Sandra Thimgan will have two of her paper art works on display at the 52nd Invitational Art Show at MState. Della Conroy and Phyllis Joos also have art in the show. As reported last month, Becky Albright, Ruth Hanson, Faythe Mills and Shanna Cramer are also among those in the exhibit. Charles Beck Gallery in the Waage building, MState Fergus Falls. March 26-May 16. Free and open to the public. Reception May 16.

Who's Driving This Bus?
Sunday April 12, 2 pm, First Lutheran Church

Special Gallery Events in March and April
Call for Studio Tour 2026 Artists
Get Outdoors and Become a Better Landscape Painter!
Full Year of Classes Ready and Open
Become a Featured Artist in 2026
Volunteer Spotlight
​Our Members in the News

MSHSL Regional Art Competition and Exhibit
The 2026 Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) Regional Art Competition will feature an exhibition this March in the Gallery. Approximately 90 students from high schools surrounding the area will showcase 133 works of art. 

The Exhibition is open Saturdays from 11am to 3pm, and Sundays from noon to 4pm, from March 1 through March 22. There's a closing reception for participating students including awards, classes & tours of Battle Lake's public art on March 27.

Battle Lake Art Student Exhibit
In April, the Gallery will host an exhibition of work created by Battle Lake primary and secondary students of art teacher Amanda Callahan. The exhibit will be open Saturdays and Sundays, and by appointment, April 11-19.

Spring Gallery Hours Coming!
Spring Gallery hours will be announced soon for April and May.

Yes, we know there's still snow on the ground. Yes, we know some of you are still in Arizona, Florida, Texas, or California. Nonetheless, it's time to get registered for the 2026 Studio Tour, and we need you to make it our best Tour ever!

As challenging as it is to conjure those glorious July days right now, now is the time to sign up. The deadline to register is March 15, and it only takes a few minutes. 

We're bringing back the colorful brochure, Miles of Art prize drawing, Google Map of locations, Artist Profile promotions and more to help participating artists and Tour attendees have a great experience. But we need your registration now to get all that done in time!

​Returning and new artists are encouraged to sign up today! (If you need a studio, we'll help find you one.)

By Stephen Henning, PLPA Chairman
Serving as Chairman of Prairie Lakes Plein Air has reinforced something I deeply believe: nothing accelerates growth as a landscape painter like working outdoors. The challenge sharpens your eye, strengthens your instincts, and builds confidence in ways studio work alone cannot. That’s why I’m encouraging our Art of the Lakes members to participate this summer.

If you’ve wanted to strengthen your landscape painting skills, this is the season to do it. Whatever medium you work in, Art of the Lakes offers workshops designed to help you grow. For example:

• Acrylic Painting with Stephen Henning – May 29, 9:30 – 4:00, Glendalough State Park
• Watercolor Painting with Michael Holter – June 9 – 11, 9:00 – 4:00, Glendalough State Park

Enter Prairie Lakes Plein Air — and Grow as an Artist
Why paint outdoors? Often called “painting bootcamp,” working en plein air strengthens essential skills: simplifying complex scenes, mixing accurate color efficiently, and making confident decisions under time pressure — because the sun doesn’t wait.

Shifting light and changing weather force artists to respond instinctively. That urgency often results in fresher brushwork and a sense of immediacy that brings a painting to life.
Equally important is the camaraderie. Painting alongside other artists while exploring new — sometimes unexpected — locations adds energy and inspiration that simply can’t be replicated in the studio.

Prairie Lakes Plein Air (PLPA) is now the third largest plein air competition in Minnesota, bringing together artists from across the region for focused outdoor painting and professional critique.

When you register for PLPA, you’ll receive an additional discount on workshops taught by ribbon-winning plein air artists. Each of the following workshops includes outdoor painting with direct access to natural light. A competition piece can be painted on a workshop day, but only in the afternoon, after the demo has been presented – not while the artist is demonstrating. 

• Oil Painting En Plein Air with Mary Boylan – June 20, 9:30 – 4:30, Glendalough
• Casein Painting En Plein Air with Greg Preslicka – July 25, 9:30 – 4:30, Henning Landmark
• Soft Pastel Painting En Plein Air with Lisa Stauffer – August 9, 9:30 – 4:30, Prairie Wetlands
• Painting En Plein Air with Stephen Henning – September 12, 9:30 – 4:30, Maplewood State Park

Winning an award is always exciting. But one of the greatest benefits of PLPA is the judge’s critique and closing demonstration. Listening to commentary on other artists’ work — as well as your own — offers insight that can shift how you approach painting moving forward. The live demo and Q&A consistently provide practical tools you can apply immediately.

