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ArtWatch 2007 photo by Tara Burns ARTWATCH 2008 ARTIST BIOS Beth Bergman Shirley Wilson Blake Sally Brown Allen Christian Robert Cuerden Barbara DeWitt Duffy Emily Eddy Nels Fremrite
Shawn Gritzmacher Steve Harmon Scott Hartzell Nancy Hilger Neil Johnston Mike Judy Sue Kapsner Laurie Kigner Doug Lew Kelly Ludeking Warren MacKenzie Shawn McCann Cassandra Monson Heidi Nelson Kathryn Nobbe Michaelin Otis Ariel Pate Carol Jean Peltier Pam Powell George Robinson Gretchen P. Robinson Sue Rutford Katherine Salverda Alyn Shannon Kirk Sklar
D’Arcy Allison-Teasley Susan Fryer Voigt Deborah Voyda Rogers Leny Wendel Kenneth Wenzel Susan Zavadil Frank Zeller
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Minneapolis, MN • 612.332.3992 • 
Emily graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College with a B.A. in psychology and religion, and a minor in studio art. Throughout college she focused primarily on ceramics, both wheel-thrown and hand-built. However, towards the end of college she returned to her initial
interest in art, photography. While in college she spent four months in India studying social justice, which challenged her to concentrate not only on the aesthetic dimension of photography but futher, the conceptual dimension. Her artwork has been featured in several exhibitions and shows in the Twin Cities. She comments, "Art is about the process and the reaction that is created
by the final piece. It is through the power of art that a world of perspective is revealed."
John Gerber
Richard Graves
St. Paul, MN • 651-353-5516 • 
St Paul, MN • 651-429-7775 • 
My work explores responses to transition, change, and life forces. I examine this theme through personal relationships, public personages, and through abstractions as well as imagery from the natural world. An undercurrent running through my work is an awareness
of spirit or power beyond the visible, immediately comprehensible world. During the past year I have focused on drawing, a medium, which is traditionally seen as transitory, a means to reach an end (a painting). Metaphorically, each day (or moment) is a sketch from a life. By using paper, graphite, and erasure, there is a feeling of spontaneity, reaction, interaction, and always, ongoing
change. I rely on layering. The imagery remaining from a layer or seen transparently from a newer layer is key to expressing the impact of time, relationship, and identity. The use of gestural line and form in contrast with more sedate line creates implications of ongoing transition.
thrown functional pottery is heavily influenced by the oriental aesthetic of Leach Shoji Hamada as well as Kanjiro Kawai and is attributed with bringing the Japanese Mingei style of pottery
to Minnesota, fondly referred to as the Mingeisota style. MacKenzie has described his goal as the making of "everyday" pots. Accordingly, although his pots are found in major museums and command high prices among collectors, MacKenzie has always kept his prices low and no longer signs his work. Most of his output is produced in stoneware, although he has worked in porcelain
at times during his career. Since 1952 he has taught at the University of Minnesota, where he is a professor emeritus. He lives outside of Stillwater, Minnesota, where he continues to maintain his studio. Until December 2006, MacKenzie also housed a showroom on his property. The showroom operated strictly on the "honor system" whereby pots were marked with price stickers and
visitors would pay for pots by placing their money in a wicker basket, making change for themselves as appropriate. Unfortunately, due to theft and customers selling his work for an outrageous profit online, MacKenzie closed his showroom, opting instead to sell his pots through the Northern Clay Center in Minneapolis, MN.
Shawn McCann was born in the small town of Wahpeton, North Dakota. Having grown up surrounded by farmscapes, the landscape became a natural influence on his work. From an early age, he explored the creativity within art, mainly being self taught. A move to
Minneapolis in 1998 though, opened up a new world of urban life. Having attended the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Shawn studied under professionals in numerous avenues. Since his graduation in 2002 with a BFA, Shawn has worked as a freelance illustrator, fine artist, street painter, children's book artist, and teacher. He is currently a member of the Elk River Arts Alliance,
Children’s Book Illustrators Guild, Minnesota Society of Children’s Book Writer’s and Illustrators, Minnesota Artists Association and is currently Vice President of the Minneapolis College of Art and Design’s Alumni Board of Directors. 
Cassandra Monson is a professional artist and a freelance art teacher in drawing, painting, bookmaking, papermaking, sculpture and maskmaking. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the College of Visual Arts with a focus in education. She has been teaching
for years at local community based organizations such as ArtStart, Intermedia Arts and Minneapolis Community Education and works with many area art centers such as the White Bear Center for the Arts, Walker Art Center and the Bloomington Center for the Arts, Kids Philosophy Slam, the Art Car Parade, Northside Arts Collective and Tamarack Nature Center. Cassandra combines quality art materials
with reusing and recycling to enhance her student’s creative problem solving skills and promote environmental consciousness. She also shows her artwork in galleries regularly, which provides a rich opportunity for her students to learn from a working artist.
