The First Friday Art Walk supports both the artists and businesses of Bemidji’s downtown community by providing a festive self-guided walking tour featuring an average of 8 artist receptions each month throughout downtown Bemidji’s restaurants, libraries, schools, and businesses. Watermark Art Center is the anchor exhibitor of the First Friday Art Walk, as well as its media liaison.
An estimated 100 people are out each month during the First Friday Art Walk to attend art openings, visit with artists, and listen to artist talks, live music, readings, or demonstrations. The fun continues into the evening as attendees visit area restaurants and bars for musical entertainment, food, and drink.
View the interactive map for this month here!
Bemidji First Friday Art Walk
November 2, 2018
Dunn Brothers Coffee will feature the Vendetta series by Madi Stone. A primarily self-taught artist, Stone is primarily a portrait painter but this collection, six months in the making, represents new focuses for her. Dunn Brothers is located at 501 Paul Bunyan Dr SE and is open 6 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Neilson Place continues the display entitled A Medley of Hues by Elaine Netland. Netland grew up in Littlefork, MN. She owned a beauty shop in Bagley and one of her customers invited her to take painting classes. That was in the early 80’s and since then Netland has painted every chance she can get. Her art pieces include the mediums of oil, watercolor and acrylic. She belongs to Gallery North in Bemidji where she exhibits her art and teaches classes. At Neilson Place, Netland’s artwork will include original prints and greeting cards. Neilson Place is located on the Sanford WoodsEdge campus, 1000 Anne Street NW and is open 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.
The Bemidji Library wall will feature the artwork of Diana Collison-Jones for the month of November. Collison-Jones was raised in northern Kelliher. She began selling oil paintings at the age of 12. She has lived in Minneapolis, Roseau, and the Amarillo area of Texas. Her wood burnings hang in an Amarillo bank next to famous artists such as Remington and Russell. Her artwork now features a mix of mediums, including oil, acrylic and alcohol ink. She and her husband live near Lake Bemidji. They own and operate the Woodland Haven, an adult foster care center. Collison-Jones also serves Bemidji and the surrounding areas as a registered nurse. View her artwork at the library, open 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. and located at 509 America Ave NW.
Headwaters Music & Arts will continue their exhibit Where the Heart Is featuring the Artists of Studio 10. This exhibit is tribute to home and the feelings surrounding the things that make up home such as family, pets, the north woods and the artists’ hometown of Bemidji. The work itself is created by ten different artists in a range if media including metal, oil, acrylic, watercolor, pen, wood, fiber, and more. The Artists of Studio 10 are a group of regional artists who have joined together to promote the creation of high quality works of art. Headwaters is located at 519 Minnesota Ave NW and is open 11 am – 8 pm.
First Lutheran Church presents two Scandinavian exhibits with an artist reception November 2, from 2-4 p.m. The glass case by the entry way will feature Keeping traditions alive! – Norwegian rosemaling and Swedish kurbits painting by Marti Lundin. Both Rogaland and Hallingdal styles of rosemaling are featured, as well as kurbits – an invented, fantastical symbol based on a gourd of biblical legend used for ornamentation in Swedish folk art. The Fellowship Hall of the church features a wide array of Scandinavian-themed canvas works by interior designer Lara Dybing. Dybing is interested in how traditional Nordic and Sami symbolism interact with contemporary landscape. Her work encourages you to look for the mystical within tradition. She is intrigued by the way Telemark rosemaling seems to dance on the canvas and how the Northern lights play with Norway’s epic scenery. Lundin and Dybing both studied painting at Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum and Heritage Center in Decorah IA; North House Folks School in Grand Marais, MN; and Concordia Language Villages. This work has been on display over the past month and the First Friday reception is a final viewing opportunity before the exhibits end on November 5. They can also be viewed any day the church is open before 4:30. First Lutheran Church is located at 900 Bemidji Ave N.
Gallery North – Gallery North will host a “Holiday Boutique” First Friday reception on Friday, November 2nd from 2-6 p.m. The “Holiday Boutique” will feature specific artwork handmade by Gallery North members, many items 50% off! Featured artist is Gallery North member Rachel Davey. Davey creates lovely jewelry. She realized after making her own wedding jewelry when she got married in 2010, that she enjoyed working with Swarovski crystals and other shimmering glass beads and now makes anything that sparkles. She enjoys creating wedding jewelry, window prisms and Christmas ornaments the most. Gallery North is located at 310 4th St NW.
Wild Hare Bistro and Coffeehouse proudly presents Past and Present, by Marlon Davidson and Don Knudson, November 2nd through the month of December. Award-winning artists Davidson and Knudson have been working collaboratively for decades and are best known for their dimensional, mixed-media wall pieces that show well in private and public spaces. Marlon was an instructor at Bemidji State University until his retirement, and Don a wood worker and creator of assembled wall sculpture. One of the objectives of the two artists is to successfully combine both natural elements and more sophisticated content, and put them together in a way that makes the work harmonious. Both artists look at nature as their primary source of inspiration, informed by art history and the progress of art through the Twentieth Century to the present. The public is invited to an opening reception on First Friday, December 2nd from 3 – 5 pm. Wild Hare is located at 523 Minnesota Ave.
NWICDC – The Northwest Indian Community Development Center will have artwork by artist Brian Dow available for purchase. Dow will be selling his work from 4:30 – 7 pm. NWICDC is located at 1819 Bemidji Ave N.
Watermark Art Center presents the 2018 It’s Only Clay National Juried Ceramics Competition and Exhibit. Dedicated to functional clay vessels, It’s Only Clay features pottery from artists around the United States. Join Watermark for an opening reception Friday, November 2, from 5-7 pm with a presentation at 6. This year’s guest artist and juror is Matthew Krousey. Krousey will have a selection of his work on display and will choose three pieces to receive placement awards, which will be announced during the presentation. In addition, representatives from Bemidji State University will announce pieces chosen for purchase awards to be included in the Margaret H. Harlow Ceramic Teaching Collection on campus. It’s Only Clay is an annual exhibit that brings four days of ceramics activities to the Bemidji area. To see the full schedule for other related events, go to watermarkartcenter.org. Watermark is located at 505 Bemidji Ave N.