Artful News May 2026

In This Issue

Annual Member Meeting May 21
Gallery Re-Opens With Help From Volunteers
Summer Art Camp for Kids- Openings Available
Expanding Horizons: Creative Classes for Adults
Longest Day of Art - Summer Solstice 2026
Last Call for Bingo!
​Members in The News
Artful Tidbits

Annual Member Meeting May 21
Membership Report

rsvp

The Annual Member Meeting will be held at the Art of the Lakes Gallery on Thursday, May 21. Social hour starts at 5 pm, with a buffet and meeting to follow. The meeting itself begins at 6:30. Please RSVP by May 20 for a head count for food. 

We encourage all members new and long-term to attend! It's the best way to connect with your fellow members, catch up on the local art scene (including and especially Art of the Lakes), and conduct some Association business.

Art of the Lakes Membership Report
We're pleased to report that we currently have 146 active (paid) members out of a total of 253 registered members. At this time four years ago, we had 117 registered members, so our core community has grown by 136 members in four years.

While some registered members have moved or decided to take a temporary break, our active membership typically rises (re-activates) as summer approaches and our "snowbirds" and seasonal lake members return to the area.

Currently, approximately 75 artists display their work in the gallery. We also have many members who participate in the Art of the Lakes Studio Tour even if they don't exhibit in the gallery.

We attribute this steady growth to our expanded class and event offerings, which provide wonderful opportunities for people to connect. Art of the Lakes continues to be a vibrant and essential part of our local community, and we're very grateful for all the contributions of our members.

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Gallery Re-Opens With Help From Volunteers

Thank you volunteers!

Our showcase gallery re-opened for the season on Friday, May 1, following an art update by an enthusiastic group of volunteers. Sue Kalseim, Della Conroy, Phyllis ​Joos, Kerry Kolke Bonk, and Deb Connolly put their all into setting up and hanging our display artists' work. We're now ready for buyers, collectors, browsers, curiosity seekers, tourists, local residents, members and more! Stop in and see what's on display - Kristi Kuder is the Featured Artist this month.

Hours May 1 to May 23

• Friday and Saturday 10-5

Hours starting May 24

• Monday-Thursday 10-5
• Friday and Saturday 10-8
• Sunday 10-3

Displaying artists should sign up now for gallery shifts.

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Summer Art Camp for Kids: Openings Available

register

This July, kids can get away to art camp without leaving town! The Art Camp will be held at First Lutheran Church in Battle Lake, with four fun sessions planned for grades 2-3, and seven for grades 4-5. How cool are these choices - mosaic coasters, acrylic painting, Zentangle, hiking sticks, slow stitching, photography, and even skateboard painting! 

Classes are just $10 each until May 15, or $15 each after that. Openings available - register your kids today.

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Expanding Horizons:
Creative Classes for Adults

Anne Kaese

Adult classes

You might have noticed that Art of the Lakes offers way more than painting classes these days. Sure, you can still learn to paint, with eight top-notch workshops available in watercolor, acrylics, oils and more this year - our most ever.

But there's an even wider world of creativity out there, and we can help you explore it.

How about some crisp calligraphy from one of our newest teaching artists, Anne Kaese (pictured)? Anne started doing calligraphy when she was twelve. As a young adult, she took formal classes and has since had the privilege of studying with some wonderful teachers from England, the US, Europe and Africa. Her art work now focuses on lettering, color, illumination, fine detail painting and related aspects of calligraphy. She's offering a series of five different classes through Art of the Lakes this June - you can take them individually, or bundle them for a reduced price.

Or, explore the culinary arts with Chef Mike of the Shoreline to get ready for summer. On May 20, he'll teach you (and let you taste) a variety of Wine Spritzer & Mocktail recipes. In June it''s sushi, and in July it's breakfast charcuterie. Yum!

And if you're looking to upgrade some of your more "commercial" skills as an artist, check out Kim Konikow's The Art of Taking Care of Business on May 16.

Of course, if you still do want to paint, a wonderful choice would be a class in Acrylic Painting with Stephen Henning at Glendalough State Park May 29.

However you choose to expand your horizons, get out there with Art of the Lakes as your guide. You'll be glad you did.

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Longest Day of Art:
​Summer Solstice 2026

pre-register

Saturday, June 20 has been identified as a day for photographers to capture aspects of the community that draw their interest. We're looking for images that depict Battle Lake and this local region through time of day, place, nature, and people. How that's interpreted will be up to the prowess of each photographer.

In order to gather a thorough picture of Battle Lake, we hope to receive images from different times of the day and from a variety of locations. By early June we'll send more information about the event and on how to submit images. 

If you're interested in this project, please pre-register as a photographer to receive additional information. Thanks!

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Last Call for Bingo!

bingo

Our Designer Purse and Cooler Bingo Fundraiser will be held Friday, May 8 at First Lutheran Church in Battle Lake. This year we've added some cool coolers to the hot designer purses you can win! Think Yeti and Stanley, Kate Spade, Coach and Michael Kors! There'll be some great art and other raffle prizes as well. 

Pre-purchase pasta bar tickets for $25. (Pasta bar purchase not required for bingo play.) Bingo packets must be purchased at the door in cash - 15 bingo cards for $15.
 
Full cash bar available on site as well.

This is our annual fundraiser for Art of the Lakes Association, and your support is greatly appreciated! 

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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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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.

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Sandra Daulton Shaughnessy has been invited to participate in the American Pottery Festival at the Northern Clay Center in Minneapolis, MN. The May preview show is April 28- May 31.
Join Sandra, Thursday, May 28 for the Gallery Gala at Everett & Charlie Gallery, Minneapolis, MN.

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Artful Tidbits

The Alexandria Art DeTour takes place June 19-20. Details at alexart.org/art-detour
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Jarren Hill, owner of Espresso in Battle Lake, is considering a mural for an inside wall in his new venue. Anyone interested can contact him at (218) 864-2900 or [email protected]

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Board Minutes

​Board Minutes April 15, 2026

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Got AOTL News?

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