Whether you’re into contemplating abstract paintings, finding new ceramic decor for your home, or want to explore unfamiliar art forms like Risograph printing, these Art-A-Whirl artists are sure to have work on display that will satisfy your inner art critic when the event returns this weekend, May 17-19.
While you’re making the rounds through Northeast’s studios and perusing paintings, don’t forget to stop by the myriad concerts happening in the neighborhood to catch some tunes, including the ever-popular Liquid Zoo at Bauhaus Brew Lab or Whirlygig at Indeed Brewing Company.
While the largest open studio tour in the country boasts more than a thousand artists (that’s a lot of art to consume!), we attempted to narrow down this list to some choice picks. Most importantly: Go buy art and support local artists.
Photographer Adam Nantz takes striking stills of nature, architecture, and everyday vignettes—both digitally and on film. What began as documentation of his time abroad in China led to a professional practice photographing concerts and producing art prints. A-Mill Artists Lofts
Painter Amanda Hamilton composes collages from nature motifs, and paints shadowy scenes with acrylic and raw pigments mixed with dust, salt, and sand. Hamilton received her MFA in painting from Claremont Graduate University in 2004, and in 2019 was the recipient of a Minnesota State Arts Board Artist Initiative Grant. Casket Arts Building
Multimedia fiber artist Andy Jacobs uses found, foraged, and second-hand materials to create woven paintings. Some of her weavings appear to drip and tear, while others create intricate loops and circuits. Jacobs received her MFA from Maine College of Art and Design and also tattoos. Casket Arts Building
Interdisciplinary painter Annie Irene Hejny makes abstract paintings of natural features, like water, snow, and bark. Her artwork is also her activism—created to highlight connection with the environment and to advocate for the preservation and protection of our waterways. Casket Arts Building
Ceramist Ashley Brazil molds clay with her hands to make ceramics with a super fun, hands-on vibe. Her wonky candlesticks, vases, and platters are totally delightful. Brazil earned her BFA in ceramics from the University of Minnesota in 2022. Casket Arts Building
Print and design studio Back of Beyond Press specializes in Risograph printing—a quirky printmaking process that yields vivid, textural, and super unique results on paper. The press produces its own zines and collages, and also offers on-demand Risograph printing services, hands-on workshops, as well as a mixtape and zine subscription club. Holland Arts Building
Potter Chanelle Gallagher makes carved vessels with bold patterns and motifs that reference her Ojibwe heritage. The 2024 Native American Artist-in-Resident at the Minnesota Historical Society, she infuses her contemporary practice with inspiration from her historical research. Q.arma Building
Jewelry designer Chosen and Free Co. crafts colorful statement earrings from polymer clay. Her funky designs are a fresh take on familiar accessory trends. Jewelry making started as a hobby for Lina, the woman behind Chosen and Free Co., and grew into a full-time business from her female empowerment passion project. Studio Q
Photographer Elise Radspinner captures dreamy portraits and moody city images and landscapes on film. She uses experimental techniques and layering tricks to create otherworldly, kinetic depictions of her subjects. A-Mill Artists Lofts
Painter and illustrator Philipo Dyauli is a self-taught artist whose murals and design work can be seen all across the Twin Cities. He paints vivid, large-scale scenes of everyday life—think Seurat’s “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande” with a 2024 software update. Northrup King Building
Furniture company Tiny Tables Design makes, well, tiny tables made not only to be handsome and functional, but space-saving, too—easily tucked anywhere you might be tight on space. These playful, micro modernist furnishings are the latest project of industrial designer Dan Cramer, a graduate of Cranbrook Academy of Art’s MFA design program. Grain Belt Bottling House
Abstract painter Ute Bertog has regularly shown in Twin Cities galleries since 2005—when she earned her BFA from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Her shapely abstract paintings are the result of a process she relates to writing—of refining, editing, and responding to the paints and materials she works with. Northrup King Building
