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
June 1, 2018

Dunn Brothers Coffee will feature artwork by the students in grades 1-4 from Apple Blossom School. This mixed-media mural “One Well” represents the students’ investigation into all aspects of water. It includes representations of the water cycle; watersheds; how people, animals and plants access water; and the connection of water throughout the globe. It is made using trash found in and near the lakes surrounding Bemidji. Dunn Brothers is located at 501 Paul Bunyan Dr SE and is open 6 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Neilson Place continues “Drawn to Nature” by Jeff Kitterman. Kitterman is an award winning Midwest regional artist with a passion for pen and ink biological illustration. He has enjoyed his avocation since the late 70’s when he initially studied biological illustration at the University of Northern Iowa. In the years that followed, he used drawing as a teaching tool as a high school biology teacher. In addition to being an artist, Kitterman is also an avid conservationist, bow hunter and nature observer. At Neilson Place, Kitterman’s artwork will include original pen and ink illustrations along with prints of his work and greeting cards. Neilson Place is open 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. and is located on the Sanford WoodsEdge campus, 1000 Anne Street NW.

The Bemidji Library wall will feature new watercolor paintings by John Winter. Winter recently retired from a career with Minnesota State Parks and was also Beltrami County’s Park Director for six years. His painting reflects this background, focusing on themes such as nature, history and recreation. The library will be open 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. and is located at 509 America Ave NW.

Gallery North will host a First Friday reception on Friday, June 1 from 2-6 pm, for Showcase Artist Russell Hue Lund. Creations by Russ captures Lund’s innovative ideas and concepts featuring realism, surrealism, abstract, and impressionism styles. His display includes elements of acrylic, water color, and Prismacolor mediums. Featured Artist will be Gallery member Marion Caroline. Caroline’s artwork includes watercolors, acrylics, oils and paintings on feathers. Featured author will be Colin Mustful. Mustful is a Minnesota author and historian. His work focuses on Minnesota and surrounding regions during the complex transitional period as land was transferred from Native peoples to American hands. Mustful strives to create compelling stories about the real people and events of a tumultuous and forgotten past. Gallery North is located at 310 4^th St NW.

Wild Hare Bistro & Coffeehouse will present the portraiture of Russell Hue Lund, June 1 – July 3. In this vibrantly colored mixed media series, Lund pays tribute to the ICU nurses on whom he relied to stabilize and recover after an unexpected catastrophe, and highlights and honors the important work of these unsung heroes through his unique portraits. Join us for the opening reception and meet the artist on First Friday, June 1, 3:30 – 5 pm. Wild Hare is located at 523 Minnesota Ave.

Headwaters Music & Arts will host the artwork of Kristen Anderson for the month of June. Her show, Adaptation and Optimism, will be on display in the Recital Hall with an opening reception June 1, 4-6 p.m. Anderson’s works are wet-felted wool rugs and hangings that tell stories or reveal the outcomes of adaptation and optimism. The exhibit is a work of nonfiction, exploring the biological wonders of winter-hardy creatures. They tell stories that begin with the individual adaptations of creatures who have evolved to survive winter in a cold climate. Other pieces represent the adaptation and optimism that Anderson has personally developed to continue felting large-scale works despite physical limitations. Headwaters Music is located at 519 Minnesota Ave NW.

United Methodist Church will feature Years of Introspection, a 25 year retrospective featuring the work of Mary Therese. This exhibit, which will run through July, includes watercolor, acrylic and silk batik painting, as well as mixed media collage. Opening reception will be June 1, 4-6 p.m., with an Artist Talk at 5. United Methodist is located at 924 Beltrami Ave NW.

Northwest Indian Community Development Center will host a First Friday reception June 1, 4-6 p.m. Come enjoy vendors and artwork created by regional artists. The NWICDC is located at 1819 Bemidji Ave N.

Brigid’s Cross – Unite Against Hate—Bemidji presents a unique exhibit designed to promote discussion around issues of diversity in our communities. Featuring artists primarily from Bemidji, the exhibit will showcase a wide array of styles including the local debut of Jason Ewart’s award winning short film “Feed the Wolf,” traditional woodworking skills that promote Indigenous culture, and artwork showcasing the different cultures/faiths/ethnicities and identities of Bemidji residents and broader Minnesota. Please join us at the opening from 4-7 at Brigid’s Pub and stay for the Unite Against Hate concert from 8-12. The exhibit runs through June. Brigid’s is located at 317 Beltrami Ave NW.

Watermark Art Center presents The Internal Affairs of Mr. Invincible by Lou Ferreri, June 1 – July 28. This exhibit is a series of mixed-media drawings created on the pages of The New York Times. Like newspaper opinion pages, these renderings elaborate on ordinary and extraordinary phenomena, physical preoccupations, anxieties and observations regarding the details of everyday living. Ferreri is a Brooklyn, NY native and graduate of Bemidji State University and the MFA program at the University of Oregon. He is a McKnight Foundation Fellowship award winner and a recipient of a Minnesota State Arts Board Grant. Meet Ferreri during the opening reception, June 1, 5-7 p.m., with an artist talk at 6. Watermark is located at 505 Bemidji Ave N.

Butch Holden Studio will host work by Jeff Burger during a First Friday reception on  June 1 from 6-9 p.m., featuring Burger’s soda glazed and wood fired pottery. In addition, Holden will share some of his own porcelain work and paintings. Some of the work will be for sale. Holden’s studio is located at 1104 Minnesota Ave. Entrance is in the back alley.