I encourage Art of the Lakes members to step outside your comfort zone this summer and join us. We have remarkable landscape talent within this organization — and Prairie Lakes Plein Air is an opportunity to refine your skills, deepen your artistic confidence, and be part of something larger than yourself.

Commit to the experience, register for PLPA, and make this a summer that moves your work forward.

Adult classes & workshops for the full year are posted on the Art of the Lakes website, with two more to be added soon in the areas of photography and culinary arts. We plan to print a brochure of 2026 classes and make it available in the gallery.

Classes are already starting to fill up! If there is a class or workshop that you're interested in, be sure to register sooner rather than later. We have some great new artists as instructors, who are very excited about joining the Creative Arts Community in Battle Lake. Try something NEW!

By Donna Westerling
Spring is almost here, and I'm working on the Featured Artist calendar. There are several openings: the month of May, and at least one opening in the months of June, July, and August. 

To be a Featured Artist you need to be a current member, have your gallery shifts scheduled and be at least 2 years since you were last a Featured Artist. 

Step up and showcase your work!  To get scheduled, contact Donna Westerling 612-386-2868 or donna@trumanrc.com

Volunteers make our organization work! Here are stories about just some of them and their amazing contributions.

Thank you Cliff Fegert for helping move shelving from storage to the basement as we emptied our gallery for the MSHSL exhibition.

Thank you to Marit Salveson, Jann Kline, and Bonnie Pfeffer for helping remove art from the gallery and hang art at the Lakeview gallery at the Good Samaritan.

Thank you Dan & Sandy Thimgan for almost ten years (!) of training new and retraining existing members on gallery operations ("gallery sitting"). They are retiring from this role - please contact Deb Ness if you'd like to help fill this need.

Thank you Peggy Olson, as she comes up to speed volunteering her time in her new role as Volunteer Coordinator.

If you know of any volunteers who deserve some recognition, please email notes to tom@entente1.com for inclusion here. Thanks!

David Beddow has a painting currently on display as part of the Seeing God exhibit at the St. Paul Monastery in St. Paul. His painting in the show was inspired by a trip to Assisi, Italy in 2024. This is an interesting exhibit of 2D and 3D work. If you are in the St. Paul area check it out.

Paul Eidenschink's art and creative process were featured in a PBS Up North Arts documentary titled "Keep Your Brushes Wet". The video includes scenes of Glendalough State Park and Battle Lake and can be viewed here.

AZ Snowbirds will be meeting on March 25 for lunch at The Gilbert House restaurant in Gilbert, AZ followed by a visit to the Gilbert Visual Art Leagues annual fine art show.  Susan Seaborn is assisting with jurying the show. A few of the Snowbirds (pictured) met in February in Mesa, including some short-term visitors.

Welcome new members: Fern Belling (Detroit Lakes), Tammy Froemming (Battle Lake), and Ron Nelson (Clitherall).

2026 Adult Art Classes Aplenty
2026 Youth and Senior Art Classes Planned
Volunteers: The Heart of Our Art (Welcoming Peggy Olson)
MSHSL Regional Art Exhibit Coming to Our Gallery
Studio Tour 2026 Registration Now Open
Renew Your Membership Now
Featured Artist Opportunity
​Members in The News

Wow, what a line-up! Adult education chair Shari Prigge has been focusing this winter on developing a rich tapestry of artful classes for 2026. Our Creative Arts Community offerings are now mostly planned and in place throughout the year, so you can optimize your time, money and interests as you look ahead to learn, grow and create.

Dozens of classes are scheduled in fiber arts, cooking, painting, literary arts, clay, drawing, sculpture and beyond, with a few more classes yet to come. 

"We have some wonderful new teachers this year, along with some very popular returning instructors," noted Shari. 

Of special note, award-winning artist Michael Holter is confirmed to teach a 3-day workshop, "Impressionist Landscapes with Watercolor," on June 9, 10, & 11, at Glendalough State Park.  This class will be posted on our website in the next couple of weeks.

Please visit our Classes page for details and updates on all our adult class offerings. Get creative this year!

Art of the Lakes is putting the finishing touches on art classes for children and seniors for the spring and summer seasons. 

A spring art program for senior citizens will be conducted at Lakeview Senior Living from March through May, using engaging, age-appropriate experiences that inspire creativity and connection.

