Patron Award - Northern National Arts Competition

I won a Patron Award at the Northern National Arts Competition out in Rhinelander, Wisconsin. I count that as a significant win, as I got to see the show as it was being hung, and there was some exceptional work there.

Self Portrait #96, the piece entered.

ECRAC Show August 2017

The East Central Regional Arts Council is having a show of all the artists who won grants in 2017, including me! The show kicked off last weekend, during Braham Pie Day, and continues until September 29th.

If you find yourself in Braham, Minnesota, swing in for a peek.

2017 IMAGE Show

Won an Excellence award at the 2017 IMAGE show! It's been a great show to participate in, and I'll miss it when I move.

Pics of all the winning art. Some awesome stuff this year; well worth looking through.

Article here.

Mythology Exhibit Time Lapse Video

Mythology Exhibition: Art of E. Belkholm

The Pine Center for the Arts presents: Mythology, Artist Erica Belkholm’s latest series of large-scale figure drawings.

*Read the Pine City Pioneer's artist interview.*

The opening reception will take place Friday, September 9th from 4 – 7 p.m. at 265 5th Street SE, Pine City, Minnesota. The exhibit will be open to the public until October 1st,  Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays from 3 – 6 p.m.

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the East Central Regional Arts Council thanks to a legislative appropriation from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

Pine City Pioneer Interview

I was interviewed by the Pine City paper!  It's mostly regarding my upcoming solo show at the Pine Center for the Arts.

For some reason it's so much more meaningful than my column. Probably because it's all about me...

Audience Choice Award

YOU GUYS!

I won the Audience Choice Award at the North of the 45th Art Show at Northern Michigan University! And like all the best awards, it comes with dolla dolla billz, y'all.

Assured, 2015 - the winning piece

I didn't get to see much of the show via the internet, but I did get to review the artists participating.  Many of them are from Minneapolis, and I'm at least acquainted with most of their work.

Williams Prize

I've currently got work at the Silpe Gallery in West Hartford, CT, as part of the Williams Prize in Drawing for Emerging Artists competition.

This is very exciting, and I am not at all devastated by the cost of shipping an over-sized package from Minnesota to Connecticut.



DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH IT COSTS TO SHIP AN OVER-SIZED PACKAGE TO CONNECTICUT?!

Check out a slideshow of all the work here!

Huh.

Being an artist is as weird as you make it.

Here's to realizing your to-do list is supremely awesome.

Cover Art

CHECK IT. I am like legit and crap. This. This Ebook cover I drew will be the thing that makes me. Just you watch.

Cover art by me.

So, funny story.
The publisher contacted me and was all "Hey, can we use that goat skull you drew?"
And I was all, "What? Of course! ...wait. Which one?"

I have 14 drawings of goat skulls. I counted.

Sight - finally finished, you guys.

You guys.

It's finally done, you guys.

Colored pencil on paper. Gold leaf for the final touch. 42"x34"

It's huge, and I didn't realize how much time huge takes.  I've done pretty big before.  I've even done oversized.  But this,- this stupid drawing is so stupid big I can't store it anywhere, or transport it flat, or use my regular drawing board.
And you know what?
I'm starting another drawing the exact same size.

WOO!

How not to interact with an artist.

I recently had this interaction while at a gallery exhibition, at which I was the featured artist.

“I love your artwork.” beamed a patron, coming up to shake my hand.

“Thank you.” I replied.

“Are you still in school?”

“No.” I laughed, “I’ve graduated already.”

“Oh.  Are you going to college?”

“...I,- no,” I stuttered,” I graduated already.  Ten years ago.  From the U.”

“Ah, good for you!  What did you study?”

This is where I start to rethink my life choices.

“...um.  Art.”

“Oh!  Well, look at you!” my questioner smiled and patted me on the shoulder encouragingly, “So, what is it you do?”

“...This?” I wondered out loud.

“This?” my questioner inquired politely, “You mean, you actually do art?”

I glanced around at my art hanging on the walls, beseeching it to speak up and help me with this ego-puncturing conversation.

