This month’s image could have so easily been a snowy image, as we’ve already had so much of the white stuff! But, I decided to go with an image of calm and serenity instead.
Maple Grove Arts Center wishes you all a time of rest, calm and well-being.
We are CLOSED until January 4th, 2023, to give our volunteers time to rest and recuperate. This year was quite busy and 2023 is stacking up to be more so, as we work towards bringing arts to Maple Grove.
Give to the Max 2022 Update
Our fundraising event went well and we’ve raised some cash to help keep the doors open for 2023.
We of course, always need more cash, so if you didn’t quite find the time on November 17th, you can still help by donating to our general fund, through our website portal.
Youth Classes
All our youth classes have wound down for the Holidays. We certainly had a lot of fun in 2022 with the children. Kristina ran a whole series of weekend classes for the really young children, and we hope to have those back in February/March. Watch this space!
We will begin planning summer art camps in early 2023! So watch this space!
We also ran three successful Scout Group arts events in the Fall to facilitate art badges. If you need a similar event for your troupe, please ask Kristina!
Adult Classes
The adult classes during 2022 brought a lot of new variety and teachers into the mix. We will have more soon for 2023 appearing online. We already have two, that may interest you, with Lisa Van Wyk. One is an charcoal class, the other alcohol inks.
We are always looking for more art teachers, and our Education Director, Kris Holtmeyer, would love to hear from you!
Arbor Lakes Art Fair 2023
We have just released the information and application for the 2023 summer arts event. It will be held in the heart of Maple Grove, weekend of 15th & 16th July. We have our fantastically generous sponsor The Shoppes at Arbor Lakes support once more. They truly make this event possible each summer!
Our Next Show - The Textile Show
The Textile Show is in the making and we are looking for artists wanting to display their artwork in our beautiful space.
You can get more information, download and make payment all in one place on our website.
This show is sponsored by Pamela Freeman Schroeder via Give to the Max 2022
The schedule for 2023 is now pretty solid and you can see it here. We have some new themes and some old ones in the mix. Be sure to check it out! We are looking for sponsors for these shows, either a corporate sponsorship or personal donation. If interested, please contact Lise Spence-Parsons.
Business of Art
The Business of Art is transitioning into 2023. We have some great art and artists included in our programming. Be sure to check out all the venues.
You see all the art we have available by artist and location here! All pieces are available for purchase online.
We are always looking for new businesses to host art. So, if you are a new business in Maple Grove and you want to play with the cool kids in town and brighten your walls, please contact Natalie Anderson, our Business of Art Director.
Open Now! - Grove Art Originals
We hope that you got the chance to stop by and look at all the wonderful gifts we have available. The boutique will open again in 2023 on January 4th.
If you are interested in finding out more from either a buyer or seller standpoint, please check out this page on our website.
Arty Fun Birthday Parties
We also partner with another local organization to host kids’ party parties at the Arts Center. Please contact with Lisa Van Wyk to arrange the details!
Meet the Volunteers at Maple Grove Arts Center
Last month you “met” Lise. This month our feature is Natalie Anderson.
Natalie Anderson - Business of Art Director
Natalie currently runs the Business of Art Program, she has enjoyed being involved in the Art Center in many different capacities over the past 20 years.
Natalie grew up and lived in Maple Grove for 30 years. She now lives in Rogers with her family and kids. Natalie enjoys camping, painting and being out in nature with her family.
Natalie fell in love with painting in high school and after becoming a volunteer with the Art Center was encouraged to be an emerging artist at the Maple Grove Art Fair. After that she started to sell her work in local galleries and shops.
She currently has pieces at Lizzard's Art Gallery in Duluth and in our new Grove Art Originals Gallery at the Art Center.
Advocacy Price Increase
Following a board meeting, it was reluctantly decided that we need to increase our annual advovacy in line with other centers around the metro area, to help with rising costs.
The fee will be increasing to $50 from $45 on January 1st, 2023. We still feel that this gives artists and art patrons many benefits that outweigh the costs. You can see more about what we do offer here.
The cost will be held at $45 until end of this year.
Board Member Change
We’ve made one board change during early December, Tesla Kasten, our former Secretary, has resigned for family reasons. We wish her well and will miss her energy and enthusiasm. Some of you will know her from the 2021 art fair, she was the woman with the clipboard and “we can do this” attitude!
We do have a new Secretary, Valerie Coopet. Valerie has been a long-time supporter of Maple Grove Arts Center, and is in fact, our Friday morning volunteer. We will introduce her to your properly next year, on the monthly staff feature.
Want to Get More Involved?
We are always looking for more volunteers and have a page here that details specific opportunities we have available.
We are actively looking for a Gallery Assistant to help with 7-8 shows per year Check that out here! We are interviewing right now for this position, so if interested, please do apply.
Maple Grove Arts Center is a 501c3 organization and we rely on donations to keep going. We are staffed entirely by volunteers.