Great River Gallery

Gallery feature for April: Pam Robinson

I work mostly with thrown away and found objects that I collect on the ‘edges’ of our existance. Such places are: walking trails through the woods, scrap yards in urban areas, along the beaches of lakes & coastlines of oceans as well as on tables at garage/estate sales. All these sources provide me with a rich abundance of raw materials that I transform into sculptureal collages. Some of my work is representational such as my series of ‘Fish Stix’ and the ever-growing number of “Next of Kin’ figure sculptures. I also work with the pure celebration of materials

in mind as I create my “Life’s a Beach” series. In addition to my sculptural work, I paint 2nd-hand wooden objects such as bowls, trays, platters and furniture in a very whymsical & colorful style, often layering patterns four to five times on one piece. I have also combined my painting & assemblage work together to create a series of “She-Rhines” which are my take on the shrine idea, but with a rather toungue-n-cheek message honoring everyday activities such as gardening, housecleaning, hunting, bowling, etc. Don’t be looking too deeply for some hidden meaning or theraputic message in my work-hopefully it’s just eye-candy.

I taught K-12 visual art in rural Minnesota school for 12 years. I have been ‘retired’ from the classroom and constraints of public education for 11 years now, and work in a lovely studio located on our homestead close to my home. I still go into local & regional schools to work with students on projects that include cultural exploration and literay/dramatic presentations. I also teach classes at the New York Mills Regional Cultural Center and facilitate the Artist’s Forum, a monthly gathering of regional artists who critique each other’s work, share exhibiting opportunities and partake in a creative excercise.

Web feature: JayB. Jones

Jay B. Jones is an artist from Clearbrook, Minnesota. He resides there with his wife Mistie and their son Blake. Before moving back to Minnesota in 2002, Jay lived in Colorado for 9 years. Rural living, exposure to large cities, and mountain living have all influenced the style of art that he embraces.

Jay received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree form Bemidji State University in Painting and Drawing. He also has a background in Design and Drafting. He loves to use bold colors and create complex layers in his Acrylic & Watercolor work, as well as retain more traditional drawing methods applied over a watercolor base in his Mixed Media pieces. He also enjoys working in Sculpture.

Jay has enjoyed regional & national recognition from such places as the Denver Art Museum, the Aspen Art Museum and the Plains Art Museum. In the last three years, he has done 6 Solo Shows regionally. His work can be seen at the Great River Gallery in Bemidji, MN and the MacRostie Art Center in Grand Rapids, MN.