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Participants
Frances Bates (she/her) – Curator
Frances is a jack of all trades with experience in art, design, and engineering. Growing up her dream was to become an inventor that made the world a better place. At a young age, creating found object art and homemade gifts was where it all started. She explored her interest in engineering by participating in as many summer camps and classes related to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) as she could.
This enthusiasm for both art and engineering led her to get a BFA in Industrial Design from the University of Wisconsin – Stout. This gave her the best of both worlds as industrial design is considered the art side of engineering. While at Stout she expanded her knowledge of a variety of art forms including graphic design, sculpture, jewelry, sewing, photography, and woodworking.
Currently, Frances is a freelance artist/designer doing a bit of everything depending on what comes her way. Her art often reflects just how much she cares about helping others. She has a particular passion for issues of diversity, the world of dancing, and camping gadgetry. As a lesbian with autism, she understands how important it is to empower your community.
Her advice: “Be like Dory and Just Keep Swimming”
Artist, Designer, Dancer – Minneapolis, MN
Andrea From (they/them)
I was raised on a 50-acre patch of Montana countryside, where my dad worked as a professional artist, and my mom was his studio manager. Growing up, my twin sister and I rode horses, bottle fed lambs, befriended stray cats, and raised box turtles.
Macalester College brought me to the Twin Cities. After graduating with a B.A. in English, I found immense joy working with very young children. Their brilliance inspired me to start drawing and painting these whimsical animal portraits. In 2021, I welcomed a little one of my own into the world!
As a nonbinary artist, I want my work to show young people that anyone can be anything. Imagination is a powerful first step in creating the world we want to see. Together, let’s color our communities into the fair, just, and joyful place we know they can be.
Artist – Minneapolis, MN
Seren Low (they/them)
I am not an artist, I am a processor. The more I understand myself and my neurodiversity I see my projects past, present, and future as the ways I can best express myself. I use the ideal of expressionism, dada, serialism, folk art, street art, and Americana to process my experiences and the things I learn.
I believe this ability truly bloomed in high school when I was first exposed to the freedom the sculptural arts have given me. I continued my education in the liberal arts education at Rosemont College located outside of Philadelphia. As I learned skills and history, I worked hard towards completing the classes needed. I received my BFA in Studio Art and my minor in Art History.
This time cumulative into a solo show in which I processed my view of myself as an AFAB person in their 20s in 2009. It was entitled “Female HA-HA” about the in my opinion hilarious uncomfortability of being a young woman in 2009. It was even written up in the Philadelphia Inquirer.
However, because of my personal life I found little time to create until I had long covid in 2020 when art became part of my recovery. Art being therapy not only of the mind and spirit but of the body starting with paint by numbers and moving on to needle point then drawing. I began to heal and in 2022 I made a deal with myself to draw a day or more and I did it. I reawoke my processing self.
Instagram/TikTok: @bedsidearts
Processor, Activist – West Virginia
Kelly Frankenberg (she/her)
Kelly has jumped into every kind of art she can find whether it’s music, film, fashion, painting, sculpture, glass, woodworking, or performance. Kelly’s travels across the globe are her inspiration for her photography and painting. Her abstract work comes from memory and her influential art comes from her passion for unity and inclusivity and reform in a world of vast cultural diversity. Her spiritual art comes from meditation and channeling the subconscious and source energy.
Some classes Kelly has taught include Drawing, Watercolor, Piano, Guitar, Clarinet, Critical Thinking, and other humanities and sciences. Her educational background consists of a BFA in Illustration from MCAD and a MFA in Creative Writing from the University of New Orleans with studies in Ireland, Scotland, and Italy in Poetry, Creative Non-Fiction, Screenwriting, and Visual Art.
Some local clients for books, illustrations, and murals have included Minnesota’s Governor’s Residence Council, Minnesota Children’s Theater, and the Islamic Center of Minnesota. Some national clients for live performances, courtroom sketches, and 3D art have included the National Architecture Convention, Fox National News, Macy’s, and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.
