MontiArts May Newsletter
May Flowers
Hello Everyone!
This month brings the return of artful flowers to our front windows, and you can help! Find out about a flowerful fun art night below, but that’s not all. This might be one of the most lush newsletters we’ve ever put out. Seriously- there is THAT much cool stuff for you to partake in. So grab yourself a snack or maybe a coffee, get out your calendar, end enjoy the ride. Be sure to scroll all the way to the bottom to read about how our local student artists are making an impact on Monticello.
Will this be the summer of creative exploration for you? It could be!
Stay Curious & Creative. - Sue Seeger
Hey— The Art Car’s Back!
I mean, Just LOOK at this magestic beast— Monticello’s very own Art Car! Tons of people have helped make this beauty what it is, and let’s not forget its sponsors: our slothtastic Monticello DMV and Hi-Way Liquors. Part of every penny you spend at these municipal businesses goes right back into funding our community parks and public spaces, so be sure to show them some love.
If you have a small plastic toy (or a bunch) to donate, you can find donation bins at the MCC and our Library. May 16th is the grand opening for the Farmer’s Market this year, so come join in the fun.
Speaking Of The Farmer’s Market, They A Are Accepting Artist Booth Applications!
This is a great opportunity for anyone wanting to do the local artist booth experience this summer. The market always has a great vibe, and people love seeing art there.
Artist booths are available on a first come - first served basis and only $2.50/week. Artists need to provide their own weighed-down canopy, tables, racks, etc. Booth dimensions are 10’ x 10’. The market is Thursdays, 3:30-7:00, May 16- September 26, in the library parking lot. Artists should contact Sara Cahill at: 763-271-7124 or sara.cahill@ci.monticello.mn.us to reserve their spot. The market features local vendors and live music each week. It’s a fun place to shop, listen to music and enjoy the fresh air.
Flower Power Returns
$5 Art Night Social Thurs 5/23
We are preparing to bloom it up at MontiArts. Want to help?
We’ll be decking out our windows and dressing Gilda, our resident mascot (donated manequin) in head-to-toe blooms. Join us for a Flower Making Art Night Social on Thurs May 23rd from 6 to 9 (8:00 cut-off time.)
Mosaic Projects Kicking-Off!
This is honestly more than a workshop. We’re starting a movement here, and leaving a legacy. Mosiac art can last for many many years, decades even. Some mosaics have even been discovered that are centuries old. Wouldn’t it be amazing if Monticello became known for having incredible community-built public mosaic art all over town? That is our dream. One of them anyway.
Sign-up for this very limited workshop and embark with us on this journey. This workshop is a precursor to some more advanced workshops we’ll be offering throughout July, August and September with Laura Ruprecht. More on those below.
In this workshop I’ll explain how the fish forms were made, in case you want to build your own outdoor sculpture pieces, but they will be ready to cover with mosaics. We’ll go over how to plan your project, select colors and create a pattern. Then you’ll be taught some glass cutting and shaping techniques that will bring your skills to the next level needed to work on more complex, intricate designs.
This is not for kids, and not suitable for those with limited hand strength/mobility. We sometimes joke amongst ourselves, we artists, saying, “It’s called art WORK.” This is that kind of project. It is not easy, and not super fast, but the results will be something you can really be proud of. Can you imagine someone someday showing their kid the fish you made on display somewhere in town and telling them, “Your great great grandparent/aunt/uncle made that, way back in 2024!”
Sign-up and hang-out with us the first weekend in June. Make some new art friends. Learn a new skill. Join a movement!
Advanced Mosaic Workshops With Laura Ruprecht
Buckle-up mosaic artists. We’re about to launch into overdrive! Thanks to a grant from the Central MN Arts Board, we have an opportunity to work with regional mosaic master Laura Ruprecht. Some of you took her beginner workshop last fall. This will be a whole new ball-game. The designs on the flier are some examples of her extraordinary work. But for this project Laura is creating 6 all-new original designs, just for Monticello.
In these workshops we will be working similar to the old-world apprentice style of art making, where we are all working together to create pieces true to the lead artists Laura’s vision. You will learn advanced glass cutting and shaping skills, and how to create an intricate mosaic on top of a printed design overlayed with backing mesh.
