LouAnn Muhm and Mary Therese Named Artist Fellows for 2016-2017

On October 8, 2016, a committee consisting of Region 2 Arts Council board members and established community artists convened to review 9 applications for the Artist Fellowship award. After discussion and review of each applicant's artistic quality, merit, and project proposal, poet LouAnn Muhm of Park Rapids and painter Mary Therese of Bemidji were named 2016-2017 Artist Fellows.

LouAnn Muhm has been a practicing poet for 25 years. Her work has appeared in numerous journals and anthologies, and her book of poems, Breaking the Glass (Loonfeather Press), was a finalist for the 2009 Midwest Book Award in Poetry. In addition to being a poet, Muhm is a teacher and a scholar, having recently completed her Master of Fine Arts in Poetry. As a 2016-2017 Artist Fellow, Muhm's plans focus on reading, writing, and researching- working toward the completion of a new body of work.

Mary Therese is a full-time painter, and has been working with a variety of mediums in her career as an artist. She paints interior and exterior murals, and has lead many community members in the creation of public art projects. Therese expresses herself in acrylic and watercolor paintings as well as surface designing fabric to be worn or displayed. Her paintings have been exhibited both locally and internationally. As a 2016-2017 Artist Fellow, Therese plans to spend time creating large-scale batik paintings, with subjects drawn from her environment and travel experiences.