My daughter and I made our way to my hometown, Ortonville, MN yesterday afternoon. We were making our annual trip here to attend the Meander - the Upper Minnesota River Art Crawl. The Art Crawl started on Friday and encompasses artists in the following communities: Ortonville, Odessa, Appleton, Danvers, Benson, Milan, Madison, Dawson, Clara City, Montevideo and Granite Falls.
There are artists of all mediums including, but not limited to, fiber art, pottery, painting, photography, and jewelry making. There is truly something for everyone. It's an annual event - the first weekend in October. It starts on Friday and goes through Sunday. Some artists open their home studios to visitors. Others display their art in art galleries, vineyards, art schools, community centers and even a Red Barn.
We started our tour on our way to Ortonville. We stopped in Benson at a little shop featuring Swift Weavers.
We not only got to see the beautiful rugs they create, we got to see how they weave these rugs. They had rugs, table runners (woven from men's neckties) and placemats. Special orders of size and color are encouraged. My daughter is holding the rug we picked out. I can't wait to put it in my kitchen!
Today, before beginning our Art Crawl, we attend Harvest Fest. This too is an annual event on the same weekend as the Art Crawl. It takes place at an apple orchard about 12 miles outside of Ortonville on the shores of Big Stone Lake. My daughter had a lot of fun. She made friends with a Great Pyrenees...
watched the chickens...
observed how to and then helped make apple cider...
and lastly, picked out a pumpkin to bring home.
After Harvest Fest, we made our way back to Ortonville, stopping at a number of places on the Art Crawl. The first place we visited was the Red Barn. Six artists had their work on display.
My mom, daughter and I climbed up the stairs in the barn where we could overlook the artists below. My daughter found a little nook in the rafters of the barn where she could look out at Big Stone Lake. I think she could have spent the afternoon here!
We visited Don Sherman's Studio in downtown Ortonville. (I will be picking up my watercolor print from him tomorrow on our way out of town.) And while eating lunch at Java Jules, also in downtown Ortonville, (where my mom had a chicken pot pie in a bread bowl and I had a Mediterrean paninni)
we enjoyed Rob Rakow's amazing photography which was on display in the cafe.
Our last stop today on the Art Crawl was Mary Taffe's home studio. I love her 3-D mixed media folk art dolls. Here is my daughter next to one of Mary's life size creations outside of her home.
So.........here are the goodies I purchased this weekend (minus my new watercolor): a rug for my kitchen; homemade marinade that I know my boys will love; a folk art doll that was blessed with good wish by my friend Mary (it is coming with my to my new job on Monday); and applesauce and pumpkin donuts that we will share if there are any left by the time we get home.
I've also made arrangements with artist Becky Stattleman, to have a bag made with one of my oldest son's photographs. That will definitely be something I feature in a future blog. I really like to be surrounded by all types of art and it is especially wonderful to personally know or to have met the artists who are sharing their talents with me. What a fun day!!!!
"Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time." -Thomas Merton
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