This is it, Monticello artists; the beginning of our mosaic movement. It’s a chance for us to build a coalition of highly skilled mosaic artists right in our own midst. This will be an opportunity for us to absorb and pass these skills along to others in subsequent years. Let’s create a legacy of community-built public art in Monticello together.
The design-reveal workshop dates with Laura are Sat June 29th, Sat Aug 3rd, and Sat Sept 7th, from 10 to 4.
At each of these Sat Workshops we will receive 2 new designs from Laura and will have roughly a month to complete our work. Laura will get us started, and check on our progress throughout the project. We will get to see our work installed onto the round benches and grouted as the project unfolds. At the end we’ll host a public unveiling and have a party.
You can sign-up for one workshop, or all 3. This will be a time commitment. This will be exactling work. The results will be spectacular and unlike anything else in our region. The workshops will have a limit of 8 people. This workgroup will be an excellent chance to make some new art friends. We will arrange for many worksessions throughout the month to accomodate people’s schedules in order to complete the mosaics in time for the next launch. There will be some independent work sessions available once everyone’s skills have been brought up to par too.
This is not a beginner’s project. If you have some mosiac experience and want to be part of a legacy project everyone will be very proud of, sign-up now, and let’s make some amazing art together this summer!
Sign-up HERE for Session 1 (June 29th), HERE for Session 2 (Aug 3rd), and HERE for Session 3 (Sept 7th).
Community Art Show and MontiArts’ Sixth Summer Celebration!!
We Very Much Hope Every Artist Anywhere Near Monticello Is Preparing Thier Entries For Our Community Art Show.
Last time, guys— it was flat-out amazing, and the Opening Night Reception was one of the most social fun-filled evenings we ever hosted. Find out details about how to enter HERE.
Bust-out your arty-wear, and DO NOT MISS!! Put it on your calendar right now and make a night of it in downtown Monticello. You do not need to be in the show to come to this. The more people that show up, the more fun it will be. Partly because——-
It’s our Birthday!! This is our 6th summer of operations! We’ve come a long way since all there was to MontiArts was me driving around meeting with folks in my Subaru, listening to what people wanted to see out of their town’s first offical city art program. Now, just look at what you have helped create in Monticello!
This will be a combination Art Show and party (which, let’s face it, are the best kind.) We will be creating a temporay patio out back and will have some food and drinks available to purchase. Will there be cake? Party hats? etc..? You’ll just have to stop by and find out.
Now Accepting: Class Proposals
Classes are not a huge part of our programming, but people do enjoy them, so we try to provide interesting artful classes whenever possible. If you are an artist who has thought about teaching a class, or perhaps an experienced instuctor— reach out.
We aren’t looking for anything super specific. Even someone who is, perhaps, an experienced artist might want to give an artist talk along with a presentation of their work. We typically plan these activities in the second half of the month, and plan months out.
We are more interested in classes that celebrate creativity and exploration, or teach an artistic skill, than a typlical make and take crafty type class. For example in painting classes, we’d like for students to learn a little about color theory, brushwork, how to “see” what they are painting through artist eyes etc, rather than very simplified classes where people are all led through creating the same exact picture without covering technique very much.
We are currently helping the Monticello Senior Center book classes and there is an immediate need. The parameters for the Senior Center classes are not quite as stringent as ours, so if you have a cool idea, please get in touch.
Send all teaching inquiries/proposals to sue.montiarts@gmail.com
Art Club Student Artists Make Big Impact
Our Monticello High School Art Club has been going strong for 4 years now, under the dedicated leadership of Ben Lundquist, MontiArts’s Assistant Director. The art club meets weekly during the school year at The Garage. As the school year comes to a conclusion, we thought this would be a great time to highlight the contribution of these young artists, many of whom volunteer with us at city events such as Riverfest, Party In The Park, and Chalkfest.
This year, thanks to a grant from the Central MN Arts Board, Art Club is being given a chance to work with one of MontiArts’s resdency artists, Brian Larson, on a couple of public murals for Monticello. One is on the old Zoo Bar building- a rainbow splash of feel good color, and the other will be an origianl design Brian is collaborating with the students on, which will be a semi-abstract colorful swan that will be on the back side of Montiart’s downtown localtion.
