May 1 - 31, 2012
Ivan Whillock
woodcarvingsHarold Grabitske
paintings and drawings, printsArtists' reception: Sunday, May 6, 2pm
Friends in Art: Harold Grabitske, Ivan Whillock Reunite for Exhibit
Longtime friends and notable artists Harold Grabitske and Ivan Whillock, who often showed work together in the early days of their art careers, found each other again through a class at Crossings. Now, an exhibit of their retrospective and current works will be at the art gallery May 1-31. A public reception is Sun., May 6, at 2 p.m. and will include a performance by Whillock's swing band, The Kings of Swing.Whillock’s small high school provided no art instruction, so when he started college in Winona, all he knew on the subject, he’d learned from books. Yet a childhood interest still held sway in him, and meeting Grabitske strengthened it. Grabitske had attended the Minnesota College of Art & Design before being drafted into the Korean Conflict and was “more sophisticated in art” than he, Whillock said. The two roomed together, attended summer arts classes at Grand Marais together, eventually showed together and even ended up teaching at the same school in Spring Grove.
They had long conversations about art and shared studio space in an old building on the property Whillock rented while teaching in Spring Grove. They experimented with casting and other art forms and exhibited their work in Winona, Rochester, at the Minnesota State Fair and elsewhere around the state.
“We always managed to get at least Merit Awards, so I guess we were a good team,” Grabitske said modestly. Besides teaching art and English for 33 years (mostly in Red Wing), Grabitske has been active in the Red Wing Arts Association, teaching classes and selling art pieces, some of which he has been buying back as he looks over the work he has done to understand the paths he has taken artistically.
“I seem to be right at a transition point and getting into suggested metaphor,” said Grabitske, who may make multiple versions of a painting until he “gets it right.” He’s still reworking a painting of the North Shore he first made 50 years ago.
Whillock, who worked exclusively in wood for 20 years, will show his sculptures at Crossings, though he has recently returned to painting. His woodcarving father and wood sculptors he met influenced him to take up that medium. Grabitske, he says, was another influence and teacher.
“I admired him tremendously. I learned from him,” Whillock said. He noted that his career in art wasn’t ever a straight line. “It’s not a little inspiration from God that manifests itself. You have to be at the right door when it opens, you have to get the right commissions, you have to meet the right people.”
Whillock is the author of 12 books and an editor and contributor to woodcarving magazines. He first taught carving classes at the Faribault Art Center in 1974 and soon attracted students from around the U.S. and many parts of Canada. His carvings can be seen at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Fairmount and Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Faribault (where he now lives), as well as around this country and several others.
Grabitske and Whillock did lose contact with each other for a period of years after leaving the Spring Grove area, but met again when they both showed up for a figure drawing class at Crossings and agreed to show their works together once again.
Grabitske, who steadfastly reviews his body of work “to see my route, what the trip has been, to try to identify what my mysterious path has been,” will not have works for sale. Whillock’s pieces, however, may be purchased.
The exhibit runs May 1-31 and may be viewed free of charge during regular hours: MTWF 10-5, Thurs. 10-8 and Sat. 10-4.
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June 1 - 30, 2012
Dan Petrov
paintings and drawings
Winter Light
Oil on CanvasRichard Dison
paintings
Cruising Down the Zumbro
watercolor
Artists' reception: Saturday, June 16, 1-3pm
concurrent with
Art in East Park
(Presented by the Zumbrota Area Arts Council)Like Water and Oil: This Time, a Perfect Mix
Dan Petrov works in the medium abandoned by fellow artist Richard Dison, but their oil and watercolor paintings are the perfect complement to each other on the walls at Crossings during the month of June. The exhibit will be on display June 1-30, and an artists reception is 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Sat., June 16. The reception is concurrent with Art in East Park, just down the street from Crossings. Art in East Park is in conjunction with Zumbrota’s annual Covered Bridge Festival.
Conscious of the heritage of art passed down through the ages, Petrov works in oils, creating still lifes he says are each a reference to all the paintings in art history.
“That is the reason why I like tradition and the legacy of art history. I paint with a great deal of respect for the proven principles of art language, methods and techniques of those who painted before me. That body of academic knowledge is never an obstacle for the personal expression of the contemporary painter, but rather a prerequisite for it,” Petrov explains.
His paintings are an attempt to convey form and perception, as they are created by light. “Light,” he adds, “is the only subject in painting.”
Formerly from Yugoslavia, Petrov (who now lives in Lakeville) received the College of Visual Arts Painting Award and the Ron Merchant Award for Oil Painting at the 2011 Minnesota State Fair for a painting, “Vincent.”
Dison, an 81-year-old retired Rochester businessman, began painting as a child while confined to his bed, but as an adult he was busy and became frustrated waiting for oil paintings to dry. When he tried watercolors, he discovered his preferred medium. He enjoys using a few brushstrokes and dabs of color to suggest forms, letting viewers ‘finish’ a painting.
He notes he has a particular attachment to Zumbrota’s covered bridge, because his mother lived on a farm just up the hill from the bridge in its original location.
“The Zumbro was deeper then and a center of activity. Many artists have painted the bridge. I have chosen to use it as a backdrop for all the stories my mother told and what I have seen in early 1900 photos,” Dison said.
He captained a live-aboard boat up and down the Mississippi for 30 years, finding scenes to paint along the way.
