Assembling the Artist: Public Reception

Date and Time

• Thursday, May 7, 2026  5pm - 8pm

Location

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Event Categories

Visual Arts | Family Friendly

Details

Artist reception: Thursday, May 7, 5:00 - 8:00 pm
(during the Downtown Art Walk)
Free and open to the public, light refreshments provided.

Who are the Rochester artists whose work decorates our walls, sidewalks, restaurant menus, social media pages, and sound scapes? Who has created the visual and auditory library that we unconsciously know as “Rochester”? We see their work every day, but would we recognize them standing next to it?

I want our artists to be known in the same way I want all of us to be acknowledged - as unique individuals in a vibrant, complex and caring community. Whether an artist was born and raised in Rochester or is here for just a short time, their work marks us. They reflect our city and they co-create it. Murals may fade, but our memories of colors, places and people linger. We miss art that we barely noticed while it was there. We dream of what may come, and of how our city might look in future years. The artists keep working.

As each artist sat for their portrait, together we imagined how the photograph could be reinterpreted through their art form, or recreated by them. In some cases this was done by creating a separate corresponding image. For others I combined the photograph with elements from their artwork, creating a piece that captures their creativity in a new way. I hope that these images help us see the art and artists in Rochester more fully.

This activity is made possible through a grant from the Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts & cultural heritage fund.