Once again, all are invited on a free self-guided tour of the vibrant arts scene along the Upper Minnesota River Valley this fall. On September 30 and October 1 and 2, 2022, the Meander Art Crawl returns to studios, farms and galleries to showcase the work of 40+ regional artists, both repeat exhibitors and new.
The art crawl remains an engine for economic activity. “After our quarantine pivot to an online-only art auction, last year’s Meander visitors came roaring back,” says Kristi Fernholz of the Upper Minnesota Valley Regional Development Commission. Nearly forty percent of visitors – some of whom traveled from out of state – reported that it was their first time attending the Meander. The event’s total sales exceeded 2019’s pre-pandemic totals by 16%.
One of the Meander featured artists, Curt Soine, created the woodcut of an American Avocet – a long-billed bird often found wading in the shallows in the Prairie Pothole region of Minnesota – that decorates this year’s brochure. Soine, who will exhibit his original folk art, home accessories and watercolors at his home studio at River Bank Folk Art in Granite Falls (530 Prentice Street), features a wide variety of shorebirds in his art, but chose the avocet because it is “native to the Meander area,” and the bird’s black-and-white coloring was “ideal for a block print.”
This year’s new artists are Bryan and Peggy Mooney, selling barnwood frames, furniture, home décor and custom pieces at Moonstruck Creations near Granite Falls; Mary K. Boylan, with oil and acrylic paintings at the Madison Mercantile; Dani Prados, selling multimedia works and jewelry, sculpture, resin casting, painting, photography, and digital art at the Granite Area Arts Council; Autumn Cavender, with generative / traditional quillwork, beadwork, jewelry and herbal wellness also at the Granite Area Arts Council; and Keith Vettel, with hand-crafted stained glass out of his home studio in Montevideo alongside wife M.E. Fuller, a return exhibitor of books and paintings.
Studios will be open from 12pm-6pm on Friday, September 30th, from 9am-6pm on Saturday October 1st, and from 9am-4pm on Sunday October 2nd.
Multiple events will also take place throughout the Meander weekend. Visitors to downtown Granite Falls around sunset on Friday, September 30th at 6:30 will find that its pedestrian bridge is lit up with lights and activities including Happy Hour and live music during the Light Up the River event. Directly after, the Bluenose Gopher Public House hosts the now-traditional GET LIT opening party. On Saturday October 1 at 7pm, Six Appeal Vocal Band will perform in Dawson – visit dawsonboydarts.org for tickets.
A full list of artists, a digital version of the brochure, and other information can be found at artsmeander.com; to obtain a free paper copy of the brochure featuring Soine’s woodcut, call 1-866-866-5432 or request one on the website. Interested arts tourists can also visit the Meander Facebook page – facebook.com/MeanderArtCrawl – for more details.