Art Leap expands in 2018

Art Leap, an "open studio event" featuring artists and guest artists, will expand from from 14 to 22 sites serving approximately 60 artists and musicians at studios and other locations in Hubbard, Becker and Wadena counties.

The event will be held Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 22 and 23. Studios will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

The Park Rapids Lakes Area Arts Council (PRLAAC) sponsors Art Leap and added more sites this year including more destinations in Downtown Park Rapids and one at St. Urho Park in Menahga.

It's a great time to purchase original art for your home, office or as gifts and meet the artist who created it.

As you drive from studio to studio you can expect to see fall colors at their peak. At some studios and other sites, visitors will find artists doing demonstrations, hear live music and enjoy treats. A brochure with a map also provides descriptions of the art and artists who created the works as well as scheduled music performance times and locations.

In addition to five artists who will display their work at St. Urho Park in Menahga, there are seven other new sites on this year's tour.

Beagle and Wolf Books & Bindery in Downtown Park Rapids will host Betsy Bowen, Grand Marais artist, who is well known for her handmade, woodblock prints. Maureen O'Brien of Solway will show her acrylic paintings of north woods inhabitants at Cattail Creek Framing, also in Downtown Park Rapids.

In addition to two outstanding gallery displays at the Nemeth Art Center, Nate Luetgers of Park Rapids will be showing his charcoal and acrylic paintings and demonstrating his creative techniques.

Metal sculptor Mark Carlson has been a guest artist in prior years, but will open his studio near 8th Crow Wing Lake to visitors.

Award winning photographer Liz Shaw, who resides on Potato Lake, will show her latest creations. Jeff Renner returns to the tour in 2018 offering visitors artworks that have made Wolf Paw Gallery a favorite destination.

Also featured in 2018 will be the new Sculpture Trail in Red Bridge Park on the Fish Hook River in Park Rapids.

In addition to new locations, several studios who have participated in past years will host new guest artists and new works that will interest first time and returning visitors.

River Art Community and Ecce Gallery, both in Downtown Park Rapids, and Forestedge Winery and Gallery near Laporte also invite guests on the tour.

Art Leap brochures are available at the Park Rapids Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center, Park Rapids Area Library and other locations and at http://www.prlaac.org.

Art Leap 2018 is sponsored by the Park Rapids Lakes Area Arts Council with funding provided, in part, by a Region 2 Arts Council Grant through an appropriation by the Minnesota State Legislature and the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund passed by Minnesota voters on Nov. 4, 2008.