ArtReach St. Croix – The Big Read in the St. Croix Valley: Call for Artists
As part of The Big Read in the St. Croix Valley, ArtReach St. Croix will present the exhibition Spirit, Heart, Home. In the novel, “Love Medicine” by Louise Erdrich, themes of love, heritage, nature and going home circle around the two central families.

For this exhibition, ArtReach is seeking artwork that expresses these themes. Please visit their page for more information http://www.artreachstcroix.org/opportunities

Deadline: January 15, 2015 

Celebrate National Poetry Month by entering Dakota County Library annual poetry contest.

“Poets of all ages are encouraged to submit their original poems to any Dakota County Library branch from April 1 -30. Awards and prizes will be given to the top three entries in five age groups:

Children ages 6–8 and children ages 9–11, teens ages 12–14, teens ages 15–18 and adults age 19 and older.”

Know haiku, free verse, odes and sonnets

Winners will be announced in May. For contest guidelines and submission information, visit your library branch or www.dakotacounty.us/library

HPAAC would like to wish all of you a Peaceful and Happy Holiday! 

As we dash off to finish our last minute Christmas shopping let us remember to shop with our many local talented Artists.

Original Art, Gift Certificates, Memberships, Tickets, One of Kind Items  (To name a few…..)

Underground Art Gallery:

411 Vermillion St (HPAAC member owned)

Hastings, MN

Tenacious K’s Art Gallery

211 East 2^nd Street East (HPAAC Member owned)

Hastings, MN

Andy Evansen Art Studio

202 2^nd Street East (HPAAC Member owned)

Hastings, MN

Orange Dragon Art Gallery

122 Orange Street (HPAAC Owned)

Prescott, WI

Art’s Aloft and Hastings Bridge Watch (HPAAC member owned)

Our Bend In The River final book signing

Sterling Drug  12/20 10a-2p

Tenacious K’s 12/21 12n-2p

Black Dirt Theater (HPAAC member owned)

Tickets, Memberships, Classes

LeDuc Historic Estate

1629 Vermillion St (HPAAC Partner)

Hastings, MN

Century Brass Band Concert – Dec 21 – 5:30-7:30p

Event Tickets, Memberships

Freedom Park Great River Road Center

200 Monroe Street (HPAAC Partner)

Prescott, WI

Art Exhibits, Events, Memberships, Activities

Summary of Upcoming Events:

Artspace Presentation- Thursday, 11 December

LeDuc Historic Estate Holiday Guided Tours  – 13 & 14 December

Elegant Victorian Holiday Dinner – Sunday, 14 December

Orange Dragon Holiday Art Exhibit – ongoing until 24 December

For more detailed information please visit HPAAC’s Events page.

HPAAC will host a briefing by Artspace staff in the City Council Chambers at 5:30 p.m. on December 11, 2014. You are cordially invited and encouraged to attend this briefing before the Artspace Presentation to HEDRA meeting at 6:30 pm.

HASTINGS ARTSPACE STUDY COMPLETE

For the past several months, the Hastings community has been researching the need and interest in affordable housing for artists. The 53 page final Report is complete and will be presented on December 11 at 6:30 p.m. to the City’s HEDRA (Hastings Economic Development Redevelopment Authority) in the Hastings City Council Chambers. The public is encouraged to attend.

For more information, please visit HPAAC Artspace Page  or call Richard Graham, HPAAC Chair at 651-437-8678.

HPAAC will host a briefing by Artspace staff in the City Council Chambers at 5:30 p.m. on December 11, 2014. You are cordially invited and encouraged to attend this briefing before the Artspace Presentation to HEDRA meeting at 6:30 pm.

HASTINGS ARTSPACE STUDY COMPLETE

For the past several months, the Hastings community has been researching the need and interest in affordable housing for artists. The 53 page final Report is complete and will be presented on December 11 at 6:30 p.m. to the City’s HEDRA (Hastings Economic Development Redevelopment Authority) in the Hastings City Council Chambers. The public is encouraged to attend. The four-month survey targeted artists and arts organizations within a fifty mile radius of Hastings. Over 325 individuals completed the survey and over 100 individuals indicated an interest in housing or studio space.

The research was conducted by Artspace Inc., a non-profit developer, with a thirty year history of creating and managing work-studio space for artists and arts organizations from coast to coast.  With home offices in Minneapolis, there are many examples of their work in the Twin Cities and Minnesota.

The Hastings Prescott Area Arts Council, HPAAC, sponsored the study with financial support from the St. Paul Foundation and the City of Hastings. HPAAC’s mission is to “foster the arts and artists in our community” and the goal for this work was to provide well researched data to guide the City in determining the market for affordable housing for this market segment. It is the experience of many communities that a vibrant creative community attracts tourism and business development.

For more information visit HPAAC.org or call Richard Graham, HPAAC Chair at 651-437-8678.

You are cordially invited to attend this event.

Please bring your family and friends. 

The public is invited.

Please pass this invitation to anyone you know that would love to attend.

Friday, December 5 @ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm

202 Second Street E, Suite 100, Hastings, MN

Andy began painting watercolors in the mid 1990’s, is largely self-taught, and has studied with such well-known water-colorists as Skip Lawrence, Eric Weigardt, Alvaro Castagnet and Joseph Zbukvic. 

He served as President of the Minnesota Watercolor Society from 2004-2006 and teaches workshops around the United States. 

His paintings have appeared on the cover of American Artist’s Watercolor magazine and in International Artist, Watercolor Artist, Plein Air and American Art Collectormagazines.  His award-winning paintings are in collections on 4 continents.  

He was awarded the Bronze Medal of Honor at the 2012 AmericanWatercolor Society Exhibition and was just elected a signature member of the prestigious Plein-Air Painters of America.

“I strive for an Impressionistic portrayal of the landscape in my watercolors. By concentrating on the large shapes and overall design, and leaving something to the imagination, the viewer is forced to interpret details. This makes them a participant in the painting, enhancing their enjoyment of it. This method of painting demands a quick approach. The paint must be applied boldly and confidently to avoid an overworked, “muddy” look. In order to achieve this, a great deal of planning needs to go into the painting before the brush even hits the paper. Once I get the design I like and an accurate sketch, I’m free to let loose with the paint and let the unique, spontaneous qualities of watercolor take over.

The results are unpredictable at times, but when pigments start flowing into each other on the paper and Mother Nature takes over, the beauty of watercolors is most evident.”        Andy Evansen

** First week long Workshops scheduled for ** the weeks of Jan 12 and May 4, 2015

** First weekly evening Classes, 8 sessions starting ** Wednesday February 25, 2015 6-9pm

** see Workshops page for details **

http://www.andyevansen.com/watercolors.html