For the past 21 years, tourists and locals have been flocking to the Upper Minnesota River Valley for the first weekend in October to visit artist studios, farms and main street buildings from Ortonville to Granite Falls for a celebration known as the Meander Upper Minnesota River Art Crawl. The three-day self-guided tour on October 4, 5 & 6 has established itself as a hometown adventure travel destination. The work and studios of 42 artists will be on display and for sale as more than 1,000 visitors organize carpools to travel from site to site to bask in local art, community and autumnal splendor. Studios will be open from 12 pm-6 pm on Friday, October 4, from 9 am-6 pm on Saturday, October 5 and from 9 am-4 pm on Sunday October 6.
Multiple events will also take place throughout the Meander weekend. A full list of these events, the participating artists, and a digital version of the brochure can be found at artsmeander.com. To obtain a free paper copy of the brochure call 1-866-866-5432 or request one from the website. Interested arts tourists can also visit the Meander Facebook page – facebook.com/MeanderArtCrawl – for more details.
Featured Meander brochure artist Dale Streblow of Granite Falls describes himself as a self-taught artist who creates realistic art with a sometimes oddball bent. For more than 50 years, he has worked with oils, canvas, bronze, metal and wood. This year he rose to the challenge of making a linocut for the artwork on the Meander brochure cover. “It is an honor to be a part of this group of artists who love what they do,” Steblow said. “May the Meander continue to grow, thrive and get stronger all the time.”
New artists exhibiting in this year’s Meander include Joyce Meyer who will be presenting her pottery & photography inspired by nature & global cultures at the Madison Mercantile and Mary Hegland, a fiber artist and painter who will be exhibiting at the Appleton Art & Culture building.
There will be two special events for Meander Opening night on Friday October 4. The annual Light up the River Celebration will be held starting at 6 p.m. at the historic Roebling Foot bridge in Granite Falls. The Montevideo Meet Up will be held in the Java River Courtyard from 6 to 9 p.m. Both events will feature live music and performances.
On Saturday night October 5 at 7 p.m. Jojo Green will be giving a performance at the Dawson Memorial Auditorium
The Meander is organized by the Upper Minnesota Valley Regional Development Commission (UMVRDC). The UMVRDC works with local governments and helps implement programs in the region that stretch across city and county boundaries. Started in 2004 by a collective of local artists to spur economic development and showcase the region’s arts scene, the Meander draws more than 2500 visitors each year to Chippewa, Big Stone, Swift, Yellow Medicine, and Lac qui Parle Counties. Its name originates both from the region’s many rivers— and from the fact that the local and national attendees are encouraged to spend the weekend, well, meandering from studio to studio with family and friends.