne Sawyer, and performed by youth and community members from the New York Mills region.

This annual community theater program brings people together to learn a wide variety of artistic skills including acting and stilt-walking, plus learn about Finnish culture and heritage, and make connections with fellow community members and artists.

Daily workshops for participants begin on Monday, August 4, 2025; details below.  In 2025, there will be two public performances of the Kalevala Puppet Pageant:

• Friday, August 15 @ 7pm @ NYM VFW Post 3289 during NYM Civic & Commerce Corn Feed

• Saturday, August 16 @ 12pm @ Finn Creek Open Air Museum during Finn Creek Festival

Performances are open to all! Friday’s performance at VFW is free to attend. For the Saturday performance, there is a $5/adult gate donation (children under 16 free) to get into Finn Creek Festival. Freewill donations will be collected at both performances to help cover the costs of this enriching community experience.

Be Part of the Show!

Adults and youth ages 5 & up (children under the age of 7 must be accompanied by an adult or older sibling) are invited to participate. There are two weeks of workshops beginning August 4, 2025, leading up to the culminating performances on Friday & Saturday, August 15 & 16, 2025.

Dance, music, acting, costume design, performance skills, and stilt walking are all taught by Anne Sawyer, Creative Director, along with Assistant Director Lisa Winter of Wadena, and Tara Fahey of Minneapolis.

During the two weeks of workshops, participants will create and build puppets and props of all sizes in addition to learning the story and performance of the narrated play. Stilt walking will be included again this year as an added element to the performance (optional for youth ages 8 & older and adult participants).

The cost to participate in these two weeks of workshops and two performances is $50/child with a $100 max per family. Scholarships are available; no one will be turned away based on inability to pay. Parent volunteerism is always appreciated! Teens and adults participate for FREE! Grants, donors, and sponsorship support make this possible.

Click below to register (and pay) online, or complete the registration link below and stop by the Cultural Center to pay in person if you prefer. If meeting the family max ($100) or for scholarship participants, complete the form online and stop by to pay. Open House: Wednesdays & Thursdays 10am-7pm, Fridays 10am-5pm, Saturdays 10am-3pm. Contact us to make other arrangements or with questions at 218-385-3339 or info@kulcher.org.