BLANDEN ART MUSEUM

West Gallery

January - December 30, 2025

​

​

Curators Statement:

“Even in stillness, there is movement.” – Anonymous

 

Visitors can embark on an artistic odyssey with "Harmonizing Dimensions," a curated collection delving into the intricate interplay of motion, time, and rhythm. This transformative exploration shapes and defines the creative landscape, leaving an enduring imprint on the ever-evolving art world.

​

As we navigate the swift tapestry of the 21st century, our understanding of motion, time, and rhythm in art undergoes a profound transformation. Technological advancements and global connectivity dissolve traditional boundaries, providing artists with new realms to explore.

​

Step into this odyssey at the Blanden, where artworks come alive dynamically, transcending conventional expressions. Let the masterpieces converge in your mind, facilitating a harmonious dialogue between motion, time, and rhythm. Across diverse mediums, artists showcase how movement breathes life into their works, time influences narratives, and rhythm orchestrates unique artistic experiences.

​

Working in varied mediums, these artists share a profound grasp of the interplay among fundamental forces. Witness how motion is captured in brushstrokes, time in sculpture, and rhythm in the arrangement of forms and colors. The exhibition encourages an exploration of the dynamic relationship between the static and kinetic, tangible, and ephemeral, finite, and infinite – offering profound insights into the role of motion, time, and rhythm in shaping artistic expression.

​

"Harmonizing Dimensions" invites you on a transformative journey where motion, time, and rhythm converge, unlocking uncharted realms of artistic expression. Celebrate the visionary contributions of artists worldwide as they entice us to delve into the profound mysteries within these elemental dimensions.

​

May this exhibition inspire you to embrace the ever-shifting dynamics of life, fostering a deeper appreciation for the interconnected dance of motion, time, and rhythm in the realm of art.

​

​

East Gallery

May 4 - July 20, 2024

 

Artist Statement:

In 2016, I made portraits of youth contestants at Minnesota county fairs. Each participant—some as young as four years old— spent a year raising an animal, which they entered into a 4-H livestock competition. None of the youth I photographed succeeded in winning an award, despite the obvious care they have given to their animal.

​

Four years later, in 2020, I returned to photograph the young subjects, asking them what they carried forward from their previous experience. Some of them have continued to pursue animal husbandry while others developed other interests. We imagine some of these kids will choose to continue running their family farms, an unpredictable and demanding way to make a living.

​

As I created the second group of photographs, I asked them what were their thoughts, their dreams, and their goals for the future? How do they fit in the future of agricultural America?

​

The Unchosen Ones depicts the bloom of youth and the mettle of the kids who grow up on farms, reminding us how resilient children can be when confronted with life’s inevitable disappointments. The formal quality of the lighting and setting endow these young people with a gravitas beyond their years, revealing self-direction dedication in some, and in others, perhaps, the pressures of traditions imposed upon them. The portraits capture a particular America, a rural world, and a time in life when the layered emotions of youth are laid bare. 

​

Bio:

R. J. Kern (b. 1978) is an American artist whose work investigates ideas of home, ancestry, and a sense of place. His portraits focus on intimate, interdependent relationships of people, animals, and landscape as a means of exploring how ancestry shapes identity and how myth intertwines with personal history. His camera has led him from an inquiry into his lineage in the farming communities of Scandinavia and Ireland to the examination of similar communities near his home in Minnesota. Increasingly, his attention has been captured by the next generation of young people, who may or may not be the stewards of rural communities and economies in the future.

 

Inspired by master landscape painters of the 19th-century, Kern embraces the heightened expressivity of natural and artificial lighting techniques. To draw sharper connections between traditional and modern farming routines, he adopts both historical and current photographic processes. While illuminating the ephemeral beauty of youth, Kern probes the current realities of agrarian practices, aspiring to enhance awareness and interest in the changing face of American pastoral life. 

Second Floor Gallery

July 13 - Sept 21, 2024

 

Artist Statement:

Painting for me continues to be about connections – connecting with nature, the specific scene or subject, and the community of artists, both near and far, that share in this endeavor that I love. These connections add richness to the experience of painting and offer rewards that far exceed those of just painting another picture.

​

The title, “A World Observed”, references the role of observation in the painting process. I would describe my work as falling in the school of Traditional Realism. As such, my aim is to see and capture the beauty that exists all around us. Sometimes it’s found in scenes that would typically be regarded as beautiful, but other times beauty is found in everyday items, the banal, the overlooked. By observing the subject deeply and not relying on pre-conceived notions of what a tree looks like, the color of the sky, etc., real beauty can be found and, hopefully, reflected in the painting. Rather than imposing my own attempt to improve on nature’s beauty, I seek to translate my observed experience into a work with the goal of communicating the experience to the viewer.

​

I am grateful to the Blanden Art Museum and staff for this opportunity to return to my birthplace and share this body of work. My wish is that visitors come away with a new appreciation for the rich variety of beauty that surrounds us every day.

 

Bio:

Jack Dant is a St. Paul, Minnesota artist whose painting subjects range from landscape and still life to portrait and figures.  He is drawn primarily to realism in the style of the American Impressionists; however his technique and style continue to evolve. Jack enjoys painting outside on location (plein air) as well as painting in his studio.  He has studied Flemish techniques in still life and portrait with Jeff Hurinenko, and spent many years studying landscape painting with Joe Paquet, using direct painting methods and the prismatic palette.

​

In addition to painting, Jack has been exploring the intaglio process (prints produced from etched copper plates), sculpture, and casting in bronze. He has developed a home casting studio where he completes all aspects of the sculpting and casting process. Jack is a Principal Product Engineer with Heraeus Medevio in Fridley, Minnesota where he   develops medical devices for a variety of interventional procedures. 

Jack was born in Fort Dodge and enjoys many happy memories of childhood friends, Duncombe Elementary (the old one), and growing up on 8th avenue. Having moved to Minnesota in 3rd grade (1974), the memories are fading, but still warm. Jack looks forward to  reconnecting with some long-lost friends!

​                           ​​​​

• Erika Navarrete and Brett Anderson - East Gallery  

  • Endless Summer - Paintings / Prints (Aug 3 - Oct 19, 2024)

• Jave Yoshimoto - Second Floor Gallery 

  • Isolated Microcosm - Mix Media (Oct 5 - Dec 14, 2024) ​

• Bill Stamats - East Gallery

  • Two of a Kind - Paintings (Nov 2 - January 18, 2025) ​

• Michael Moore - Second Floor Gallery 

  • Breaking the Grid (Jan 4 - March 22, 2025) ​

• Dave Jordano - East Gallery 

  • Duck Blinds (Feb 1 - April 18, 2025)