A summer art program for children is planned for July. We'll be teaching fun, creative classes for kids in grades K-1, 2-3 and 4-5 at First Lutheran Church in Battle Lake.

Art Teachers Wanted
We're looking for art teachers (paid) to help us with these programs. Teaching experience is helpful but not required. Please email Sue Kalseim to express your interest and for more information.

At Art of the Lakes, our walls are filled with art, but our foundation is built by people. From the friendly faces at our gallery counter to the hands that help hang every exhibit, we are—and always have been—an organization powered by volunteers.

That's why we're so thrilled to introduce the newest member of our team and steward of our community spirit: Peggy Olson, our new Volunteer Coordinator!

Every workshop, opening night, and community outreach program we host is a testament to the "all-hands-in" philosophy that defines us. Whether you can give two hours a month or ten hours a week, you are the reason we can keep our doors open and our programs accessible.

With Peggy at the helm of our volunteer base, we're excited to get people connected!

Get to know Peggy
"As Volunteer Coordinator, my focus will be getting to know the members and finding ways to use our time and talents in the gallery and community. I look forward to talking with all of you.

"Art has been a life-long passion of mine. I’m inspired by nature, people, music and lake life. In 2010 the lake life dream came true. Property on Silver Lake (third) became available and time was spent every weekend developing it into a family gathering place. In 2021, my husband Patrick and I moved from Minneapolis and became full time lake residents. 

"Tragically, in 2024 Patrick passed away suddenly. We had 38 years together, full of family life and simple pleasures, as well as grand adventures traveling to different parts of the world. I miss him everyday.

"Life at the cabin includes my 95-year-old parents, for whom I cook and drive to different places. Visiting often are my 2 daughters and families from the metro area. I'm the proud Nana of 5 grandsons who are the sunshine of my life! Being a grandparent is seriously the best! I have one sister and brother-in-law in Fergus Falls. They relocated to be closer to our parents and are a big help.

"Although I don’t display art at the gallery, I’m creating art at home. Taking virtual art therapy classes through Gilda’s Club (I’m also a breast cancer survivor), has been great way to work through my grief process and give peace to my soul. I work in mostly water media, I love the flow and unexpected outcomes. I also like Gelli plate printing, collage art, sewing, recycling, and making something out of nothing.

"Again, I look forward to talking and getting to know you. I'm open to suggestions and hopeful for a terrific year!"

Welcome and thank you, Peggy!

The 2026 Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) Regional Art Competition will feature an exhibition this March in the Art of the Lakes Gallery. Between 90 and 100 qualifying high school students from nine area schools will showcase their work in a variety of art categories.

The exhibition will be open to the public Saturdays from 11am to 3pm and Sundays from noon to 4pm from March 1 through March 22. On Friday March 27, participating students will spend the day in Battle Lake for a full day of classes and demonstrations, capped by an awards ceremony and closing reception at the gallery.

Volunteers are needed as greeters during the public reception hours and the closing reception. Please contact Kristi Kuder kristikuder@artofthelakes.org for more information.

The Gallery will close in February as we prepare for this exhibit.

Artist registration for the 2026 Studio Tour is now open. This will be our 26th year of the Tour, and once again we plan to build on our experience of past years and make it even better!

Artists must be members of Art of the Lakes to participate, so if you haven't yet renewed or become a member, please do so right away.

If you need a studio in which to exhibit, we'll find you one. If you have extra space to share, we'll help you find artists to exhibit with you.

The deadline to register is March 15, so please make this a priority. Thank you!

Membership renewals are now due for calendar year 2026. In addition to helping Art of the Lakes with our cash flow and economic stability, your membership:

• provides you with discounts on class fees
• is required to register for the Studio Tour
• is required to display your art in the Gallery
• demonstrates your support for art and creativity
• connects you with others in your community

​Our membership fees have not increased in over ten years. They're a great value, and a wonderful part of belonging here. Thank you!

Featured Artists are a part of our in-gallery artist promotion each year. There are several openings available in the 2026 season. To be a Featured Artist, you must renew your membership and sign up for your gallery shifts. To allow all members to have a chance, this opportunity is limited to once every two years for each displaying artist. For questions or to sign up, call or text Donna Westerling 612-386-2868, or email donna@trumanrc.com

Mary Jo Wentz’s Gardener’s Delight (alcohol ink on canvas painting) has been juried into the Kaddatz Gallery’s current exhibition “Flourish”, on view January 20-February 28. Mary Williams also has juried work featured in the exhibition.

