April 3 - April 28 in Gallery I

williston area visual artists (wava) group show

in Gallery I

The James Memorial Art Center is proud to present the Williston Area Visual Artists Group Show. The exhibit opens on Monday, April 3rd. A public reception will be held on Thursday, April 13th, from 7-8:30 PM in honor and memory of Linda Beard, a long-time WAVA member and great supporter of the James and art/artists in the Williston area.

“Williston Area Visual Artists (WAVA) is proud to dedicate this art show to Linda Beard, our departed dear friend and member of our club.  As a club, our mission is to provide a nurturing and supportive environment by which artists will feel inspired and encouraged, and thereby further enhance the enthusiasm of the art community.  Linda embraced this mission.  Being the owner of Castle Framing, she had the opportunity to see many artworks and meet many artists in her career as she matted and framed artwork.  It would be anyone’s guess how many people in Williston own a piece Linda has framed. 

Through her business, Linda brought in artists to teach classes for the community. In the process, Linda honed her skills as an artist.  Her business kept her from getting involved in WAVA for a while, but once she joined, she embraced the club.  She nudged beginning artists to keep practicing, pointed out things that could be changed to make a more effective piece, and often bought beginners pieces to enjoy their successes.

Through the Williston Downtowners Association, Linda was instrumental in providing a venue to encourage artists and expose the community to locally produced art.  She encouraged our club to have a presence at Crazy Days and the Art and Wine Walk as well as other community sponsored events.  As a result, the club is slowly becoming a known presence in the community.  The club has art displayed on utility boxes and Fourth Street Corridor. 

Linda served the community with kindness and willingness and was a good listener. She was humble. She was talented in numerous ways.  As an art club, we were so thankful that she had the framing business for our needs.  She has left a void in our hearts, but also, she left us her legacy of humanity to emulate.  We thank her lovingly for being a part of our lives and WAVA.”

A Reception will be held on thursday, april 13th, from 7 - 8:30 PM. Free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.

April 3 - April 28 in Gallery II

community art show - manga theme

in Gallery II

Artwork submitted by community members of all ages will adorn the walls in Gallery II during the month of April. The theme for this show is manga or anime art. The art will be juried by members of the James Board of Directors with 1st Place, 2nd Place and Best of Show winners in both adult and youth categories. The Best of Show winners will also be awarded a $50 cash prize.

A Reception will be held on thursday, april 13th, from 7 - 8:30 PM. Free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.

March 6 - March 31

ND museum of art RURAL ARTS INITIATIVE

"uff-da: the folkart of emily lunde”

in Gallery I & II

Emily Wilhelmina Dufke Lunde was born in northern Minnesota and, as she says, "with a handle like that you had to have a sense of humor." Laurel Reuter, Director of the Museum says of this North Dakota folk artist: "Were the people of North Dakota to name their living treasures, Emily Lunde would certainly be among them. She is one of the state's eminent folk artists and unofficial cultural historians." As both artist and author, Mrs. Lunde has recorded the life of Scandinavian immigrants settling the prairies and small towns of the Red River Valley during the early 20th century.

Mrs. Lunde did not begin to paint until the 1950s and always painted from memory. Her oils are widely collected. Dr. Robert Bishop, the late Director of the Museum of American Folk Art in New York City, personally gave over forty of her paintings to the Art in Embassies program for loan around the world.

 

I amaze myself when I think about what I was doing at the time. I was between five and ten years old when I perceived these things that went into my paintings. I was analyzing the adults. I guess you can't fool children as much as you want to.

—      Emily Lunde

  

Rural Arts Initiative

The North Dakota Museum of Art is the State’s official art museum. As it is located in Grand Forks, it can be difficult for schools to plan day trips to the Museum. Due to the great distances some schools face, the Museum started touring exhibitions to towns throughout North Dakota through its Rural Arts Initiative program, which started in 2003. Since then, exhibitions have been installed in all corners of North Dakota, including smaller towns such as Crosby, Pekin, and Bowman, and larger cities such as Jamestown, Fargo, and Bismarck. The Museum’s Education Department delivers, installs, and de-installs exhibitions of original artwork free-of-charge to North Dakota communities.

 

A Primary goal of the Museum’s Rural Arts Initiative program is to provide North Dakota schools with quality arts education opportunities. The Museum works with community members to bring schools within a 50 to 60-mile radius of the exhibition site to participate in this unique arts education program. To assist schools with out-of-pocket expenses, the Museum offers travel reimbursements for North Dakota schools wishing to participate. Lesson plans and activities are also available for free download on the Museum’s website.

  

A Reception will be held on Friday, MARCH 31ST, from 7 - 8:30 PM. Free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.

March 24 - 26

WILLISTON AREA WOODWORKERS CLUB

in Gallery II

STOP IN THE WEEKEND OF mARCH 24-26 TO VIEW THE CLUB’S BEAUTIFULLY HANDCRAFTED ITEMS.

FRIDAY 10 AM - 7 PM, SATURDAY 10 AM - 7 PM, SUNDAY NOON - 4 PM