Kelly’s work has appeared in film, TV, books, newspapers, magazines, on the radio, on walls, windows, pianos, mailboxes, and electrical boxes. During the year her work is displayed in solo and group gallery shows, and is for sale at local art festivals. She is currently finishing her screenplay and feature-length film.
Artist, illustrator, writer, teacher – Eagan, MN
Alkemy Frost (ne, nir, nem)
Alkemy is a disabled, queer, Jewish artist who particularly loves the surreal. Working in a variety of mediums both visual and literary, ne attempts to express in their own experience as well as support others in our often overwhelming world.
Ne will help the ACW community through typing up written notes and in other online formats, due to physical limitations.
Alkemy also has a small Youtube channel and is in the process of building an online art shop.
Catherine Palmer (she/her or they/them)
While I have been at the business of making art for as long as I can remember, my work as a student began in earnest in 1987 when I was awarded a scholarship to the Split Rock Art program. Since then, my study has led me from the precepts of life and figurative drawing to the freedom I have found in theory and an abstract vision. In other words, you need to know the rules to break them. And in the process of doing so, catharsis is found. My starting place is color; color leads me through space to composition. My subject matter can be identified as a conversation with the world I live in, influenced by feminism, personal circumstance, and the on-going attempt to create a pure art object, one that exists solely for the experience of the beholder. I have shown my work in Minneapolis since 1997 in Galleries, Community Colleges, and Coffee Houses. As a result, my paintings are held in personal collections across the United States and in Norway.
Painter – Minneapolis, MN
Marie Sipe (she/her)
Marie considers herself a non-artist- Artist. Throughout her life she has held a variety of different styles of employment, ranging from working for Amport Dates Co. to driving a Yellow Taxi Cab. What she enjoyed the most was working with her life partner at their different small businesses: Repeat Performance Vintage clothing store in MPLS and their two coffee shops in Wisconsin Dells.
Story Teller – Minneapolis, MN
Sadie Ward (she/her)
In 2019 Sadie created an art form by taking old bras and making portraits of influential women, referred to as Brart (bra-art). Sadie is always gathering bras, and any bras she doesn’t use, she gets to organziations that help women who can’t afford bras, get bras for free or take care of the textile recycling for bras. You can email Sadie at Sadiekward@gmail.com, if you have bras to give or a location to set up a bra recycling box in a public area. Sadie also has a piece of brart in the Ramsey Country Historical Society’s Persistence exhibit and had a gallery showing at Urban Growler this summer. Sadie is also a local set designer and you may have seen some of her scenic and prop design work at Park Square, Theatre in the Round, Theatre Unbound, Theatre Pro Rata, The Phipps, Stages Theatre Company, Lyric Arts and Minnesota Opera. In our disposable modern world, she tries to incorporate recycled and upcycled elements into her theatre designs and art work. Sadie is also the Executive Director of the Minneapolis Green Theatre Alliance.
Brart Blog Brart: Bra-Art – Blog (weebly.com)
WCCO Interview Local Artist Makes Portraits From Old Bras – YouTube
Twin Cities Live Interview Brart: Upcycling Bras Into Art – Your Happy Hour and a Half! (twincitieslive.com)
Email sadiekward@gmail.com
Unleashthecreativebeast on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube
MaryBeth Garrigan (she/her)
I grew up in a very different time in the 70s. Opportunities for young women in art were just opening up, but there were still many obstacles. I feel the in the art world in particular during the 70s women had to fight and or become radical conceptualists to be seen which was very amazing and I loved it, but it was very tough for me to participate in as I had to stay at home and help my sick mother, that’s why my studies pivoted to Animal Science. As a zookeeper for Como Zoo, I was able to bring the animals home to care for them and it was something my mother could help with by bottle feeding the lion cubs. As I started a family, most of my male colleagues had jobs, and families with children, they still were able to practice their passion in falconry or art. It seemed impossible for me to do art just for myself, while my partner Mark and I raised two children. For about 20 years as I was the single income earning parent, my creative artistic energies were diverted into creating children’s programming, design and planning the zoo exhibits or eagle facilities and exhibits. My falconry was diverted into training non-flighted eagles for educational ambassador work. I resumed my artistic practice as I retired, and I feel most of my life was lucky that I was able to channel my passions into work that connected to my values. I still love animals but the only exotic creature living with me is my chihuahua mix Rooster. So, Rooster helps me to keep active and grounded. My two daughters live close by, and we love to hang out and make art together at the Schmidt Artist Lofts in Saint Paul. We all have survived the pandemic so far, so life is good to be alive and grateful we live in Minnesota (Mni Sota Makoce) the land of the Dakota and Ojibwa peoples who are still here and whose culture values I try to live up to. I’m grateful to keep making art!