Those attending the free artists reception at Crossings also have an opportunity to stroll a few blocks down to East Park, where “a cornucopia of art, music and food vendors” awaits, according to Zumbrota Area Arts Council, sponsors of Art in East Park.
The exhibit runs June 1-30 and may be viewed free of charge during regular hours: MTWF 10-5, Thurs. 10-8 and Sat. 10-4.
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July 2- 31, 2012
On the Edge
a group show
Artists' reception: Friday, July 13, 7pmCALL FOR ARTISTS:
Crossings is organizing a July 2012 exhibit"On the Edge"
Deadline to enter: June 15th, 2012
Artwork due: June 29, 2012
OVERVIEW
“On the Edge” is a non-juried group show which will be on display from Monday, July 2nd through Tuesday, July 31st, 2012. This is a chance for artists to interpret the title and create a work in any medium that expresses that interpretation. We invite you to look beyond a literal illustration – take a leap of faith, fly, jump or even fall over the Edge!Open to all mediums including oil, acrylic, pastel, watercolor, graphite, charcoal, clay, and 3-D sculpture; photography acceptable when combined with other mediums.
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Each artist must submit a registration form, along with the entry fee. Download the form!
Artists will have until June 29, 2012 to submit actual work. All submissions must be ready for display with suitable hanging devices. Free-standing sculptures will be accommodated as space allows.ENTRY FEE
$15 per artist (not per piece).
INSURANCE
All artwork will be insured while at Crossings for the duration of the show. The artist is responsible for insuring the artwork in transit.
SALES
All work must be for sale. Crossings retains a 35% commission.
SHIPPING
Artists are responsible for all shipping fees. Work must arrive by Friday, June 29, 2012 at 5pm.
ARTISTS RECEPTION
A public artist reception will be held on Friday, July 13, 2012 at 7pm. Everyone is invited!
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Interested in exhibiting at Crossings?
Are you an artist seeking a venue for selling your works? We may be the right place for you. Whether you are an emerging artist or a long-established professional, we welcome your inquiry. You may email us with at least five images of your work, along with an artist bio or statement, and a website address if you have one. Or you may contact us to set up another means to submit pieces for our jury to consider.
Crossings always welcomes new art and artists to our space. We most frequently showcase the talents of regional artists, but we have exhibited works by artists from around the Country and even overseas.
We display and sell paintings, pastels, prints, glasswork, beadwork, felted and fabric pieces, fiber art, ceramics, metalwork, woodcraft, sculptures and more. Our gallery and gift shop are an eclectic mix of whimsical meets magical, poignant meets sassy.
There are several points of entry into our gallery space. Crossings sponsors several themed group exhibits during the year, with entry fees ranging from $5 to $15. Every Spring and Fall, art fairs take place with entry fees averaging $35. During the balance of the year, two artists share gallery space in a month-long exhibit.
The entry fee to show in an exhibit is $200, which helps cover the cost of promotional efforts. For the exhibit, 2,500 postcards are printed and distributed; artists receive a portion for personal promotion. The artist must agree to be present for a reception on an agreed-upon date. A typical show remains on display for thirty days.
Artists can expect to receive extensive exposure during their exhibit. Hundreds of people from all walks of life visit Crossings every week as they shop during the day or attend a class, concert, or other public event. Our mailing lists exceed 4,500 individuals, households, and regional businesses. Extensive efforts to publicize the artist result in media coverage of all types.
Artwork for sale should be appropriately prepared for display – for example, paintings should be framed and ready to hang, prints should be shrink-wrapped with foam core – and priced to include our standard commission.
We prefer work be delivered by the artist, rather than shipped, when possible. Return shipping costs must be assumed by the artist. All artists who have exhibited at Crossings are invited to maintain a rotating selection of their work at the conclusion of their exhibit. As seasons, exhibits and space demands change, we may need to rotate or return your unsold items. Your work is insured during the time it is on display at Crossings.
All works must be original. No imports, commercial or manufactured items, or items created from kits or copied from published patterns will be accepted.
For more information, please contact Marie Marvin at (507)732-7616 or send an e-mail to crossings@crossingsatcarnegie.com.
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CALL FOR ARTISTS:
Crossings is organizing a July 2012 exhibit"On the Edge"
Deadline to enter: June 15th, 2012
Artwork due: June 29, 2012
OVERVIEW
“On the Edge” is a non-juried group show which will be on display from Monday, July 2nd through Tuesday, July 31st, 2012. This is a chance for artists to interpret the title and create a work in any medium that expresses that interpretation. We invite you to look beyond a literal illustration – take a leap of faith, fly, jump or even fall over the Edge!Open to all mediums including oil, acrylic, pastel, watercolor, graphite, charcoal, clay, and 3-D sculpture; photography acceptable when combined with other mediums.
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Each artist must submit a registration form, along with the entry fee. Download the form!
Artists will have until June 29, 2012 to submit actual work. All submissions must be ready for display with suitable hanging devices. Free-standing sculptures will be accommodated as space allows.ENTRY FEE
$15 per artist (not per piece).
INSURANCE
All artwork will be insured while at Crossings for the duration of the show. The artist is responsible for insuring the artwork in transit.
SALES
All work must be for sale. Crossings retains a 35% commission.
SHIPPING
Artists are responsible for all shipping fees. Work must arrive by Friday, June 29, 2012 at 5pm.
ARTISTS RECEPTION
A public artist reception will be held on Friday, July 13, 2012 at 7pm. Everyone is invited!
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