In the 1860’s, Faribault, was considered a cultural mecca, and thus became widely known as “The Athens of the West.” In 1914, an unknown author wrote: “The resemblance of the most beautiful young city of Minnesota to the Ancient Grecian metropolis arises from the topography of Faribault, the cosmopolitan character, the culture and refinement of its citizens, the large number of temples of worship and the fame and excellence of…

The art of Jay Pfeifer is defined more by his material and his long familiarity with them than by any preconceived themes or designs. From the building sites and construction zones of his everyday work life, he gathers the raw components — lath, sand, joint, compound, roofing paper, even coffee grounds and motor oil — which are melded and transformed into the rich forms and vistas of his “paintings,” the…

Kelli Nelson is a Minneapolis-based painter and educator. A Grand Forks native, Nelson earned her BFA in painting from the University of North Dakota in 2010. In the spring of 2013 she completed her MFA, concentrating of drawing and painting, at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Currently, she teaches drawing and painting at the Minnetonka Center for the Arts. Nelson’s work always starts with the body. Figurative forms…

Cole La Rocque is an NDSU Art student from Grand Forks, currently working on his Bachelor of Fine Arts. Cole La Rocque works primarily as a painter and has been a scholarship recipient for his work.

Dan Jones was born and raised in Fargo, ND. After viewing the Picasso retrospective at the Walker Art Center in 1980, he was compelled to consider a career in art and enrolled at North Dakota State University. His educational journey took him to the University of Minnesota and finally back to NDSU where he studied art history, researched Old Masters painting techniques and met his future wife, Julia. Dan and…

Steve Griffin began painting the “Strata” series in the spring of 2007. The basic horizontal stripe compositions in these paintings were initially inspired by the abundant river views in the beach town where he lives, but the end result more closely resembles a cross-section of earth or the strata found in rocks. The painting process itself is similar to an archaeological dig. The artist applies multiple layers of paint which…

This collection of work is a response to living in an increasingly over saturated synthetic environment. A “televised vision” which presents an instant visual abundance of entertainment, gratification and the illusion of connectedness, which in turn produces an endless longing or “search.” This “fiction addiction” seemingly results in a loss of meaning and respect for our nonvirtual (natural) world. These assemblages could be considered microcosms, formed by pieces that have…

Storm Crossing Prairie, 2003
Digital Pigment Print
17 inches x 28 inches

I spent most of my early years in retail sales and interior design. During this period I was painting artistically and doing faux finishes in my spare time. I became frustrated with retail sales and yearned for a different way to express myself. To that end I returned to Fargo to finish a long overdue art degree at Minnesota State University Moorhead. While finishing my Bachelor of Fine Arts degree…