Celebrating Regional Arts & Artists!

ROOT RIVER VALLEY – From singer/songwriters to Norwegian jewelry and wooden bowls, to original poetry, essays and book-making – our first year of Celebrating Arts & Artists in the greater Root River Valley area has introduced readers to over two dozen new and emerging artists, recognized professionals, and organizations.

Their stories – several of which can be sampled below – were acknowledged November 9 at Root River Current’s “Celebrating the Arts & Artists” reception held at the Chatfield Center for the Arts.

Fiber artist Lydia Hansen describing her Lost Creek Hiking Trail “crocheted mushroom” installation to attendees at the Celebrating Arts & Artists reception. (Photo by Nancy North)

These 2024 stories feature a variety of artists, their works, and organizations that bring the arts to life around the region. The reception was an opportunity to meet and greet some of the people whose lives and works were introduced this year (see additional photos at the end of this article)

Visual artists, inspired by local culture

Southeast Minnesota is home to an incredibly vast array of arts and artists who don’t just reside in the area, but who also raise awareness to the creative energies that help both define our region and lift our spirits.

“The area we live in inspires art and artists. It’s exemplary of the Driftless region,” says artist Karl Unnasch (pictured above). Among other things, he creates stained glass panels in his Pilot Mound studio east of Chatfield.

An iconic farm tractor with stained glass images created by Karl Unnasch for the 2010 Minnesota Biennial. (Photo submitted by Karl Unnasch)

“I love living here,” says the Pilot Mound native. “No matter where I travel or where I’ve lived, my heart has always been in this area.” (See his art and learn more about Karl Unnasch in this profile written by Steve Harris.)

Dave and Lynn Susag’s hand-made and painted multi-colored bowls, turned on a springpole lathe. (Photo submitted by Dave Susag)

While the region itself can be inspiring to the creative process, the area’s cultural connections are driving others. Such is the case with Dave and Lynn Susag whose Scandinavian heritage sparked their artistic creativity, as well as their artistic adventures as a couple.

“My Grandfather Rostad came to America from Norway and I grew up in a family that knew and loved Norwegian culture,”says Lynn, who grew up near Spring Grove. Her interests have led her to try woodcarving, paper cutting, painting, and svidekor, a decorative wood-burning technique.

Dave, on the other hand, keeps busy turning bowls. He’s proficient with a springpole lathe, an ancient, now rare foot-powered tool used in woodwork projects. He’s also worked at knife-making, basket-making, rosemaling, and blacksmithing.

Lynn and Dave keep learning – from classes at Decorah’s Vesterheim Museum, to numerous trips abroad to experience Norwegian art firsthand.

As told in the article A Norwegian Love Story, their shared loved for all things Norwegian even led to their lifetime commitment to each other – in 2006 they eloped to Norway!

In Words and music

Diane Knight, a published poet from Whalan/Lanesboro (in photo at top), is among the gifted contributors to Root River Current’s growing collection of Community Voices: Poetry.

Diane was a self-trained graphic artist during her working career. Her recent art projects involve intricate ink and pen artwork she calls “doodles”. (Photos by John Torgrimson)

The now-retired graphic artist, Knight is known for her playful approach to visual art, from 3-dimensional box sculptures to clay figures, to what she joyfully calls ‘doodles’ – “…no, not your ordinary scribbles, but a patchwork of shapes and random designs that end up as a complete image that, like all art, elicit a visual reaction from the viewer” as writer John Torgrimson describes in his story, The University of Diane.

There are also our equally creative, if lesser known, neighbors who have submitted original works for publication – in many cases, their first-ever published works.

Making memories with the next generation. (Photo by Greg Schieber)

By day, Greg Schieber is an attorney in Harmony. His ‘creative voice’ comes to life through the essays he’s written about life’s experiences as an amateur homesteader, along with his wife and three young children, on their acreage in Fillmore County’s Big Woods.

“Eager as we were to have our own dirt, we jumped the gun and started some seeds prior to moving in. It felt unfathomable to squander the opportunity to grow some food, finally having the black dirt and life stability necessary to plant and harvest a crop after years of being students, renters, and nomadic wanderers,” Schieber writes. But “as rookies are apt to do, we started too many. One red currant tomato plant is more than sufficient per household. Six proved ridiculously excessive.”

Other essayists have entertained us with stories about the seasons, as have photographers whose keen eyes capture stories through a lens – or a photo essay sharing several ‘stories’ at once, as with Renée Bergstrom’s A Grand Champion Day At The Fair.

And then there are the musicians – they know music, they know poetry, and they know exactly how to weave them together into ‘stories’ that capture our hearts and minds.

Sarah Peterson, a professional graphic designer and photographer, is also a gifted singer/songwriter who has released several singles and EP titles in recent years. But her more recent ‘creative experience’ has been to collaborate with Lanesboro Arts to offer a series of “Songwriters in the Round” concerts and workshops that explore the songwriting process.

The series’ featured songwriters are area musicians who, Peterson says, “talk about what makes a song strong, how to give our songs muscle!” Already plans are underway to offer another series of concerts and workshops in 2025.

From left to right, guest singer/songwriters Clay Fulton, Ann Lowe, and Luke Hendrickson, with “Songwriters in the Round” concert/workshop organizer Sarah Peterson. (Submitted photo)

Houston County musician Bob Bovee has made music for over 50 years. From frequent appearances on Garrison Keillor’s former “A Prairie Home Companion” radio show, to hosting southeast Minnesota’s annual Bluff Country Gathering, to leading a series of barn dances each year, Bovee’s focus is on old-time, traditional string music.

Bovee (pictured in the photo at top) came upon what he calls his “lifelong passion” very early. “My family weren’t performers, but music was always part of our gatherings. Dad played the harmonica, Grampa the banjo, and Grandma the mandolin, among other instruments. She’s the one who taught me many old songs that had passed down for generations.” You can read about Bovee’s story in “Have Guitar, Will Travel – Bob Bovee’s Musical Journey” published earlier this fall.

These are just a few of the artists we have celebrated in 2024 – there will surely be more in 2025.

Simply amazing

Stories about these amazing members of our regional arts community can be found in our Regional Arts online collection.

Also know that we could not have done this without the amazing support from the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts & cultural heritage fund – thank you!

Steve and Susie Harris (left) talk with artists Lynn and David Susag about the Norwegian culture that influences Susags’ creations.

Root River Current managing editor/co-publisher John Torgrimson visits with painter Rita LeDuc (center) and friend Bobbie Gallas at the Celebrating Arts & Artists reception.

Contributing artists Tim & Julie Little (musicians) talking with fiber artist Lydia Hansen.