Lakeland PBS (Bemidji and Brainerd) will be airing PJ Eiden's artist interview on February 19 at 7 PM. 

It features Paul's journey as an artist, his inspiration sources, some of his paintings and sketch book images, along with scenes of Battle Lake and Glendalough State Park.

Writing Your Book of Life
Free Creative Writing Workshop Series
​January 15-23, 2026

Jan. 15 Reception
Jan. 17 Workshop for Artists
Jan. 19 Battle Lake HS Workshop
Jan. 19 Lakeview Senior Living Workshop
Jan. 21-22 Community Workshop
Jan. 23 Story Share-out

​An exciting project is happening this month which will positively impact our community. It will involve high school students, senior citizens, and all ages in between. And, there's a special offering for artists, as well. 

Writing Your Book of Life is a series of creative writing workshops hosted by Art of the Lakes and funded by a Lake Region Arts Council grant.

What are these workshops about, and why should they interest you? Not only will they appeal to a broad spectrum of people, they'll explore shared storytelling, deep listening, and personal insight. In short, they'll touch on our words, our stories, and our memories.

The presenter is Victoria McWane-Creek, founder and CEO of Organization 4 Full Participation.

Victoria will help us tell our stories and to deeply listen to the stories of others. In a sense, she'll help us better understand others… and, ourselves.

An opening meet & greet reception, several workshops, and a followup sharing event will be held from January 15 - 23 throughout Battle Lake: the Art of the Lakes Gallery, the Lakeview Senior Living Library, and Battle Lake High School.

The complete listing of workshops, times, and locations are detailed on the home page of the Art of the Lakes website.

• Artists can learn creative writing techniques used for artist statements and telling stories about your work.
• Students, senior citizens and community members can explore written expressions and practice deep listening, shared storytelling and personal insight as they write.​

The public workshops are free of charge, but registration is required. 

Here's your chance to get out of the cold, beat the January blues and enhance your creative writing skills, while connecting with others in your community. We hope you'll join us for these free workshops!

Art of the Lakes is pleased to announce the addition of three new board members from the community to help lead and manage our non-profit organization.

Karalee Brandner is the Deputy Clerk-Treasurer for the City of Battle Lake, and has been in that role for ten years. Thanks to her extensive experience in performing administrative, clerical, and financial tasks for the city, we will appreciate her guidance as we further develop and grow our programming focused on making the arts an integral part of our community. Welcome, Karalee!

Back in November, we announced that the CAC was being renamed the Creative Arts Community, reflecting the idea that creativity can take place anywhere. Now, the CAC has a new logo that bridges from the old CAC to the new. It looks familiar, but with some vibrant new colors!

As we've transitioned out of a single  building and into the greater Battle Lake community, our creative programming, classes and energy have taken root across town and into the hearts and minds of people everywhere.

Many thanks to Art of the Lakes member Sarah Browne for her excellent design work on the new logo. You'll be seeing more information on what the Creative Arts Community means to you over the coming weeks and months. Stay tuned!

Plans are underway for our annual Designer/Purse Bingo fundraiser in May, 2026. We're seeking donations from our artists for raffle items. If you have a new piece of artwork, please consider donating.  We usually have about ten items in the raffle, and attendees love learning about Art of the Lakes artists through that part of the fundraiser. Contact Shari Prigge at shariprigge@artofthelakes.org if you can help. Thanks!

The holidays are over, the ornaments are put away (we hope), so now it's time to get out there. There's so much to offer in Art of the Lakes' Creative Arts Community!

• Intro to Snow Dyeing January 15-16
• Writing Workshop for Artists January 17
• Community Creative Writing Workshop January 21-22
• Let's Make Pasta January 23 (FULL - waitlist)
• Winter Cardinal Woodcarving January 24
• Finger Knitting January 27 (FULL - waitlist)
• Intro to Weaving February 7

Art of the Lakes members are among the most active and accomplished artists and art supporters around! Here's a selection of news about just some of them.

Come on a creative journey with artist Anna Lassonde as she guides you through Betty Edwards' book Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, a 5-week course teaching different drawing skills and techniques for sketching and improving your drawings.​ Details / registration

John F. Shaw’s ceramic container titled ‘EVERYTHING WENT JUST FINE FOR A WHILE’ has been selected for publication in the International Ceramics Artists Network’s 2026 calendar: VASES AND VESSELS.