Instagram: @uglydaisystudio
Artist – Minnesota
Annie Merrell (she/her)
Annie is a visual artist who has a passion for creating art in all of its forms. Her work is meant to empower and inspire others. She works frequently with mixed media, sculpture and encaustic to create ethereal pieces that are meant to awaken the magic within us all.
Not only is she passionate artist she has also spent over 25 years as a nurse. This gives her a great understanding of the how the synergy of the mind and body can affect your health. Annie’s desire to help people feel empowered in their health led her to medical aesthetics. She is currently an RN at Innovative Directions in Health located in Edina.
As a late in life artist and have she has found that it’s never too late to create new dreams and even see them grow. She wishes that you also follow your passions in life and be blessed in the process.
Artist, Nurse – Minnesota
Zara Offner-Hernandez (they/them)
I am a Disabled, Queer, Trans, NonBinary, white, member of an interracial marriage, Wisconsin born, artist, and bleeding heart. I hold a bachelor’s degree in American Sign Language Interpreting and a master’s degree in Library and Information Sciences.
My works typically center on my experiences as a Disabled/Trans/Queer person and how that complicates and compounds my relationship with my body and the world around me through exploring themes around gender dysphoria, gender euphoria, Queerness, sex, Disability as constructed and contextual, and the literal and figurative eyes on my body and my community because of the identities we embody.
Artist – Minnesota
Katie Reeves (they/them)
I make functional ceramicware that focuses on the themes of sexuality, femininity, classicality, and intimacy. My sexuality plays a large role in what I make; as a lesbian, I am very attracted to the female form. I reference it in my work with the use of soft and voluptuous curves in my pieces. Using porcelain as a clay body, and the addition of sprigs and slip trailing, I create work that is feminine and delicate, while simultaneously being bold and sassy. My work makes direct references to antiquity, specifically Baroque and Rococo ornamentation. I am drawn to the intricate and extravagant detailing on old metalware, such as that in antique frames, silverware, and furniture. Using slip detailing, I create intricate designs that mimic many of these patterns. I enjoy the combinations of decorative embellishments and use many of these qualities in my functionalware. These techniques give them an elegant feel. I focus on making work that is comfortable in the hand, and on the mouth. My work emphasizes the moments of contact between the user and the object. The suppleness of the curves and the textures of the slip trailing are meant to invite the viewer to run their fingers along each moment. I enjoy watching the user interact with the piece as they discover every texture.
Instagram: @kreevesceramics
Ceramicist – Minnesota
Lin Boemer (they/them)
Lin is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience and a minor in Pharmacology from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities. They keep themselves busy on campus being part of both science-based organizations and the Dungeons and Dragons Club. In their free time they enjoy painting, both on canvas and digital.
Within their art they explore their love of nature, both real and fantasy. They often create both realistic and anthropomorphized animals. Lin’s Tabby cat Charles has been a big inspiration for cat themed art. In their other works, you can see their background in DnD and cosplay. These may reference characters from media or portray mystical lands. They also have a Crystal Islands design which is influenced by their non-binary and queer identity.
