Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteer Opportunities Attention art lovers— WBCA needs you!   Join a team of volunteers and share your time and talents with others. Whether you are interested in volunteering on a regular basis, or on occasion, WBCA has an opportunity waiting for you. Your time is valuable, and WBCA offers a very flexible volunteer program and…

Read More

Giant Art Takes Shape in WBCA’s Clay Studio

With trees blooming and water warming, summer is a good time to consider Minnesota as one of the best places to spend your time. And thanks to a recent mention in TIME Magazine’s “World’s Greatest Places” list, it’s no longer an exaggeration—especially when talking about a special corner in Detroit Lakes. Tucked but not hidden…

Read More

About Our Exhibition Spaces

About our Exhibition Spaces At White Bear Center for the Arts, our exhibition spaces are more than just a space—they are a vibrant platform for showcasing diverse perspectives, nurturing emerging and established artists in our community and beyond, and a place for people to gather. Learn more about our exhibition spaces below. Ford Family Gallery…

Read More

Stretching the Imagination: A New Experience in the Ford Family Gallery

Galleries have historically been thought of as neutral spaces to observe art, designed to present works in a controlled environment that invites intellectual reflection with their white walls and stark lighting. Now, White Bear Center for the Arts is bringing back a different way to engage with art: through mind and body. This December, the…

Read More

Vision & Verse: Creative Nonfiction 2025

Vision & Verse: Creative Nonfiction Back to Vision & Verse Writing Contest > The 2025 Vision & Verse writing contest features original writing in poetry, short story, creative nonfiction, and persuasive essay from high schoolers across the Northeast Metro. Scroll on to read this years creative nonfiction work. Best of Creative Nonfiction: Alexis Surface, “You…

Read More

Susan Hartzell Vannelli

Susan Hartzell Vannelli Susan Hartzell Vannelli is a professional artist who offers stimulating art classes and workshops at White Bear Center for the Arts. Sue’s colorful, mixed media art reflects her personal energy, joy, and enthusiasm for life! Oil, acrylic, and pastel are her favorite mediums to create with. Her art combines spirituality, compassion, and spontaneity.…

Read More

Q&A with Joshua Cunningham

This interview with plein air artist Joshua Cunningham was originally published in 2020 as part of WBCA’s digital “care packages” that were sent out during the pandemic. Joshua went on to judge the 2023 Into Nature Plein Air Exhibition. You can read the full interview here: I was an outside kid. I grew up the…

Read More