Art Crawl January 13, 2006

Fiber arts, space, family farms and the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. are the themes explored during Northfield?s winter Art Crawl on Friday, Jan. 13. Exhibitions and festivities will take place at ArtOnWater, ArtOrg?s Moving Walls Gallery and nearby Printmaking Studio, Northfield Arts Guild and the Northfield School of Arts and Technology (ARTech). All ArtCrawl events are free and open to the public.

ArtOnWater Gallery is celebrating the work of regional textile artists with ?Fiber: It?s Not Just for Breakfast Anymore.? The exhibition features the work of southeastern Minnesota artists Jean Bartel of Dodge Center, Nancy Ellison and Marit Lomen of Zumbrota, Elsa Jo Kelm and Ruth Revland of Wanamingo, Pat Kimble of Pine Island, Aimee Radman of Hampton, Joann Ronningen of West Concord, Carol Woodruff of Albert Lea and Leisa Luis Grill, Becky Knutson, Carolyn McDonald and Martha Reeder of Rochester and Denise Cawley of Milwaukee, Wis.

The exhibition runs from January 12 through 28 at ArtOnWater at 217 Water St. S. There will be an exhibition preview at the ArtOnWater ChARTdonnay Thursday wine and cheese on Jan 12 from 4 to 7 p.m. The Art Crawl reception will be on Friday, Jan. 13 from 5 to 10 p.m. and there will be extended exhibition hours on Saturday, Jan. 14 from 1 to 8 p.m. The exhibition also will be open Thursdays (Jan. 19 and 26) from 4 to 7 p.m., and Fridays and Saturdays (Jan. 20-21 and 27-28) from 2 to 8 p.m. For more information, call (507) 645-1380.

On Jan. 13 from 6 to 10 p.m., ArtOrg?s Moving Walls Gallery will host a closing party for the exhibition ?John Berkey Observed,? which was extended for an additional month due to demand. The show was one of the most financially successful in Minnesota during 2005, with proceeds benefitting ArtOrg?s nonprofit activities. ArtOrg will display custom made giclee prints of Berkey?s work and will offer discounts on orders placed during the evening.

In addition, ArtOrg will initiate an extraordinary Berkey-approved eBay auction of one of his original 1977 conceptual art pieces for the movie ?Star Wars? on Jan. 3?timed to close during the Jan. 13 evening festivities at which Berkey and his wife, St. Olaf College Class of 1956 member Damaris Wahl Berkey, plan to be in attendance. ArtOrg?s Moving Walls Gallery is accessible from the back parking lot at 200 Division St. S. For more information, call (507) 645-2555.

ArtOrg?s 2000 square foot Printmaking Studio will celebrate its Grand Opening with printmaking demonstrations on Friday, Jan. 13 from 6 to 10 p.m. and Saturday, Jan. 14 from noon to 4 p.m. Scott King of Red Dragonfly Press will be demonstrating letterpress techniques and local artists, including Rick Swearer and Kari Alberg, will demonstrate many of the available presses.

The community studio was created so that working printmakers and those who want to learn about the process have a place to create and use specialized equipment, including one of the few surviving large lithography presses in the country. ArtOrg?s Printmaking Studio is located on the lower floor of 314 Division St. S., accessible by stairs near The Art Store entrance. For more information, call (507) 645-2555.

The Northfield Arts Guild celebrates Minnesota rural life with ?The Farm Show,? featuring mixed media work by 14 artists that depicts Minnesota's fast-disappearing family farms and rural life. The show is both a sentimental glimpse into a fading past and a wake-up call about the fate of this important part of Minnesota life and the effects of the state's present and future agricultural policies.

The exhibition, organized by Stephanie Henriksen and David Kamis includes work by Northfield artists Dorothy Divers, Fred Hagstrom, Henriksen, Kamis and Sharol Nau, as well as work by Martin Berg, David Bjorkquist, Barbara Claussen, Patricia Canney, Debra Connolly, Richard Krogstad, Mark Pederson and Melanie VanHouten.

?The Farm Show? runs from January 12 through February 9. The Art Crawl reception will be Friday, Jan. 13 from 7 to 9 p.m. The Northfield Arts Guild Gallery is located at 304 Division St. S. and open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with extended hours on Thursdays until 8 p.m. For more information, call (507) 645-8877.

The Northfield School of Arts and Technology (ARTech) will present its second annual production of ?The Arts for Martin.? The event is a gathering of community to create art and celebrate the life of the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. The program is directed by Bob Gregory-Bjorklund, ARTech arts coordinator, features the music of Stevie Wonder and Northfield composer Dan Kallman, and include artists of all ages. The entire entry of ARTech will be set up as a gallery for visual artists. The Reverend Fred Doty, a former Northfield resident, will be on hand to offer new reflections on his civil rights experiences with Dr. King during the 1960s.

The performance will be held on Friday, Jan. 13 at 7:30 p.m. at ARTech, a Minnesota charter school, located at 1719 Cannon Road (behind the Perkins Restaurant on Highway 3). For more information, call (507) 663-8806.