Instagram: @linslamelife
Scientist, Artist – Minneapolis, MN
Steven Carlyle Moore (he/him)
The possibilities are endless when it comes to creating art. As the artist Paul Strand said, “The artist’s world is limitless. It can be found anywhere, far from where he lives or a few feet away. It is always on his doorstep.” I hope to embody this in my work as a contemporary expressionist painter. With a limitless world at my doorstep, I rely on my intuition and imagination to create visual work that tells an expressive, color-filled, and authentic story—sometimes reinterpreting or reimagining everyday objects and figures—sometimes creating something totally new. At first, these figures may seem whimsical, but if you linger, you may see deeper themes emerge in a unique visual world that transports you somewhere you haven’t been before. By defamiliarizing the familiar, I create realities that are funny, or dark, or strange in hopes of engaging the viewer in a new way.
Instagram: @ ifeellikesteve
Painter – Minneapolis, MN
Christi Furnas (she/her)
Christi is a cartoonist, illustrator, oil painter and disability rights advocate. Her career includes over ten years of arts administration, teaching art workshops, and numerous speaking engagements, including an interview on MPR. She lives, breathes, draws, and paints in Minneapolis.
Instagram: @fox_foxerson
Artist – Minnesota
Phillip Hoffman (he/him)
Philip is a Minneapolis based oil painter. Born and raised in the Twin Cities, Hoffman started his artistic career in the early 1970s. He was self-taught in the abstract style of painting until 1997, when he attended The Atelier School of Fine Art. He has exhibited at venues such as Coffman Union Galleries, Flatland Gallery, Gallery 13, and Regla De Oro Gallery. You can find his most recent work at displayed at the Convention Center in downtown Minneapolis.
Julie Burkhart-Haid (she/her)
I grew up in Fort Worth, Texas with 3 sisters and parents who encouraged our curiosities and artistic inclinations. Working space in the den for sewing and painting was the norm in our household, and our dad’s paintings covered the walls. We always made room for art.
In a middle school art class, I had the opportunity to create my first piece of jewelry. My art teacher stoked the fire for jewelry making and started me on my journey.
I’ve been working as a professional jeweler since 1979. I studied in Texas and first worked at a diamond importer. I have worked as a jewelry designer and bench jeweler at independently owned jewelry stores, setting stones and manufacturing custom designs from concept to finished piece.
Micro mosaics were very popular in Italy at the turn of the 20th century. When I became interested in creating micro mosaics, because it is a dying art form, I couldn’t find any information on the technique. I developed my own technique with a modern twist. To create a mosaic, I hand cut strands of colored glass and hand fabricate my mosaics in sterling silver bezels. While tedious, I find the process very calming and the jewelry unique.
In addition to fine glass stringers for mosaics, I also work in gold, platinum, palladium, diamonds, and colored gemstones. My design inspiration comes from the look and texture of ancient and current mosaics, quilts, nature, fine art, and architecture. Gemstones featuring unusual cuts and rich color as well as colored glass provide the palette for my work.
Instagram: @burkhartdesignstudio
Jeweler – Minneapolis, MN
Jodi Janz (she/her)
Jodi is a contemporary painter and mixed media artist living and working in Minneapolis, MN. She has been creating art since she was a young child. In the late 80’s she attended the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design to pursue her love of art. She freelanced as a graphic designer for 18 years, working in Milwaukee, Chicago, and Minneapolis. In 2017 she made the leap to start painting full time. Her painting style is often influenced by her design background. She brings energy, color, light, and emotion to all her work. Whether it’s part of her Breast Cancer Series, or her abstract landscapes. She now shows and sells her work in galleries, arts orgs, and out of her studio in NE Minneapolis. She is a big supporter of fellow artists with disabilities and has been volunteering for The Show Lowertown for the last 6 years. In 2021 she started working with the Bakken Museum and is now curating shows with them.
Painter – Minnesota
Raven Mae (they/them)
Raven Gizhibaayaanimad Mae of Whirlywind Artworks is a Mixed, Queer, Fat, genderfluid, Two Spirit, visual and mixed media artist. Born and raised in Minnesota they have dual citizenship with the US and Red Lake Nation of Ojibwe/Anishinaabe. They work to weave emotive narratives of their experiences, nature, activism, and local events into their work. Their favorite mediums are Inktense pencils, water blendable oil pastels, and acrylics.
