Stevens Square Center For The Arts

After a very busy end to our 2011 exhibitions season, we decided to take a break to re-group and see how the direction we were going in was addressing our mission statement. We decided that it would be a good time to address some areas in which we thought we could do better.

Times change and with those changing times and the economy where it’s at, we felt that we wanted to be able to help as many artists as possible. We also realized that the studios we have the hardest time filling these days are the largest, most expensive so this brought us to a conclusion that it may be time to open a community studio in the largest vacant studio we had. This has been an exciting project for us and I am pleased to announce that soon, we will be unveiling it to the public. We do hope that you are all as excited as we are.

In other news, while we have had arts groups and MCAD students renting our main gallery from us recently for their private shows or showcases, we have decided we are now in a place to open up for proposals from the community. We are not filling up the entire exhibition schedule at one time as we have done in the past but rather, we will continue to accept proposals throughout the year. We will be putting as much emphasis as possible on group shows in an effort to be as inclusive to the community as possible. We hope that some great new work can be shown and some impressive collaborations can happen.
We have had some really great new artists move into the studios and the new energy is feeling really good.

One problem we have been having lately is with our email accounts so while we finish working through that (volunteers to help would be appreciated) we ask that you answer the ad we placed on craigslist under artist, the ad on mnartist.org or message through facebook, if you would like to submit a proposal.
We apologize if you have been trying to email us here as the email accounts have had problems and thank you for your patience.

The latest show in SSCA’s main gallery, PRINTAPOLIS, a printmaking show curated by Edie Overturf , proves that printmaking thrives in the Midwest, and Minneapolis is no exception. Between the multiple printmaking programs throughout universities in the Twin Cities, independent print shops, and non profit organizations that support printmakers, those of the printing persuasion are in good company.

   This featured group of printmakers are of varying background and experience.  The artists featured in this exhibition include Joshua Norton, Joe Moore, Lauren Schuppe, Gilpin Matthews, Josh Winkler, Mike Elko,  Elliot Manthey, Robyn Louise Carley, Tzvi Izaksonas, Edie Overturf and Mike Johnson. Their works display a variety of techniques and disciplines. The underlying commonality among these artists is that they are all active, energetic and passionate about printmaking.

‘Printapolis’ will be on display at Steven Square Center for the Arts, 1905 3^rd Ave S. An opening reception will be held on Saturday, November 5^th from 7pm to 11 pm. The exhibit will then continue during gallery hours of 1-5 PM Saturday and Sundays through December 4^th

This activity is made possible, in part, by funds provided by the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council (MRAC) from an appropriation by the Minnesota Legislature

The SSCA main gallery is eager to announce their latest exhibition showcasing the large-scale, mixed media works of local artist Alfonso Fernandez with special guest Hilary Hubanks. Funky Town is a playfully desolate tour of Minneapolis as Fernandez’s expressive compositions meet Hubanks’ surrealistic tendencies culminating in an overall collaborative piece of our urban environment.

In this latest series from Fernandez, the viewer is able to capture the artist’s light-hearted approach to life in a city not his own. As a continuation of his praised painting from a recent inter-school competition in New York, Fernandez utilizes a multitude of media combined with found materials for the completion of his wall-sized landscapes. Natural pigments, made over the course of a week from ground flowers, along with the intricately manipulated washes illuminate the canvas. Splashes of ink and stenciled spray paint form a stark contrast to the beautifully bright coloration. The cooperation of brilliant tones with bitingly deep hues of black and blues convey hopeful aspirations to belong with a notion of detachment and deep-seated uncertainty about the future. The additions of Spanish-inspired elements to the alluringly dangerous Minneapolis playgrounds invite the viewer into a city Fernandez calls home.

Hilary Hubanks’ focus for Funky Town revolved around creating pieces that represented the vibration and movement of different Twin Cities locations and the people they interact with. In a similar manner to her previous work, these new pieces embody the slight darkness and bitterness that she has associated with specific locations based on the different memories and atmospheres surrounding them. Beyond just the beautiful architecture and solid brick walls, the locations within the cities themselves, represent Hillary herself being drawn from personal experiences. Each canvas portrays a chimerically distorted memory to the viewer. Bold colors, dramatic lines, and figurative references melting into buildings assist her in making these memories seem real.