“What I mean is,” clarified the arts patron, “how do you pay your bills?”

“...I bring my art to galleries, and people buy it.”

“Yes, of course!  But what do you do the rest of the time?”

“Art.”

My questioner was getting frustrated by my apparent lack of understanding.  He sought for a way to ask the question so my tiny brain would comprehend.

“What occupation is listed on your taxes?”

“Artist.”

“So you’re a teacher?”

“No.”

“But… who pays you?”

“The people who buy my art.”

He went silent for a moment, considering me.

“Are you married?” he asked.

I groaned inwardly, “Yes.”

“And your husband is okay with this?” he gestured to my art on the walls as though they were evidence of a mild scandal.  

I stared at him, nonplussed.  

“What I mean is,” he continued delicately, sensing my offence, “he doesn’t mind that you’re an artist?”

I raised my eyebrows and said nothing, entirely unsure how to handle this.

The questioner smiled politely and waited for me to respond.

“...I was an artist before we started dating.”

“Oh of course.  But I mean he doesn’t have a problem with supporting you?”

“You know what, I think I need some more wine.  I’m gonna go grab that.”


If you think that isn't a satisfying ending, you are absolutely right. I'm not entirely sure what my witty retort should have been.

Video - Bold: Part 1

My first art video!

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the East Central Regional Arts Council thanks to a legislative appropriation from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

Satiate your voyeuristic inclinations; watch me draw! Am I wearing pants? Who knows!?

ECRAC Grantee Art Show

Opening: Saturday, April 2nd at 5 p.m. at the East Central Regional Arts Council Gallery in Braham. I am one of the featured artists!

The show will also be open weekdays April 4th to May 20th, 2016 from 9 am to 4:30 pm each day.

It should be a good time, I hear many of the grantees are musicians who will be performing at the opening.

Map to the gallery

This activity is made possible by The McKnight Foundation and also the voters of Minnesota thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

Altered Esthetics

I will be participating in Altered Esthetics upcoming show, I AM.  Beyond excited to be part of the Guerrilla Girls Takeover.

 

More information later.

CCFA Show

I will be the featured artist at the Cambridge Center for the Arts from

January 15 to February 27.

The Artists' Reception will be Friday, January 15, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Open to the public.  Come for the wine, stay for the art!

Map to the location

January 15 to February 27

Regular Exhibition Hours: 

Tuesdays & Saturdays from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Thursdays 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.

This activity is made possible by a grant from the East Central Regional Arts Council with funds generously provided by the McKnight Foundation. Thank you ECRAC!

ACHF Grant

I have been awarded an Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund Grant by the ECRAC!  I’ll be using the funds from the grant to exhibit a solo show in 2016.

You guys, I have gone all out for this thing.  This will be my first solo show (as one of the grant review board said “I can’t believe she hasn’t had a solo show yet.”) so it’s kind of a big deal.  I’ve included a video/demonstration aspect to the grant which will make the opening interactive and spectacular.

Await more details as things progress.  The show will be happening in 2016.

2015 IMAGE Show

Left: my work, right: me.  Photo courtesy Terri Huro

I won the Excellence Award (first place) at the East Central MN Regional Arts Council IMAGE show this weekend! The show is up until November 6th, and has something like 170 artists this year. Go check it out while it lasts. http://www.ecrac.org/news/image-2015

Sketchbook Creatures

 Come October, the shores of Canada are swollen with the tiny, soft, fat globules of beached Odobenus rosmarus lipidus.

They "meep" softly.

This appears to be the product of an unholy union between a mouse and a walrus.  Probably inspired by Ursula Vernon's Smallrus, which is so cute it makes me want to gouge my eyes out.

Grand Marais Art Fair

Yesterday had all the Grand Marais locals wandering around town in a sweaty daze, telling everyone they met "It really isn't like this.  It's never this hot."   Strangely windless and sticky on the shores of Lake Superior, but still beautiful.

My demo piece did not take nearly enough time.  I'm mostly done, and still have a whole day of art fair.

Hard to see, but here's the sketch.