Free Event

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Nov
5
to May 6

ARTIST PRESENTATION SERIES: "Made Here: Showcasing Regional Makers and their Stories in Fergus Falls" @ Springboard for the Arts, Fergus Falls

  • Springboard for the Arts (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

EVENT LINK: https://springboardforthearts.org/event/made-here-showcasing-regional-makers-and-their-stories-in-fergus-falls/

FEE: Free & open to the public

Made Here: Showcasing Regional Makers and their Stories in Fergus Falls

Come connect with the makers shaping our creative region. Each quarter, Springboard for the Arts spotlights a local creative business in downtown Fergus Falls. You’ll get a behind-the-scenes view of their work, hear their stories, and learn about your creative neighbors! November’s gathering will showcase local artist Sam Oberto, maker of Free Soul Candle Co.!

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Nov
20
to May 20

COMMUNITY SEWING GROUP: "Sew Unique" @ Fergus Falls Public Library

  • Fergus Falls Public Library (map)
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EVENT LINK: https://ffpubliclibrary.org/events/

FEE: Free

Sew Unique

3rd Thursdays @ 9:00 am - 1:00 pm

All types of sewing projects are welcome. Bring your projects, cutting tools and sewing machine. Several irons and boards will be provided. Meets the third Thursday of each month. This is a community-member-led group.

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Jan
12
to Mar 26

FREE EVENT: "Winter Rituals: Springboard Sunroom" @ Springboard for the Arts, Fergus Falls

  • Springboard for the Arts (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Event Link: https://springboardforthearts.org/event/springboard-sunroom/

FEE: Free

Winter Rituals: Springboard Sunroom

EVENT, FREE, IN-PERSON

The Springboard Sunroom is a space where the community can find light during the darkest months. Popping up at Springboard in Fergus Falls, the space is equipped with a desk/table, a vitamin D lamp, paper, pens, pencils, cozy blankets, and candles. The space also has three different writing invitations (Winter Words [short musings], The Next Page [community fiction], and The Wonder of Winter: Eight Deep Reflection Prompts) to help people find the light within themselves.

The Sunroom will be open Mondays – Thursday, 10:00am-4:00pm beginning January 12 through March 26, 2026. This activity is free and open to all ages, but kids under 10 should be accompanied by a parent/guardian.

Event Information

Location
Springboard for the Arts, 201 W Lincoln Ave, Fergus Falls, MN 56537

Date
Monday, January 12, 2026 - Thursday, March 26, 2026

Time
10:00 - 4:00 CT

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Jan
20
to Feb 28

EXHIBITION: "Flourish | 3rd Annual Group Exhibition" @ Kaddatz Galleries, Fergus Falls

EVENT LINK: https://www.kaddatzgalleries.org/current-exhibitions.html

FEE: Free & open to the public

Flourish | 3rd Annual Group Exhibition

On View In Our Charles Beck Gallery
January 20th - February 28th, 2026
Opening Reception
Opening reception: Tuesday, January 27th, 4:30-6:30pm

​Exhibition Statement: Flourish is Kaddatz Galleries’ third annual open call exhibition, celebrating resilience, growth, and the sustaining power of hope. Like plants that bloom after enduring changing seasons, the works in this exhibition reflect the beauty of adapting, healing, and thriving amid transformation. Together, the artists explore what it means to embrace new circumstances and find strength, joy, and possibility in moments of change.

Featuring work across a wide range of media, Flourish brings together artwork by 28 regional artists who respond to themes of renewal, optimism, and inner strength. Throughout the exhibition, ideas of transformation, connection, and restoration emerge, illuminating the many ways art can foster reflection and inspire a hopeful outlook toward the future.

The artists included in Flourish live in or have strong ties to West Central Minnesota’s nine-county region, highlighting the depth, diversity, and creative vitality of our regional arts community.