“Funky Town” opens Saturday, October 1st accompanied by live musical performances from Lucy Michelle (of Lucy Michelle and the Velvet Lapelles), the Hummingbirds and Ben Glaros. Doors open to the public for this free event at 7pm with festivities and refreshments running until 11pm.
The show will then continue on Saturdays and Sundays from 1-5PM Oct 2nd-Oct 30th

This activity is made possible, in part, by funds provided by the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council (MRAC) from an appropriation by the Minnesota Legislature

SSCA main gallery is proud to be presenting the upcoming two person show Lost/Found which includes the mixed media work of Rachel Rolseth and the photography of Japheth Storlie Opening will be held on Saturday August 27th from 7-11 pm with live acoustic music will be provided by Wes Morden, Peter Fleming and Larry Sahagian. Light fare and refreshment will be provided. Free and open to the public
This activity is made possible, in part, by funds provided by the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council (MRAC) from an appropriation by the Minnesota Legislature

With his series “Recollections of a Paradise Lost,” Japheth Storlie explores nostalgia and longing for a life left behind. Through his lens, we see dreams of a former life that have been as weathered and broken down as the subjects of his work. Through the employment of universal symbols of childhood nostalgia such as tricycles, tire swings, toys, etc., these photographs are intended to implore the viewer to make connections with their own pasts. These narratives are meant to captivate and enchant and at the same time, disturb and haunt. Ultimately, the objective is for the audience to reconsider and re-experience the joys, fears, losses and traumas associated with childhood experience and memory.

Rachel Rolseth’s newest series of work searches for the corners of the soul that have not yet been found. Crows, veils and darkness and are an allegory for existential crisis and spiritual darkness that give way to dawn. As a mixed media artist, she combines various materials including acrylic paint, paper, and charcoal to weave a narrative of her own experience with the dark night of the soul. At times both bold and delicate, her work is a meditation on opposites: light and dark, peace and anguish, lost and found. The paintings are a guided journey which encounters and explores fear, transformation, and ultimately self-discovery.

Amy Rice

We are please to announce our latest show opening.
Enlightenment, a diverse exhibition exploring spirituality through symbolism, allegories and journeys. Curated by Faye Buffington-Howell, this group exhibition features work from both established and emerging artists working in both a traditional and contemporary approach.
Established local artist, Amy Rice’s nostalgic and wistful imagery is both reflective and biographical, Her work explores acts of compassion with a playfulness through experimental materials. Amy’s work offers the viewer a tangible experience of enlightenment through colorful images and visceral materials that are deeply layered literally and figuratively.
Faye Buffington-Howell explores the theme of love, beauty and truth. Through images of birds, nature and icons, using vibrant color and flowing brushstrokes, Faye’s allegorical paintings focus on man’s journey to enlightenment. Her Art work poetically conveys a sense of beauty and the human spirit.
ENLIGHTENMENT presents an inspirational and contemplative experience that invites the viewer to take a closer look at the meaning of spirituality in the inner and outer world.
Works include those by:
Amy Rice
Jim Larson
Faye Buffington-Howell
Kurt Hippauf
JobyLynn Sassily-James
THIA
Francisco Bernard
Don Loegering

This exhibit runs from July 24th-August 21st hours are 1-5PM Fri-Sun with an opening reception on July 23rd from 7-11pm
Refreshments and live music provided by Karima Bushnell
Free and open to the public
This activity is made possible, in part, by funds provided by the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council (MRAC) from an appropriation by the Minnesota Legislature

Lost/Found, featuring artwork from Artists Japheth Storlie and Rachel Rolseth, was featured in Minneapolis CityPages. Article by Jessica Armbruster.

Click Here for the Article

The opening reception is this Saturday, August 27th, 2011 from 7-11pm. Come by to see some fantastic artwork.