Committed to community building and the healing power of art, they hold weekly Art It Out events meant to create social spaces and local community for creative dabblers and artists to gather and create in a common supportive space.
Instagram: @whirlywind_artworks
Artist – Minnesota
Lucienne Schroepfer (she/her)
Originally from Cambridge, MA Lucy was steeped in the arts through childhood. Originally focusing on music, she discovered fabrics and sewing 20 years ago and has never looked back.
Lucy starts each morning in her studios at 5 am. On good days, post her day job in the performing arts, she is back in the studio.
Whether experimenting with patchwork and color, creating fabric paintings, or long-arm quilting- her work typically showcases bold colors with a broad bouquet of thread and texture. Inspiration comes from places, books, and the fabric itself. Most fun for her is to witness the surprise from folks realizing, only up-close, her paintings are in fact fabric. Often framing without glass, she reminds folks her art is washable.
Lucy is a member of the Minneapolis Modern Quilt Guild, MN Quilters, Dakota Star Country Quilters, NEMAA, St. Paul Art Collective, and the Mpls, Textile Center. She lives and studios in Saint Paul with her husband, three teens, and mutt “Lulu”.
Instagram/Facebook: Luce Quilts
Quilt Painting Artist – St. Paul, MN
Kris Lange (she/her)
I fell into being an artist after attending an art therapy class during breast cancer chemotherapy in 2018. I’ve been painting and doing pottery ever since. I enjoy painting women’s bodies and landscapes. I have a degree in Animal Science and Technical Communication from the University of Minnesota. I currently work as a Technical Writer for a clinical trial software company to fund my ever-increasing art habit.
Instagram: @kmslange
Artist – Minnesota
Brooke Ross (she/her)
Brooke is a commercial and fashion editorial photographer from Minneapolis, Minnesota. She specializes in working with businesses and creating impressionable photography that serves to grow her clients marketing and selling needs. Brooke also photographs not so ordinary senior pictures that are editorially designed and curated. Her studios are in Minneapolis, Minnesota and Atlanta, Georgia.
Instagram: @brookerossphotography
Photographer – Minnesota/Atlanta
Shawn Lohse (she/her)
I love to paint. My art focuses on the relationship between the dynamic and the contained. It is all a negotiation that often ends in chaos, but when it comes together, the dance is all worth it. My work features figures and nature, with ink and watercolor on Yupo as the most common medium.
Instagram: @shawnlohseart
Artist – Minnesota
Gustavo Lira Garcia (he/him)
Gustavo enjoys exploring different mediums and techniques. He is a muralist, painter, sculptor, mosaic artist, and ceramicist. His Latino heritage can be seen in most of the art he makes, including multiple Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) inspired works. As an educator and activist, he has a statement of philosophy which he uses to encourage students to hone their skills in art/humanities. He was featured in the book Latin Art in Minnesota: Conversations and What’s Next by William G. Franklin. You can find his murals in many areas of Minnesota.
Instagram/Facebook: Gustavo Lira Garcia
Artist – Minnesota
Mary Norman Hambidge (she/her)
Mary grew up in Rice Lake Wisconsin. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish and Latin American Studies from the University of Minnesota. This was followed by several years of study in the Studio Arts Department under mentorship of Minnesota artist George Morrison.
She has traveled extensively in South and Central America. A long friendship with Ann Cameron has resulted in extended visits in Panajachel and familiarity with the library since its inception years ago.
Along with travel, pastimes include birding, jogging, hiking, and reading. She has been a psychotherapist in private practice (with Dr. Gove Hambidge) and an art instructor. She now paints full time from a studio in Northeast Minneapolis.
Ms. Hambidge has three grown children and five grandchildren. Currently she lives in Golden Valley, Minnesota. She has been a member of the Board of Directors since 2000.
Artist – Golden Valley, MN