Artful News April 2025

In This Issue

Arts Weekend Draws Hundreds to Battle Lake
Local Business: Could The Arts Help You Thrive?
Battle Lake Gallery Opens for the 2025 Season
Stellar Summer Just Around the Corner
Explore Your Creative Side This Month
Teaching Artists Connect With The Community
CAC Ceramic Studio Update
Our Members in the News
May 2025 News Publication Date

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Arts Weekend Draws Hundreds
​to Battle Lake

Photo credits
MSHSL Tournament: Greg Gerhart
Seussical JR: Kristi Kuder
Don't Answer That: Dan Thimgan
​Video: Tom Kuder

On the last weekend of March, Art of the Lakes hosted three events involving hundreds of students, teachers, actors, parents, families and professional artists. All events were held at the Creative Arts Center in downtown Battle Lake.

• On Friday, The Minnesota State High School League Regional Art Tournament brought together art students and teachers from eight area high schools.
• Seussical JR, a colorful children's musical, was performed on Saturday and Sunday. Students from nearby towns were the actors, and audiences packed both shows.
• On Sunday, Andria Theater performed Don't Answer That, a hilarious play about an IRS telephone scam.

​The power of creativity and the magic of live theater were on full display, while our community shared some pre-season hospitality. Congratulations to all the participants, and many thanks to all the volunteers who helped make this happen!

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Local Business:
​Could The Arts Help You Thrive?

sponsorships

Email Kristi Kuder

Art of the Lakes is preparing for a year filled with events, classes, and gallery visitors, and we invite businesses to join us as sponsors for 2025. 

• Sponsors demonstrate support for an organization and its members that have lifted up the Battle Lake area for fifty-eight years. 
• Sponsors increase their market exposure as AOTL makes over 25,000 annual connections with people who appreciate the arts. ​

Business sponsorships are a vital part of our overall financial stability, helping us fulfill our mission to develop, promote, and encourage an interest in the arts. Sponsorships benefit the business, our members and everyone who is served by our team. If you or someone you know is a local business owner, contact us today to explore our available programs.

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Battle Lake Gallery Opens
​For The 2025 Season

Art of the Lakes' art gallery in Battle Lake is a wonderful place to shop, display art and meet some very nice people! We currently feature the work of over 60 local artists.

The gallery will re-open for the 2025 season on April 18. Gallery hours will be Friday and Saturday, 10-5, through Memorial Weekend. Daily summer hours will begin after that.

Whether you're a long-time resident, a returning snow-bird, a newcomer or a visitor - we'd love to see you at the art gallery!

AOTL Displaying Artists: it's time to get ready for the season.

• Bring your new art to the gallery by April 25
• Update your photo for the gallery's video carousel
• Get gallery training if you're new or need a refresher
• Schedule your gallery shifts

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A Stellar Summer
Is ​Just Around The Corner

Art of the Lakes has three big summer arts events for you to enjoy this year.

Prairie Lakes Plein Air is a summer-long festival of art education, exhibition, and competition. It brings dozens of artists to Otter Tail County to paint outdoors and mingle with residents and visitors alike. This year’s festival runs from June through August.

The Art of the Lakes Studio Tour is one of the Midwest’s largest rural art crawls, with over 4,000 art enthusiasts driving our back roads in search of unique creations and face-to-face connections with artists. This is our 25th year of the Tour, which will take place July 18, 19 and 20.

And on August 9, our one-day Art & Craft Affair will bring over 5,000 people to Railroad Park in Battle Lake for music, food and imaginative hand-made artistry.

We invite you to join us as we greet friends, family and visitors - with the arts! Mark your calendars - details on our Events page. 

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Explore Your Creative Side
​This Month

Classes / Workshops / Education
Saturday Clay Date Night, April 5 (SOLD OUT)
Weaving Beyond the Basics, April 5
Intro to Needle Felting, April 10
Introduction to Folk Dance - Ceilidh, April 12

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Teaching Artists Connect With The Community

Funding provided in part by West Central Initiative

Art of the Lakes provides teaching artists with opportunities to lead creative workshops and make community connections through the arts. Two recent programs are good examples of how our teaching artists connect with the community. 

Senior Art Classes. A series of painting classes was provided this winter to residents at Good Samaritan senior housing in Battle Lake. The program started with just five ​people in the first class, but more than tripled thereafter. Thanks to Sue Kalseim and Stephen Henning for being our teaching artists.

Talented Student Mini-Workshops. During the MHSHL Art Tournament in March, Art of the Lakes provided students with mini-workshops in paper making, ceramics, origami, cold wax, watercolor batik and illustration. Art of the Lakes teaching artists Kristi Kuder, Jonathan Hartman, Sandra Thimgan, Vicky Radel, Ruth Hanson and Paul Johnson shared their talents and insights with the students.​ (See more images in the video above.)

If you'd like to be involved in this type of teaching, email Sue Kalseim 

Teaching artists are still needed for workshops this summer, especially for the culinary arts. Email proposals to Kristi Kuder. ​

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CAC Ceramic Studio Update
​and Thanks

Funding provided in part by West Central Initiative

The kiln and other equipment in the CAC Ceramic Studio are going to be returned to their owner in May. Many thanks to Dar Eckert for loaning us her equipment this past year! 

​Member Sandy Thimgan found the Ceramic Studio to be a valuable artistic resource, and echoes our gratitude:

• "A big thank you to Dar Eckert and Kathrine McDowell for your leadership in the Ceramic Studio these past months. The clay building class and glazing class started us all on a journey, which we continued on Wednesday Clay Nights. We are so thankful for your time, patience, expertise and helpfulness! A special thanks to Dar for loaning us her amazing kiln, what generosity. I hope we can generate more interest in the future to continue with the ceramic studio and more adventures."

We'd like to continue the Ceramic Studio, too. If you share this passion and want to help by donating a professional kiln, money, time or talents - please contact Kristi Kuder.

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Our Members In The News

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.

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The annual Invitational Art Show at M State in Fergus Falls marks the event’s 51st year of supporting and showcasing local artists. Fifty-seven artists are represented, including members Ruth Hanson, Stephen Henning, Jacqueline Henning, Kristi Kuder, Sandra Thimgan and Mary Williams. The exhibit is open now, with an artists’ reception on the show's last day, Sunday, May 11, from 1-3 p.m. on the M State Fergus Falls campus. 

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Sean Scott and Kate Scherfenberg will participate in the Lincoln Clay Tour on the first weekend of May in Lincoln, Nebraska. Over a dozen regional ceramic artists are participating. Scott says, "We enjoy the camaraderie of gathering with other potters, and the tour has a great following.” Learn more at the Lincoln Clay Tour Facebook page.

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Susan Seaborn is teaching a hands-on workshop on capturing the beauty of flowers in watercolor, May 22 in Farwell MN. Email Susan for more information.

Susan is honored to have a painting selected in the Western Federation Juried Art Show, juror Ken Call. The show is now open at the University in Lubbock, Texas. 

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May News Publication Date

The May 2025 issue of Artful News will be published in mid-May rather than at the beginning of the month.

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Board Minutes

Board minutes March 19, 2025

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Got AOTL News?

Please email stories and images to AOTL's newsletter editor, 
​Tom Kuder. Deadline is two days before the end of each month. Thanks!