SEPTEMBER 29-OCTOBER 31 IN GALLERY I

HEATHER THOMAS OLSON

FEVER DREAMS

Heather Thomas Olson is an American oil painter who lives in Western North Dakota and paints full-time in her home studio.  

Heather graduated in 2010 from Dakota College at Bottineau for floral design and horticulture. Although Heather had been a painter and creative her entire life, she has become a disciplined daily painter since 2019. As a self-taught artist, she painted daily for an entire year in acrylics. Focusing on her skills, she then switched to oils. Her work is a broad spectrum of realism and surrealism that includes portraiture, plants, animals, still life and landscape. She toes the line between traditional and experimental techniques. She draws her inspiration from the Avante Garde, Peewee Herman, Gothic and weird pop art, low art, and outsider art. She’s also influenced by Sargent, Sorolla, Flemish and Dutch painters, and Bouguereau.

Heather states, “My work is a journey of ideas, dreams, and the byproduct of the skills that I have learned. As a self-taught artist, I may not always have the answer to the question. If I need light to look a certain way in a painting, I have to find a way to make it happen.

My work consists of portraits, pets, animals, landscapes, and still life. I have always painted, but over the last five years, I have focused on improving by painting every day. I started with acrylic, and after a full year, I focused only on oil paint. This is where the rubber met the pavement.

My passion for painting and learning has taken over my life. Each painting is a learning experience. It will be a lifelong endeavor. It is an obsession, a compulsion that is not just an enjoyable hobby.”

Be sure to join us on Saturday, October 18, from 2-3:30 PM for an artist reception!

SEPTEMBER 29-OCTOBER 31 IN GALLERY II

COMMUNITY SHOW

IT’S FALL Y’ALL!

Celebrate the season and support local talent at our community art show, It’s Fall Y’all! in Gallery II this October!

This juried exhibition showcases the creativity of both youth and adult artists, all inspired by the beauty, warmth, and whimsy of autumn. From colorful leaves to Halloween-themed pieces, you’ll find unique works that capture the spirit of fall in many forms.

Be sure to stop by and see which pieces earned Best of Show, 1st, and 2nd place in each category—you might even discover your new favorite artist right here in our community!

And be sure to join us for an artist reception on Saturday, October 18th, from 2-3:30 PM.

SEPTEMBER 1-26 IN GALLERY I

ANITA HELLMAN & JILL EDINGER

FLORAL ARTISTRY: TWO PERSPECTIVES

It began with crocuses. A stunning photo on A Facebook newsfeed by Jill Edinger Photography caught ANITA’S eye, a profusion of crocuses. The vision started to take shape. Companion pieces. A pot of beaded crocuses and a framed photo. 

The vision started to grow. Why not a whole collection? A collaborative exhibit? Jill agreed and THEY set out to bring you this unique collection of art photos and French beaded flowers.

ANITA set out to bring the vibrant energy of Jill’s photos to HER own creations. It was an exhilarating process. Using real flowers as models brings life to the beadwork.

In the end, JILL AND ANITA created a collection of everlasting flowers. Enjoy!

SEPTEMBER 1-26 IN GALLERY II

MARIA BORKOWSKI

BEAUTY IN THE BADLANDS

As a transplant from the “Purple Mountains Majesty” state of Colorado to the “Amber Waves of Grain” state of North Dakota in 2011, it took me a long time to find a place out here where the Earth spoke to me as it does in the mountains. I had practically become a hermit, never seeking the outdoors, because I simply couldn't find a place the Earth spoke back to me. 

Finally, I felt that click of connection back to the land, in the wilds of the Badlands, specifically Theodore Roosevelt National Park. 

The Badlands are not the mountains, nor a place where I could feel the earth breathing around me. It is not my place, but it has become a place I love, respect and see the beauty in. It is a land that demands attention. It seeks as much as it gives, making you question nearly everything. Do I linger a moment longer and watch the herd as it moves through the ancient landscape, or do I carry on up the road or trail? If I sit and linger, what might I miss? If I go, what might I miss? That buzz, was it a rattlesnake, or a harmless insect calling across the distance?

A rumble echoes through the valleys. Something is on the move. Is it bison, or a herd of wild horses stretching their legs? Now it's a footrace to the top of the nearest butte, hopefully to catch a glimpse before the land swallows those hoofbeats once again.  

The Badlands are a place out of time. A place to discover glimmers of the past in the flicker in the sun, the coolness of the shade. The wind whispers stories from before when only the wild ones roamed here. The Badlands themselves beckon to her own colorful history, calling back through the eras, calling to the time before man. 

This collection is curated to express the peace I find as a new day comes to light around me. It is an invitation to seek the stillness of the wild. How mindful I am while shivering in the frosty sunshine of winter, just waiting for the cloud of steam as another living being breathes. 

You will find me in the peaceful moments, listening to the herd quietly graze as the evening shadows fall. You will find me studying a wild flower, or witness me dash to a vantage point and arrive out of breath. For you see, I found my place in North Dakota - it was in the breaks of those rugged Badlands wandering along the Lil Mo’.

The Earth breathes here; it's simply a different rhythm than that of the mountains and streams. The wind sighs through the grasses instead of the trees, and the water runs still, but deep and purposeful. I found my place in North Dakota. Join me in the Beauty of the Badlands!