2009 Annual Meeting Nominees
From Minnesota Artists Exhibition Program
Metro Area Nominees
Mary Anne Kinane
Mary Anne Kinane has been an artist and art educator for 30+ years in various situations: Community Education-adults & children, Artist-in-Residence and After-School Programs in schools, Private Studio and the mainstream charter & public school systems. She is a certified Art Educator K-12 through the state of Minnesota. She is known to many for her pen & ink drawings of houses and architectural structures, and watercolors and acrylics of gardens. She has written children’s plays, short stories, and poetry. Mary Anne likes to combine the art disciplines: theater, music, literary pieces and visual arts. She has worked with theatrical props, puppetry, murals, ash clay, sculpture, and masks.
Although Mary Anne was born and raised in and around Chicago, Illinois, she came to live in Moorhead and East Grand Forks, Minnesota during the 70s and 80s. She went to school at St. Ambrose College, (Iowa) Moorhead State University, and St. Mary’s University of Minnesota. She raised her family partially in East Grand Forks and the Twin Cities. The family moved to the Twin Cities in 1988. She has been to shows around the United States-including Renaissance Fairs, the Minnesota State Fair, and the New England shows. At the same time, Mary Anne owned an open studio and shop at Bandana Square in St. Paul, Minnesota until 1999. She now operates a private studio and teaches art through various programs or an independent contract. The artwork is available through the internet or independent galleries.
During the last few years, Ms. Kinane has taken a new direction in the arts. She is not participating in art festivals because of an auto accident in 2003. Even though she has recovered from many of the injuries, she will not be able to lift heavy objects because there is nerve damage to her right side. She has relearned and retrained the right fingers to use the computer, and to paint, draw, and make calligraphy. Mary Anne worked as an artist at Friendship Academy before and after the accident. She will continue to make art because that is her passion. Nature, gardens, and architecture
(Classical Art and Impressionism) are things that inspire her.
Cheryle Melander
To whom it may concern:
This letter is to recommend Cheryle Melander for acceptance onto the MAEP Panel. I worked with her as an MFA student during her years at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, and have followed her work since her graduation as an artist and an educator. During that time, she stood out as an exemplary student, and a talented artist, one of the best I have worked with in this program.
Cheryle has a particular skill for reading and analyzing works, and further, being able to articulate those notions and insights with clarity and completeness makes her a particularly good candidate for a panel, whose duty is to choose a set from a field of works. I have seen her do so in classes I have taught and in informal discussions with peers. Her knowledge of the “scene” also makes these discussions compelling and educational. She has been a long-standing member of the arts community locally for many years, and is well versed in the particularities of artists, histories and works.
I do not know if she has worked on such a panel, but I have seen her many times in critiques and classes, and have confidence in her objectivity and judgment when confronted with a set of criteria and goals, that she will do her utmost to comply to those parameters and to – as a member of a team – accomplish the goals with sincerity and skill. As a member of the arts community here for the past 30 years, I can attest to Cheryle’s honesty, diligence, sophistication and intelligence in her work and life, and her sincere desire to be of service to the community.
Neither Cheryle nor myself have – to my current knowledge – any conflict of interest concerning this panel or the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Her reputation as an artist and as an educator is solid and respected by the arts community. I believe she would be an excellent member of the panel, and would further the goals of the MAEP program.
I can strongly recommend Cheryle for acceptance in your program. I can assure you of her excellent qualifications and that you will enjoy her as a member of your community. If further questions are necessary, feel free to contact me.
Sincerely,
Frenchy Lunning, PhD.
Professor of Liberal Arts
Design History and Cultural Studies
Minneapolis College of Art and Design
David Petersen
To the Minnesota arts community,
I’m writing to strongly recommend artist, writer and gallery director David Petersen to the Minnesota Artists Exhibition Program panel at the Minneapolis Institute of the Arts.
I’ve known David for twelve years and after his brief relocation to New York City to procure his Masters of Fine Arts degree from the esteemed Hunter College, he returned to his hometown five years ago to work as an artist and to establish a gallery less than a mile from his childhood home in South Minneapolis.
If art embodies pushing the boundaries of thought beyond semantics, if art can be defined as that which is indefinable, if art represents the exploration of thoughts, forms and emotions, then David Petersen knows it well. For these are some of the multifarious themes explored at Art of This, the non-profit gallery where Petersen, as Gallery Director, serves as the master of ceremonies.
Since its genesis in 2005, Art of This has presented work of all disciplines by over three hundred artists, the majority of whom reside in Minnesota. By immersing himself in Minnesota’s arts community, Petersen has cultivated a practice of art-making, curating and community organizing that stresses inclusion and participation, characteristics essential for a potential MAEP panel member.
Beyond Art of This, Petersen proactively volunteers much of his time to visiting the studios of artists and students within the metropolitan area and out into the far reaches of the state. As a writer, he has contributed exhibition previews, reviews and essays to both local and national publications. I mention these attributes, in addition to his ubiquity at metro-area gallery openings, as a testament to his encyclopedic knowledge of contemporary art, especially here in Minnesota.