I am going through a transition with my art and am very excited about the direction I am going. Getting out my oil paints and refining my digital photography skills, yet finding I am still obsessed with the way watercolor flows and settles, granulates and
blooms. Having once again decided to move beyond merely creating a pleasing realistic scene, I have begun working in a more abstract format, utilizing random elements to facilitate creativity. Drawing from the past, my love of pattern, both in rhythmic repetitions of simple shapes and in formal patterns of textiles and pottery; I am adding it to my signature technique of building-up luminous,
oil-like watercolor glazes to create faces that seem to pulse with life. Working with a more earthy pallet, I am creating pieces that whisper of origins, oneness and hope.
Michaelin is a nationally known local artist, gallery owner, international workshop leader and author. She is known for her compelling portraits and figures. Michaelin is a signature member of the Northern Plaines Watercolor Society and the Taos
National Watercolor Society. Michaelin teaches watercolor workshops worldwide and has appeared in several national publications. Michaelin is the author of "Watercolor for the Fun of it - Painting People", has illustrated two children's books, and is currently working on a third. Her work was exhibited in St Petersburg, Russia in 2005. She has been invited to teach a workshop
and exhibit her work there again in 2007.
Ariel Pate feels this way about art making: Landscape is metaphor. Art is translation. Paint is physically manifest thought. Simple as putting paint to paper and as hard as that too. Feelings cannot be discounted, yet have to be held in check. The apocalypse may
come, religious or not.
I was born and raised in White Bear Lake, and graduated from WBHS in 1967. I didn’t really develop my painting talent until the year 2000, after a trip to France with a group of artists. I started out with a bang, getting an article about my fledgling
dog portrait painting business published in the Star Tribune. Lately I have been trying to branch out and have enjoyed painting horses and cows. I have also painted several bullheads. It’s all fun, and I am enjoying myself. I currently reside in Minneapolis, and have worked as an Occupational Therapist for around twenty years. I have a wonderful family, a Pekingese, and lots of
interests including singing in a group called, “Carol Jean and the Bluegills”.
I graduated from the Hartford Art School of the University of Hartford in West Hartford, Connecticut in 1961 with a B.F.A. and honors in painting. I did graduate studies in Printmaking at Wesleyan University, in Middletown, Connecticut from 1964-66. I
retired as a Professor of Fine Arts from Bethel College in 2000, where I taught courses in painting, art history, fluid media, drawing and printmaking. I have exhibited in over 150 international, national,regional and local juried exhibitions and numerous solo and small group exhibitions and have won my share of awards. As far as my own work is concerned, I have worked most two-dimentionally
in drawings with India and colored inks, colored pencils, painting in oils, intaglio (etchings) prints and most recently collages made from my etching proofs. The content of my work is, for the most part, biographical in nature. It has developed as my personal experiences, thoughts and ideas as an artist, teacher, husband, father, grandfather, lover, friend and passenger on this spaceship
earth have been impacted by my faith, heritage, education, environment and culture. The results of this intermingling of elements are not necessarily represented in an explicit manner, but are often made visible in subtle, humorous and sometimes very personal or private symbols and images. At the same time there is an attempt to fuse or integrate the subject and meaning with the formal
elements and the meduim to create a unified harmonious work of art.
A declaration to be an artist was made while I was a third grader. My goal and determination to be an artist was very evident throughout grade and high school. I went to the Hartford Art School in Hartford, Connecticut and received a B.F.A.
degree in painting. My family moved to Minnesota in 1969 where I was introduced to clayin 1970. I took a number of classes in ceramics and then a three week workshop at Haystack Mt. School of Crafts in Maine, the summer of 1979. The fun of exploration and the challenges of various clays, glazes, and firing temperatures as well as reduction and oxidation atmospheres has brought me to my
present work done with an extruder and handbuilding. The desire to work with cone 6 oxidation glazes resulted in my making many beautiful glazes. These glazes become an integral part of the vessels. I have scaled back on production work to focus on one-of-a-kind pieces, often done within a series. These pieces, designated as cruets, ewers, or watering cans or other functions, can stand
alone as art without any attached function.
Alyn Shannon has been a freelance graphic designer for over 25 years, designing a wide variety of projects, including capabilities brochures, annual reports, corporate identity, direct mail, corporate newsletters, social stationery and retail gift products.
Alyn has taken several classes through the White Bear Center for the Arts including pottery, painting, lampworking, silversmithing, fused glass and PMC silver. Alyn earned her Precious Metal Clay certification last year and enjoys applying her design skills and spiritual inspirations to jewelry making. Her hope is that when someone wears jewelry she has created, it serves as a reminder
to continually expand our hearts and embrace faith, love, grace and truth in all we do.
