Images of Autumn Around Winona

The sky takes on a beautiful vibrant blue hue this time of year.  The crispness in the air opens up the senses.  Around Winona, some images waking up my senses are pumpkins, bees in roses, and garden flowers arranged on tables at a local coffee house.

                                                                Mums in full glory.

                                                  

                                                    This bee is going in for breakfast.

Ada Hayden Visionary of the American Prairie

Oil Painting by Celeste Birkeland

Several years ago I visited Ada Hayden Prairie Preserve in northeast Iowa.  Dr. Hayen was ahead of her time in recognizing the value, importance and beauty of the prairies.  My homage to Ada Hayden is to pay tribute to her artistic side as well as her scientific side.  I wanted the paintings to be interpretive, imaginative and not especially realistic, reflecting her ability to transcend.

--- Celeste Birkeland

Bobolink. Oil, 18" x 24"

An On-line Exhibit: www.adahayden.com 

 

Local Artist Kat Eng

Check out the blog of Winona artist Kat Eng!
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Live, Move, Dye

On Sunday, June 3^rd, the first in a series of movement and art classes began at the Ol’ Grey Mare Barn, 570 Main St. in Dakota, Minnesota.  A high energy Nia class started the women’s day.  The sweat was flying along with lots of arms and legs for kicks, blocks, and cha-cha-chas.  It got so hot that the i-pod had to pause to catch its breath—literally, it stopped working with a message of Warning Temperature.  It was placed in the shade to rest, and we used the birds, the wind, and other environmental noises to finish our earth dance, (free dance) and move into the earth play for cooling down.

 

As we finished our movement, a group of pelicans soared over the Mississippi that is located one block from the barn.  Soaring grace and beauty feasted our eyes above.  It was the perfect welcome to begin our color sensation part of the workshop for dying.

We washed the t-shirts and fabric to remove any dirt or oils from the cloth and then soaked the clothes in dye activator to allow the dyes to absorb easily into the materials.  A lesson on tying, clamping, twisting with a variety of samples was shared with the students.

Kim Hammer tying a shirt for dying.

Summer flowers at the barn.

Mary Lee shows Mary Starr the mixed dyes.

Emerald green dye mixed.

Wearing gloves and a mask are important safety requirements when working with powder dyes

Burnt orange dye.

Working together works well for holding, squeezing, gathering a bag to place the dyed garment in to cure.

The successful dyers learning to live, move and dye all in one day!  See more opportunities for making art and moving at Creative Arts Center Classes.

Spring Celebration Kick-off!

 The first celebration and fundraiser for the Creative Arts Center, a fund of the Winona Community Foundation, was a jubilant success. The Creative Arts Center will house visual arts, movement, and healing arts, and the event offered a flavor of what the new center will provide. On March 25th, 10am-3pm, Lake Park Lodge in Winona was filled with the sounds of music, sights of artwork, and activities of kite making, Nia dancing, and chair massage.

The day opened with singer, song writer, Will Krageschmidt, a Winona Senior High School Student whose voice delighted all who entered. Two children, Kathleen and James Bowey enjoyed the music while having some healthy snacks. Austin Eschweiler and Mike Munson also entertained the crowd. Bob Stuber shared his sound engineering talents to support the musicians and the Creative Arts Center.

Local artists displayed their beauty and donated a portion of their proceeds to help the new center move forward. Featured artists included Julia Crozier, Dan Grimslid, Kate Newsome, Dina Wuornos, Kelsey Eschweiler, Erica Thibodeaux, and Mary Lee Eischen.

Stepping outdoors you’d find children making the kites, friends enjoying the sunshine, and Nia, a fusion fitness exercise was enjoyed by a group with two classes offered that day by Mary Lee Eischen and Jacque Paulsen.

Kim Hammer of SUTRA, global by design, shared her artisan works from India and Indonesia. Kim travels to India and SE Asian annually guiding tours as she purchases their handiwork at a fair price and sells it in the United States at home and community parties; a portion of her sales are contributed to a non-profit organization of the host’s choice.

Many welcoming hands are needed to create community and a Creative Arts Center. We welcome your ideas, suggestions, time, and energy. Call 507.457.0692 or e-mail: mleischen@gmail.com to get involved.