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Jan
20
to Feb 28

EXHIBITION: "Charles Beck | Woodcuts & Watercolors" @ Kaddatz Galleries, Fergus Falls

EVENT LINK: https://www.kaddatzgalleries.org/current-exhibitions.html

FEE: Free & open to the public

Charles Beck | Woodcuts & Watercolors

On View In Our Studio K Gallery
January 20th - February 28th, 2026
Opening Reception
Opening reception: Tuesday, January 27th, 4:30-6:30pm

​Exhibition Statement: This exhibition presents a selection of works by renowned artist Charles Beck, featuring  woodcut prints, a medium for which he is widely known, alongside a group of intimate watercolor paintings. Also included is Green Tree, an acrylic painting created between 2015 and 2017 during Beck’s residency at the Broen Memorial Home in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. Together, these works offer a glimpse into Beck’s diverse practice and enduring artistic vision.


Charles Beck
Fergus Falls, Minnesota
(1923 – 2017)

Charles Beck was born in Fergus Falls in 1923. He began drawing in grade school where he would trade his work for candy and marbles. In the 1940’s Beck attended Concordia College in Moorhead, MN, where he studied art under Cyrus Running. While at Concordia Sports Director Jake Christiansen convinced him to play football, which was another important aspect of his college career. Beck credits Running and the Christiansen brothers (Jake and Paul) at Concordia as being great influences in his life. Beck graduated from Concordia in 1948 after taking time off to serve as a pilot in the Naval Air Force. He continued his education at the University of Iowa where he received his Master of Fine Arts degree in 1950, and then returned to Fergus Falls where he worked as a sign painter.

In 1953 Beck enrolled at the University of Minnesota where he studied under Cameron Booth, Walter Quirt, and Malcolm Myers. It was at the University where Beck was first introduced to woodblock prints, and he completed his first print, The Holy Family. Beck joined the faculty at Minnesota State Community and Technical College in 1960 where he taught for 27 years. Concordia granted Beck an Honorary Doctorate in 1980, and in 2006 the College honored Beck by naming the new gallery after him. 

Charles Beck was influenced by the landscape of Otter Tail County and made it the predominant subject matter of his artwork, choosing to create an interpretation of his own experiences and vision rather than exact representations within his work. Charles Beck continued to create art until his death in September of 2017 at the age of 94. Beck remains one of the most recognizable artists in Minnesota.

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Feb
5
to Feb 24

FREE YOUTH ACTIVITY: "The Nest | Child-Led Interactive Playscape" @ Fergus Falls Public Library

  • Fergus Falls Public Library (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

EVENT LINK: https://nowmakeart.com/thenest

FEE: Free

The Nest

Child-Led Interactive Playscape

📅 Dates: February 5–24, 2026
📍 Location: Fergus Falls Public Library

Have you seen it? A mysterious creature has been spotted in Fergus Falls!

The Nest is a child-led playscape exploring an elusive, migrating Creature as it temporarily inhabits public spaces. When you enter the Nest, you’re invited to play, make, imagine, and help uncover the Creature’s story—using clues scattered around town.

What we know so far:
• The Creature is shy
• It has traveled around the country
• It needs a safe place to rest
• Its temporary Nest is at the Fergus Falls Public Library
It needs our help

🕰 Staffed Facilitation Hours:
• Tuesdays: 9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
• Thursdays: 9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
• Fridays: 3:00–5:30 p.m.
• Saturdays: 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.

🔗 Learn more: www.nowmakeart.com/thenest

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Feb
26
7:00 PM19:00

LIVE MUSIC: "Live Music by Clayton Ryan & Laura Hugo" @ Zorbaz, Detroit Lakes

EVENT LINK: http://Project412mn.org/Clayton-Ryan-Artist-In-Residence

FEE: Free

Live Music by Clayton Ryan & Laura Hugo

February 26, 2026, 7 - 9 PM

Zorbaz, Detroit Lakes

Join us Thursday, February 26, for a night of live music featuring Clayton Ryan’s heartland country rock, with special guest Laura Hugo bringing honest and relatable songs from the Navajo Nation.

Music starts at 7:00pm at Zorbaz (402 W Lake Drive, Detroit Lakes, MN).

Brought to you by Project 412 Wave Makers, this concert is FREE and open to the public!