Kirk Sklar is an artist and an educator. Kirk received B.A. in Sculpture and a B. A. in Art History from University of Minnesota - Morris, where he graduated with honors. Kirk went on to a M.F.A in Sculpture at Washington University, St. Louis, MO. Kirk has taught
in several colleges and high schools, summer programs and community centers. Most recently Kirk has opened his own jewelry studio, in White Bear Lake, where he teaches jewelry making in metals, and creates custom and one of kind jewelry objects.
Carly Stipe
For D’Arcy, art is a magical process, bringing forth into the physical world things from the non-physical worlds of dreams and imagination…She is inspired by ancient myths, legends, fairytales – and the natural world with its mystery
and majesty. D’Arcy makes art to tell a story, to acknowledge a blessing, to hold a memory or to process a loss. Whether she’s painting in watercolors or braiding horsehair from a beloved companion, her work is imbued with meaning. Her intention is to make a connection using a symbolic visual language that is both highly personal and understandable.
My “artistic” goal is to explore the strengths and limitations of art materials while showing my personal view of the world. Art materials can be mixed and co-mingled to create dazzling effects, a landscape’s subtle colors can be transformed
into vibrant hues, and simple still life forms pushed into new shapes and colors. The dull can blossom into beauty through artistic vision, innovation, and creativity. When asked what I paint, the answer is: shapes, colors, line and light. My “instructor” goal is to explore history, trends and new innovations in fine art with you. Together, we can explore how I use my digital
camera to capture realism and (then learn how to) transform the ordinary into fine art that speaks to the present. I hope to encourage one and all to express their unique creativity and emotion through art. Please join me in this journey.
Deborah Voyda Rogers medium of choice is pastel, with a concentration on animals, particularly horses and dogs who have always been an important part of her life. Her love of nature is the inspiration for her landscape paintings. Finding the inner
meaning and a establishing a connection to her subject are what truly inspire her. Bold color, shapes, and the knowledge of her subject matter are Deborah’s way of conveying movement and emotion. Deborah’s artistic background started with a twenty five year career in visual design, creating window and retail displays. This creativity led her to her true passion and revealed
her talent in fine art. The Best of the Twin Cities Award was presented by the ‘Minneapolis St. Paul’ magazine in recognition of her visual design. She has now won numerous awards for her dynamic paintings. Her most recent award being a Merit Award won at the Lake Country Pastel Society Spring Show 2008. Deborah is a workshop and tradeshow instructor she teaches pastel, watercolor
and drawing. Like all good storytellers who paint Deborah has a keen eye for detail and the wit to know what to omit. Her paintings have a realistic quality with an element of abstraction, leaving something to the imagination of the viewer. Her ability to convey her emotion to the viewers of her paintings is evident. 
Originally from the Netherlands, Leny has lived in White Bear Lake for the last 20 years. Her painting medium is acrylic and watercolor. Leny’s primary objective is to convey a certain mood through her paintings: the vastness and marvel of an evening
sky, the awe of a morning sunrise; a tranquil or dramatic setting of nature, the majestic power of a tree. Leny is a member of the White Bear Center for the Arts and is the current president of Northstar Watercolor Society.
Wenzel is a representational painter. Raised in New York, at age eighteen he spent a year sailing the world on freighters. Ken received his BFA Degree in 1983 from The School of Visual Arts in New York City. He then lived on Monhegan Island, off the coast of Maine,
making art while working on a lobster boat. He relocated to San Francisco and taught art to emotionally disturbed boys. Ken completed his MFA at the San Francisco Art Institute in 1989 and moved to Minneapolis. He lectures and teaches drawing at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. He taught at Minneapolis Community/Technical College, and presently teaches at Century College in White Bear
Lake. His work has been exhibited and collected regionally and nationally. Shows include; The Bowery Gallery in New York, The Phipps Art Center in Hudson Wisconsin and No Name Gallery at The Soap Factory in Minneapolis Minnesota. 
Susan is an award-winning watercolorist and former interior designer. Although she has worked in other mediums, watercolor is her first love. She enjoys interpreting a variety of subjects including intimate landscapes and people studies. Her distinctive
personal style is characterized by an intense color palette and various contrasts. She is a member of the Minnesota Watercolor Society, the Northstar Watercolor Society, the Transparent Watercolor Society of America, the Northwest Watercolor Society, and the National Watercolor Society. Her paintings have been on exhibit at both regional and national shows, and local galleries. Currently
her work can be seen at the Art Resources Gallery in Edina, Minnesota, and at the Art Preserve in White Bear Lake, Minnesota.
White Bear Lake, MN • 651-429-4264 • 
The mission of the White Bear Center for the Arts is to build creative and culturally rich communities
in the White Bear area by providing arts experiences for children, adults, and families.
White Bear Center for the Arts • 2228 Fourth Street, White Bear Lake, MN 55110 • Phone 651.407.0597