Additionally, Petersen has served as a juror on several panels, including the State Arts Board Artist Initiative Grant panel and the mnartists.org Project 144 panel. These experiences have broadened his knowledge of the art and artists here in Minnesota; further, they’ve adequately prepared him for the tasks of the MAEP panel.
From my discussions with David, he has mentioned that he will emphasize the collaborative spirit of the panel, focusing on what the MAEP could be, it’s potential, while continually asking the question “What is the best exhibition possible?” He believes, as I do, that the arts community here is strong and vibrant, and that MAEP panel members should provide Minnesotans with compelling, thought provoking and relevant exhibitions that reflect the diversity of our state.
Quite simply, David Petersen loves Minnesota--especially South Minneapolis. His passion for art is unquestionable, and he personifies the active and indispensable member of the Minnesota arts community. I urge you to accord him the opportunity to express his dedication to the arts and artists of this state by electing him to serve on the MAEP panel. You will not be disappointed.
Sincerely,
Ruben Nusz Artist, arts writer, SELLOUT Gallery
Andy Sturdevant
To the Minnesota Art Community and MAEP supporters,
I am writing to strongly recommend writer, independent curator and artist Andy Sturdevant for the Minnesota Artists Exhibition Program panel at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. He is a prominent, active and engaged member of the Minnesota art community and would be vocal advocate for artists and the MAEP program. I give Andy Sturdevant my highest recommendation without reservation.
Sturdevant’s activities and accomplishments within the Minnesota art community are extensive. Sturdevant has written regularly about local art and artists for mnartists.org, The Rake/Secrets of the City and ARP!. He has served on several panels and curatorial committees including the 2010 Art Shanty Projects. Sturdevant also served on the administrative board of the Art Shanty Projects in 2009 and participated directly as an artist and performer for the four years prior. In 2008, Sturdevant curated the season-long History Room at The Soap Factory in conjunction with their 20th anniversary. In 2009 Sturdevant co-created the Common Room at The Soap Factory, a month-long space for performance and interactivity. Sturdevant is also a practicing artist, exhibiting locally at Art Of This, The Soap Factory, Altered Esthetics and Creative Electric.
In all of his work Sturdevant demonstrates an intimate understanding of contemporary art and current practices and theories. Sturdevant has a unique interest and appreciation of personal and collective histories within local communities, which would offer a valuable resource and context to the panel. Sturdevant, through his work as a curator and writer, is versed in the diversity and depth of Minnesota art scene, yet would contribute critically and objectively to MAEP panel.
Through my position with mnartists.org I have the privilege of working within the local art community on a daily basis. One of the unique advantages of this position is hearing feedback and impressions from within the Minnesota art scene. Andy Sturdevant’s reputation is unmatched. His commitment to the Minnesota art community, sincerity and most importantly, his passion for the arts is infectious. While Sturdevant does not have as lengthy a tenure within the Minnesota art community as some candidates, he has demonstrated an unmatched dedication and commitment to the local art community. Sturdevant would provide a respected, balanced and knowledgeable addition to the panel and an advocate for the program throughout the state.
Please consider supporting Andy Sturdevant for the Minnesota Artists Exhibition Program.
Scott Stulen Project Director, mnartists.org, Walker Art Center Director, McKnight Artist Fellowships for Photographers SELLOUT Gallery
Greater Minnesota Nominees
Brian Frink
I have had experience with the Minnesota Artist Exhibition Program as a panelist and as an exhibiting artist. In 1995 I was part of a two-person exhibition with Gary Erickson. The following two years 1995-1997 I served as a panelist. As a result of these activities I was able to understand the complex, subtle and vital relationship this program has to both the community of artists and the larger Minnesota community. Part of this relationship and responsibility has to do with the formation of cultural identity. Or, to put it simply, it is about who we are. An institution, that supports such a unique endeavor as the MAEP, understands and values this goal.
I have lived in Minnesota for over twenty-one years. I grew up near Chicago, received my BFA from Illinois State University in Normal IL. In 1979 I moved to Brooklyn NY. My wife and I lived in a loft in Williamsburg until 1984 when we moved to Madison WI. I attended graduate school at Madison receiving my MFA in 1988. In 1989 my family and I relocated to Mankato where I was hired to teach painting and drawing. In addition to my teaching I maintain an active studio practice.
One of the things I appreciated about my time as a panelist was the interaction with the other members of the panel. There was a camaraderie that was built on the respect of our differing points of view being brought together for a larger goal. That goal had meaning and purpose. I would like to be part of that process again.
My particular experiences as a Minnesota artist and university arts educator contributes to my viability as a panelist. I have been exposed to and am tolerant of a wide range of aesthetic viewpoints and philosophies. I am acquainted with committee structure and collaborative work environments. More importantly, I believe in the importance of the MAEP for the artists of this state. I also believe in the importance of the MAEP for the citizens of our state. Serving on the panel provides the opportunity to maintain and grow the vital relationship between the artists of Minnesota, the museum and the larger community.
If you would like to see my work and resume please go to poorfarmart.com
Thank you.
Brian Frink