*** This event is supported in part by Arts Midwest, which receives support in part from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.

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Apr
21
7:00 PM19:00

VIRTUAL AUTHOR READING: "2025 Year-Long Poetry Apprenticeship Project Final Reading" @ Virtual via Zoom (The Loft)

EVENT LINK: https://loft.org/upcoming-events

FEE: Free | Open to the public

2025 Year-Long Poetry Apprenticeship Project Final Reading (Summer Online Cohort)

Tuesday, April 21, 2026 | 7pm-8:30pm

Please join us to celebrate the conclusion of the 2025 Year-Long Poetry Writing Project. Participants from the Year-Long 2025 Poetry Writing Project with Hieu Minh Nguyen will read from their completed manuscripts at this culminating event.

Presenters

Hieu Minh Nguyen

Online—Zoom Classroom

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Apr
23
2:30 PM14:30

COMMUNITY CELEBRATION: "We’ve Got You Covered | Rick Kagigebi & Eliza Klarer" @ Gizhiigin Arts Incubator, Mahnomen, MN

EVENT LINK: https://www.gizhiigin.org

FEE: Free

We’ve Got You Covered | Rick Kagigebi & Eliza Klarer

A celebration of the appliquéd mural blankets created during their apprenticeship year.

Thursday, April 23, 2026, 2:30 - 6 PM

Hosted by Gizhiigin Arts Incubator | 701 E Jefferson Ave, Mahnomen, MN

  • 2:30 PM Regional Arts Networking | snacks and beverages

  • 3-4 PM McKnight Fellowship Info Session

  • 4-6 PM Artist Reception

Indigenous Foods catered by Chef Edward Rodriguez

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Apr
23
7:00 PM19:00

VIRTUAL AUTHOR READING: "2025 Year-Long Fiction Writing Project Final Reading" @ Virtual via Zoom (The Loft)

EVENT LINK: https://loft.org/upcoming-events

FEE: Free | Open to the public

2025 Year-Long Fiction Writing Project Final Reading (Summer Online Cohort)

Thursday, April 23, 2026 | 7pm-8:30pm

Please join us to celebrate the conclusion of the 2025 Year-Long Fiction Writing Project. Participants from the Year-Long 2025 Fiction Writing Project with Junauda Petrus will read from their completed manuscripts at this culminating event.

Presenter: Junauda Petrus

Online—Zoom Classroom

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Feb
19
5:00 PM17:00

LECTURE: "Legacy Lecture | Drawn From Here—Featuring Jeffrey Zachmann" @ Kaddatz Galleries, Fergus Falls

EVENT LINK: https://www.facebook.com/events/2082885775985002?

FEE: Free & open to the public

Legacy Lecture | Drawn From Here
Featuring Jeffrey Zachmann

Thursday, February 19 | 5:00–7:00 PM
Artist Lecture at 5:45 PM

Join us for an evening of art, movement, and curiosity with internationally recognized kinetic sculptor Jeffrey Zachmann, based in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. In this Legacy Lecture, Drawn From Here, Zachmann will share insights into his decades-long practice creating playful, interactive sculptures that captivate audiences through motion, balance, and mechanical elegance.

Drawing from childhood-inspired experimentation and a lifelong fascination with movement, Zachmann’s work transforms metal into dynamic, hands-on experiences. His sculptures are installed in public and private collections around the world—from museums, libraries, and science centers to children’s hospitals and international airports.

The evening begins with a reception from 5:00–7:00 PM, with the artist lecture starting at 5:45 PM. All are welcome to attend this engaging talk celebrating creativity, craftsmanship, and the joy of discovery through kinetic art.

About the Series: "Legacy Lectures: Drawn from Here" honors the legacy of Charles Beck by showcasing the rich artistic talent that has emerged from our region and exploring how these artists live out their artistic calling while maintaining meaningful ties to their communities of origin. We hope this offering inspires our long-time patrons and young budding artists alike!

FREE and open to all with light refreshments provided.

Made possible by the Inga M. Johnson Endowment Fund established with West Central Initiative

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