Uncategorized – White Bear Center for the Arts

When the Earth Sings

Local artist Brianna Harrington spends a lot of time outdoors as an avid hiker, wellness coach, and master gardener, connecting to the earth and listening to the ground beneath her feet. Brianna’s new series, “Soil Song: Exploring the Decaying Vibrancy of the World’s Soil,” now on display at White Bear Center for the Arts, uses…

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…

“Creative Pursuits” Advocates Creativity Among Those With ALS

Ken Baltes was many things, a lifelong computer technician, a late-blooming artist, a creative advocate, and above all, a cherished member of the community. Two years after his passing from ALS, White Bear Center for the Arts hosts “Creative Pursuits,” a pop-up exhibition in collaboration with the ALS Association. The exhibit highlights the creative talents…

First Person Plural: Honoring Immigrant Stories in White Bear Lake

You might see new—even familiar faces on the grounds of White Bear Center for the Arts. In the form of huge black and white mural portraits, local artist and White Bear Lake resident Cadex Herrera’s latest project, “First Person Plural,” shares the journeys of immigrants who now call White Bear Lake home. Through in-depth conversations…

Jessica Turtle Creates a Community Mural at WBCA

This summer, White Bear Center for the Arts collaborated with celebrated public artist and WBCA teaching artist Jessica Turtle to create a community-driven mural installation. It’s in the name, but you wouldn’t believe the connections made over a community mural. Over the course of five days, Jessica was joined by over 100 people to paint…

Crop Art Students Head to the State Fair

Something seedy is growing at White Bear Center for the Arts. Under the expert guidance of Marta Shore, Assistant Superintendent of Crop Art and Scarecrow at the Minnesota State Fair, a group of artists honed their skills as they learned how to create crop art and submit their work to the State Fair. Starting in…

Mexican Clay Makes a Pilgrimage to Minnesota

White Bear Center for the Arts is prepping to host the Mata Ortiz Pottery Sale again for the first time since its run in 2019. From September 18-21, renowned artists from the small village of Mata Ortiz, in the Northern state of Chihuahua, Mexico will display their pottery at WBCA for a special four-day sale. …

Q&A with Into Nature Judge Michele Combs

When Michele Combs took her first painting class at 38 years old, she couldn’t have guessed she’d become a renowned, award-winning plein air painter. She began her painting journey in an acrylic painting class at the Minnetonka Center for the Arts, the art center where she ended up teaching. When she entered her first painting…

“Ode to my Umi”: Celebrating Black Motherhood, Ancestry, and the Revolutionary Power of Rest

The newest exhibit in White Bear Center for the Arts’ Ford Family Gallery, “Ode to my Umi,” honors Black motherhood and ancestral wisdom. But the curator of the show, 2023-2024 Emerging Curators Institute Fellow Eshay Brantley, wants to make one thing clear: this exhibit is for everyone. Directly influenced by the women in her family…

The Power of Plein Air: The Benefits of Doing Art in Nature

Seeing sunbeams after the long dreary winter days, have you been finding your home or studio lacking in inspiration? You might want to try art en plein air. En plein air is a French expression, meaning simply, “in the open air.” As with most things when said in French, it gains a romantic quality. But…