NOW SHOWING

Rite of Spring | Kimberly benson

Showing through June 2018 |  MacRostie Gallery |  Sponsored by Oak Hill Assisted Living

“My process has become a type of chaos management. I want to create a painting that is visually overwhelming. I hope the work suggests an idea of exuberance through dissolving figure-ground relationships into a kind of maelstrom. In building up multiple layers, I strive to create a painting that plays with the viewer’s comprehension of space, form, and illusion through complicating the visual pathway into the painting. I try to weave together foreground and background as if these layers are a complex collage. I find this play between overloading the composition while simultaneously harnessing order to be exciting. It is a balancing act bringing the painting up to a point near failure.”

Kimberly Benson (Minneapolis, MN) received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the College of Visual Arts in St. Paul, MN. Inspired by Dutch still life paintings, Benson went on to University of Wisconsin-Madison to fulfill her Masters of Fine Arts. Benson graduated in 2015 and has since been participated in a myriad of solo and group shows, exhibiting her knowledge, talent, and love for this specific genre of painting. Benson’s show Crystal World demonstrates her background in Dutch-style painting and presents her most recent works in acrylic and oils. Rite of Spring is sponsored by Oak Hill Assisted Living Community.

Watermedia Expressions | Keith Thompson

Showing through June 2018 |  Minnesota Gallery |  Sponsored by Grand Rapids State Bank

“I have always loved to draw.  This is the building block from which all of my work originates.  I still draw just for the sake of drawing and paint for the same reason. My subject matter is what I find important in my life.  Painting and drawing family, friends, wildlife, and nature are common themes I return to over and over.  I travel whenever I can and love to see and photograph wildlife as well as landscapes.  Although I have a lot of wildlife in my paintings, I do not consider myself a wildlife painter."

Keith Thompson (Grand Rapids, MN) studied art at Itasca Community College, the University of Minnesota, and Bemidji State University. Thompson has been a contributing part of Itasca County’s art community since its origins. He was the first gallery director of the Itasca Art Association (which would later become the MacRostie Art Center). In addition, Thompson has been a member of the Lake Superior Watercolor Society since 1997, and has given watercolor workshops throughout the state. This untitled exhibit will showcase all of Thompson’s most recent works in watercolor, acrylic, and oils.