Artful News September 2025

In This Issue

Art Connects Us In Many Ways
Creative Arts Center Reconfiguration Update
Prairie Lakes Plein Air Awards Ceremony Held
Join Our Arts Education Team!
Get Creative at Upcoming Workshops
​Our Members in the News 

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Art Connects Us In Many Ways

By Julie Gish, AOTL Displaying Artist
I received an interesting phone call from a woman with a distinctive accent. She had been in the art gallery and purchased a small print of mine.

Her call was to inquire if I'd be willing to turn that 8 x 10 print into a greeting card. I agreed to do that, and we selected a future time to meet at her apartment in Battle Lake.

I researched buying card stock, called the printer, and was able to have a card printed up for her at minimal cost. 

Then I went to meet my buyer. When we had spoken on the phone, I thought she sounded like a young woman. It turns out Eva is 92 and she had purchased my print to use for a card for her sister in London, who is turning 100! She needed a large card so that her whole family here in the States could sign it.

We had a lovely cup of tea and cookies and a great visit, and I made a new friend!

Just one small example of how Art Connects Us.

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Creative Arts Center Reconfiguration Update

Yard Sale Benefit

As announced last month, the CAC is moving out of the former church building on W Main Street and relocating into the community. We'll vacate our current location by the end of this month.

With the help of many volunteers, the task of rounding up our supplies and belongings from such a large building is well underway. Our Yard Sale Benefit was a great help in divesting a lot of extra items, and generated proceeds of over $2,100. Special thanks to volunteer Peggy Olson for managing this monumental effort! You rock!

Fall CAC classes will take place in the Battle Lake Senior Center, Glendalough State Park, Good Samaritan and other locations.

Seeking Ceramics Studio Space
We're in the process of searching for a dedicated facility for the Ceramics Studio, which requires a concrete floor, 240-volt electric service, ventilation, and at least 500 square feet of space. If you know of any potential venues, please contact Kristi Kuder, [email protected], 612-940-5796.

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Prairie Lakes Plein Air
​Awards Ceremony Held

The summer-long 2025 Prairie Lakes Plein Air Festival has now drawn to a close. A concluding Collectors' Preview and Awards Ceremony was held in the Gallery on Friday, August 29.

Cheryl LeClair-Sommer, competition judge, delighted attendees with insights on the plein air style of painting, and was enthusiastic in her praise for the artists who captured the essence of Otter Tail County this year.

The Gallery was glowing with works from 19 competing artists. The overall quality and breadth of talent was evident, making choosing the winners challenging. Here are the award results:

• Best in Show, $1000: Mary Boylan, Madison MN, Train Trestle at Outstate Brewery
• Second Place, $500: Stephen Henning, Evansville MN, Bluebird Country
• Third Place, $250: Lisa Stauffer, Duluth MN, Farm House in Sunshine
• People's Choice, $150: Kathy Peterson, Melrose MN, Reeds and Weeds
• Honorable Mention, $50: Kelly Schamberger, Duluth MN, Steve's Spot
• Honorable Mention, $50: Greg Preslicka, Savage MN, City Bakery
• Honorable Mention, $50: Susan Seaborn, Dent MN, Lillies on Loon Lake

​Congratulations to the winners and to all who participated! The competition paintings will be on display and available for purchase in the Gallery only until September 27, 2025. Hurry - it's a wonderful exhibit that you won't want to miss!

Best in Show: Train Trestle at Outstate Brewery, Mary Boylan

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Join Our Arts Education Team!

Art of the Lakes offers classes and workshops from the best artists and teachers in the region. If you'd like to work with AOTL as a teaching artist, please call the Gallery at (218) 864-8606 to express your interest. You'll be put in contact with a member of our Programming Committee for further discussion.

Teaching Opportunities - All Artistic Mediums

• Elementary School Guest Artist
• Good Samaritan Adult Seniors (see below)
• Youth Art Classes
• Adult Art Classes and Specialized Workshops

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Good Samaritan Opportunity 
By Sue Kalseim
"I'm looking for art teachers that want to share their skills with the seniors at Good Sam. They appreciate these classes so much and it's lots of fun!. We'll be offering two classes per month from September to April. Teachers will be compensated for their time and supplies. Besides the financial rewards, you'll get to know some great people. For more information contact [email protected] or call me at 612-816-4447."

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Get Creative at Upcoming Workshops

Learn new skills or continue your artistic development with classes and workshops from Art of the Lakes. Here's what's coming up soon:

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Capturing Landscapes in Oil Pastels, with Stephen Henning
​Friday, Sept. 5, 10-4, Glendalough State Park
Details and registration

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The Art of Leather Tooling, with Cliff Fegert
Saturday, Sept. 13, 9-12, Battle Lake Senior Center
Details and registration

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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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Shirley P. Daulton, Susan Seaborn, Sandra Thimgan and Mary Jo Wentz are part of “Second Wind,” a diverse exhibit of paintings, sculpture, jewelry and other artworks by 10 regional artists. The show is open from now until Oct. 30 at the Charles Beck Gallery on M State’s Fergus Falls campus. An artist reception will be held Thursday, Sept. 25 from 4-6 p.m. in Legacy Hall. 

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Calvin deRuyter, Stephen Henning, Jackie Henning, and Lyssa Lovejoy will be part of a large exhibition of artwork from their consortium 4 Points of Light. The exhibition will run from Sept. 17-Oct. 29, with an opening reception on Fri., Oct. 10 from 6-8 pm, at Creative Flow Art Center (CFAC), 110 77th Way NE, Fridley, MN. The 4 Points of Light will be the opening exhibition for this brand new art education center, which is an offshoot of the Rum River Art Center.

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Ruth Hanson’s watercolor batik painting, Sheepish, was awarded first place in the Red Door Art Gallery Rural Art Juried Exhibition. The show runs through Sept. 26 at RDAG in Wahpeton.

Ruth also has a piece, Musical Reflections, in the Red River Watercolor Society 32nd Annual National Juried Watermedia Exhibition at the Diederich Art Gallery at MSUM, Moorhead . The show is up Aug. 25- Sept. 19 on weekdays.

And, Ruth has an exhibit, “An Assorted Affair”, at the Phipps Center for the Arts in Hudson , WI at their Atrium Gallery, from Sept. 12- Nov. 2, with an opening reception Sept. 12 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm.

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Sandra Shaughnessy has been selected to participate in Edina Fall into the Arts Festival, Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 6 & 7 at Centennial Lakes Park, Edina, MN.

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Board Minutes

August 20 Board Meeting Minutes

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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!