CITY PAGES preview of Moments Extended by Jessica Armbruster

Opening night reception on Saturday June 11th from 7-11 pm.

MOMENTS EXTENDED: A Father and Daughter Collaboration in Mixed Media by Joe Hendershot and Kara Hendershot

Opening Reception on Saturday, June 11^th from 7 – 11:00 PM

Featuring Live Music by baschyn

Free and open to the public

SSCA Gallery will host this special exhibition from June 11 – July 10

SSCA Gallery is pleased to present MOMENTS EXTENDED, a father and daughter collaboration in mixed media. Through combining photography and painting, Joe Hendershot and Kara Hendershot create a surreal world beyond what is merely captured on film.

Joe and Kara explore urban scenes that depict lonely wanderers and desolate locations. The artists share an interest in the intricate patterns and textures of buildings, compositional balance, and creating a narrative with everyday street scenes. They work in a collage-like process, beginning with Joe’s black and white photographs in which Kara intuitively paints, expanding upon the narrative scene.

The father-daughter duo influence and draw inspiration from one another creating a unique world all their own. Many of Joe’s photographs are urban images of Toronto, Detroit, and Chicago taken in the 1970s. These are combined with Kara’s colorful washes of paint creating an atmosphere that speaks of the past and present, and the imaginary and real world.

Joe Hendershot is an artist from Saint Paul who teaches photography and darkroom techniques out of his Harriet Island studio. His passion for photography and darkroom work began in the 1970s. While he has recently embraced digital technology, his mission remains “to keep the art of traditional black and white photography alive”.

Kara Hendershot is a local painter and illustrator residing in the Northern Warehouse Artists’ Cooperative studios in Lowertown Saint Paul. She is active in the local arts community with exhibiting her work, the development and promotion of local arts organizations, and collaborations with other artists.

MOMENTS EXTENDED is an inspiring exhibition of the collaboration of father and daughter to create thought provoking and hauntingly beautiful urban scenes.

Kara Hendershot – http://karahendershot.com

Joe Hendershot – http://mnartists.org/joe_hendershot

SSCA Gallery

1905 Third Avenue South

Minneapolis, MN, 55404

An Opening Reception for MOMENTS EXTENDED takes place Saturday, June 11, at SSCA Gallery, 7 – 11pm. Live music by baschyn. Free and Open to the public.

SSCA Gallery Hours:

Friday – Sunday 1 – 5 PM

This activity is made possible, in part, by funds provided by the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council (MRAC) from an appropriation by the Minnesota Legislature.

SSCA Gallery

The Stevens Square Center for the Arts (SSCA) is a nonprofit, community arts center and gallery located in the heart of the Stevens Square neighborhood, just south of downtown Minneapolis. Our gallery is located at 1905 Third Avenue S, directly above the Third Avenue Market. Since 2003, the Stevens Square Center for the Arts has provided affordable workspace for a dozen local art ists, and hosted regular exhibitions at our 5,500 square foot gallery and studio space. SSCA is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization that relies upon donations to support our public outreach activities.

In his upcoming retrospective “Places and Things,” Twin Cities-based photographer Donald L Loegering draws upon decades of experience in both color and black and white photography.

The Stevens Square Center for the Arts (SSCA) is proud to present:

Places and Things – Photographs by Donald L. Loegering

April 30 – May 29, 2011

Opening Night Reception: April 30th from 7 – 10 pm

SSCA Gallery
1905 Third Avenue S.
Minneapolis, MN 55404

In the aftermath of World War II, photographer Donald Loegering served tours of duty in China, Burma, India, Japan, Korea, and England. The Peace Corps later took him to Jamaica and to Swaziland in Africa. After returning to school in the mid-1980s, Loegering spent time at Cambridge University in England and at the University of Salzburg in Austria. Photography was always a big part of his activities on these trips.

Today, Loegering maintains his own dark room in his studio, where he continues to practice the art of traditional photography.

Please join us for an opening night reception on Saturday, April 30th from 7 – 10 pm.

“Places and Things” will be on view at SSCA Gallery from April 30 – May 29, 2011.