2025
“What is Home?”
Monday, January 13 – Thursday, March 13, 2025
Artists were asked to create work that defines the concept of “Home” for them. Could be a place, a time, an object or a feeling. This will be a juried exhibit of work by artists living in the LRAC 9 county region. The public is invited to visit the Gallery and enjoy this interesting, themed show.
A guest artist for the public reception on Tuesday, January 21, was poet Su Smallen Love presented that evening. As a visiting writer to our gallery Su shared her poems as related to the artwork in the gallery.
6A High School Art Competition
Monday, March 31 – Thursday, April 24, 2025
The Lake Region Arts Council (LRAC) was pleased to host the 2025 6A High School Art Competition Exhibition. This annual juried visual arts exhibition highlights the outstanding creativity and artistic achievements of high school students competing in the Minnesota State High School League Section 6A South.
This annual exhibition at the LRAC Gallery, is juried by LRAC Gallery Curator, Naomi RaMona Schliesman, and features student work in a variety of categories, including:
Drawing
Painting
Sculpture
Digital Photography
Fiber Art
Computer-Based Artwork
Printmaking
Ceramics
2D Mixed Media
Collage
Graphic Design
LRAC Artists Cohort FY24 & FY25 Alumni Exhibition
Monday, May 5 – Wednesday, June 25, 2025
Lake Region Arts Council (LRAC) was pleased to host “LRAC Artists Cohort FY24 & FY25 Alumni Exhibition.”
This special exhibition celebrated the 8th anniversary of LRAC’s Artist Cohort Program. Since its inception in 2017, more than 40 talented artists have participated in this unique 10-month program, focusing on career development, artist-led talking circles, and professional development workshops, Work of Art: Business Skills for Artists, in collaboration with Springboard for the Arts.
Featured Artists:
Emma Tomb – Detroit Lakes, MN
Katy Olson – Underwood, MN
Maren Kostrzewski – Moorhead, MN
Tina Goodmund – Fargo, ND
Whitney McClain – Moorhead, MN
In LRAC’s Main Gallery
July 14 – September 16, 2025
“Guest Juror – Nancy Ariza”
Nancy Ariza is a printmaker, educator, and arts and cultural organizer with over a decade of experience designing and leading arts programming in museums and nonprofit organizations across Minnesota. In 2024, she founded Amilado Press, a collaborative print studio based in Richfield, MN, focused on publishing, artist residencies, and arts education.
“The Guest Juror Exhibition is always very popular with regional artists, and we receive over 100 submissions each year. Every Guest Juror brings their own talent, aesthetic, and professional eye when jurying the work. It transforms our gallery space and creates a buzz with our visitors. We invite established artists to select the very best from our regional talent, and it’s consistently one of the strongest mixed media exhibitions we present.”
— Naomi RaMona Schliesman, LRAC Gallery Curator.
In LRAC’s Office Gallery:
June 23 - September 16
Laura Youngbird
"I am a mixed media artist, combining drawing, painting, and prints. The dress has been a consistent and important symbol in my work. This simple garment inspires layer upon layer of meaning—unraveling stories of identity, memory, loss, and love.
This journey began with haunting images of my grandmother as a young girl in her little white dress, standing in front of the oldest Catholic Church in Minnesota. The photos—most with her face scratched out—launched my exploration into the impacts of assimilation, identity erasure, and generational memory.
My work often reflects the complexities of clothing: as acts of love and nurture—like my mother sewing dresses for us—and as coverings that mask or disguise.
I work in series such as Common Thread, Loose Ends, Thread Bare, and my current work, Blood Memory. I’m intrigued by how memory is passed down maternally—coded in mitochondrial DNA. I use iron oxide (rust) instead of commercial paint, evoking both blood and earth. The Earth is our Mother. Iron is in our blood. This material speaks to ancestral wisdom, resilience, and the deep connection between all living beings."
Laura holds a BFA, MA, and BS in Art Education from MSUM, where she currently teaches. Her career includes serving as Director of Native American Art Programs at Plains Art Museum, as well as numerous artist residencies and fellowships across the country. She is a recipient of grants and awards from the Jerome Foundation, Highpoint Center for Printmaking, First People's Fund, and the Minnesota State Arts Board.
In LRAC’s Main Gallery
“ART of Toys”
Monday, September 22 – Tuesday, December 16, 2025
Reception Tuesday, October 7, 2025
Toys are a part of our lives at very young age and help us to use our imagination! You can build with toys, create with toys, play with others and be inspired by toys. We ask artists, “how have toys inspired you, and how have they “played” a role in your life?
