Sculptures, paintings and drawings by area artists featured at the Waage this fall

Beginning this week, Waage Art Gallery at M State’s Fergus Falls campus is housing two new exhibitions of work by area artists:

• “Amplitude,” a collection of ceramic sculptures by former M State student Amanda Callahan, and;
• “Thursday’s Group,” an assortment of paintings and drawings by eight local artists who, for several years, would meet every Thursday to create art and share knowledge.

The exhibitions open Wednesday, Aug. 16 and will continue through Thursday, Dec. 14. An artist’s reception will be held Thursday, Oct. 5 from 1-3 p.m. All are welcome and there is no cost to attend.

‘AMPLITUDE’

Fergus Falls artist Amanda Callahan believes art can provide the impetus to better understand the world around us, the language to express the world inside us, and the motivation to drive change.

Her latest exhibition, “Amplitude,” is a collection of ceramic sculptures that explore the cyclical nature of life. By drawing attention to the similarities between wave energy (a concept in physics that relies on amplitude, i.e. the maximum extent of a wave's vibration or oscillation) and the impacts of shared human energy, the exhibition invites viewers to reflect on their position within the wave/life cycle and contemplate the conditions and human connections that enable them to reach their own amplitude.

“Similar to a wave crashing ashore, our energy has an impact on the energy of those around us,” Callahan writes in her artist statement. “For example, when someone speaks, the vibrations of their vocal cords resonate with our eardrums… Human touch, such as a handshake, and eye contact can facilitate a transference of energy. Exploring what makes us feel connected and who contributes to that feeling is a crucial aspect of this work.”

Callahan’s love for ceramics was first kindled as a pottery student at M State. She later received a bachelor of arts degree in studio art and a K12 teaching license in visual art from the University of Minnesota Morris. She teaches art in the Fergus Falls community and at Kalon Prep Academy in Alexandria.

‘THURSDAY’S GROUP’

“Thursday’s Group” was born out of a brief art demonstration given in 2014 by artist and art teacher Bonita Roberts at Art of the Lakes Gallery in Battle Lake. The demonstration interested several artists who were in attendance. They signed up to learn more, and then kept on wanting to learn more.

With every gathering, the group’s enthusiasm for knowledge and hands-on artwork grew, and they began regularly meeting every Thursday to try new methods and mediums. Close friendships were formed, and in time new artists joined, bringing additional skills and talents to the group. For a few years, Thursday’s Group became part of a summer painting group that met at Glendalough State Park.

Eventually, the weekly group meetings came to an end. Yet many of the artists remain friends who still paint and keep in touch with each other. Works by these artists will be featured in the upcoming “Thursday’s Group” exhibition at M State.

Following are names of the “Thursday’s Group” artists, with excerpts from their artist statements:

• Diana Fuder: I have loved painting all my life. I attended college in Fergus Falls and took as many classes as I could from Charles Beck. Later, I started taking classes from Bonita Roberts. I will be forever grateful to my instructors for opening my eyes to shapes, colors and values; to painting what I feel, not what I see.
• Tracy Anderson: I am drawn to strong shadows and the emotions buried deep within. My desire is to illuminate a subject in a unique way that shows inner depth, struggle, thoughts and their personal journey in life. Most of my paintings are about beauty, curves, texture, emotion and how the subject is emerging out of the darkness.
• Arlene Volden Sherman: I am a freelance artist who has been painting for over 40 years using many mediums – watercolor, oils, acrylics and pastels. Travels to Switzerland, Norway and New Zealand have inspired some of my paintings, and I also paint florals and Minnesota landscapes. I painted a mural of a Viking ship on a wall at the Vining Community Center.
• Naomi (Noni) Bjorklund: I came to painting late in life, at the urging of a friend. With much fear, I took up the brush and began to paint. It was like falling in love. I had to do more! Today, I particularly love portraiture, finding delight in discovering the unique beauty of each individual and trying to capture that in paint.
• Bonita Roberts: I try to remember that the subject of my painting “is” the painting; the poetry lies in the artist’s skilled orchestration of shapes, values, edges and color harmony, regardless of the image being portrayed. I’m also aware of the value of simplicity. To simplify the visually complicated and present it anew to the world, with creativity and beauty, is the power we have as artists.
• Myron Sahlberg: I pursue a better painting each time I paint. In my early years, I produced hundreds of illustrations in various mediums; in my forties and fifties, I put my focus on mastering the craft of painting. Now in my seventies, I am putting my focus on the poetry of painting.
• Annette Hochstein: I have worked mostly with glass mosaics but became intrigued by soft pastels after taking a drawing class. There is something magical about the way pastels can be layered and blended. I am most comfortable working on landscapes, and like to work from reference photos, in my studio. I’ve also done a few portraits.
• Bonnie Pfeffer: I have lived in Battle Lake for over 50 years and have always been interested in art. When I began drawing, at first using vine charcoal, I was hooked! It led me into oils, and then soft pastels, which has become my favorite medium. Nature – especially landscapes and trees of all kinds – continually draws me in.

The Waage Art Gallery is open to the public at no cost, between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.