Art Connects Community: How Local Artists Are Reflecting Nature

Imagine every American living in a community where art is alive and accessible.

Alberto Ibargüen, President of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, posed this vision in a speech a few years ago. Art Connects Community is an initiative we created based on the time-tested concept that, as Ibargüen put it, “arts bind people to place and each other.”

Earlier this spring, we asked local visual artists to explore and express their interpretation of the shared connection between people—and between people and the environment—inspired by Lady Bird Johnson’s powerful words:

“The environment is where we all meet; where we all have a mutual interest; it is the one thing all of us share. It is not only a mirror of ourselves, but a focusing lens on what we can become.”

In Art Connects Community’s inaugural year, twelve artists answered the call and created a stunning and diverse collection of paintings, sculptures, photography, and fiber art. They include both professional artists and amateurs, ranging in age from six and up. Through their work and accompanying artist statements, each told a unique story about how people connect with nature—and through nature, with one another.

Nick Gorski’s Grand Prize-winning photographic artwork, Consider the Grasses, explores “both the fragility of ecosystems and our power to choose what we preserve or overlook.”

Sirid Kellermann’s painting The Story of Jem is the Story of Me—made with extracts of geraniums, dandelions, and butterfly pea flowers—recalls a fledgling crow her family tried to save after it fell from its nest last spring. “Our instinct to protect Jem and all the very young is a powerful reminder of our innate connection with nature.”

In her work Recollection of her Rhododendrons, Linda Moses pays tribute to her aunt and “the ways she brought people together, reminding us that community can be grown with intention, creativity, and care.”

First-place (age 0–6) winner Juniper Kennel explains his sunset painting: “My artwork shows how much I love Minnesota! I want to stay here forever because it's such a happy place. The beautiful sunset is for all the friends I've made in Stillwater.”

Prizes in the adult, teen, and child categories—as well as Grand Prize, Most Impactful, and Best Interpretation of Theme—were awarded by two independent jurors: Alyssa Baguss and Brighton McCormick.

Alyssa Baguss is a 2024–2025 McKnight Fellow for Community-Engaged Artists, a recipient of Forecast Public Art Mid-Career Artist Grants, and was part of the Minnesota Artist Exhibition Program at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts in 2019. Her work has been exhibited at the Rochester Art Center, Minnesota Center for Book Arts, Minnesota Museum of American Art, and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.

Brighton McCormick is a sculptor and arts educator living and working in South Minneapolis. Their interdisciplinary practice focuses on sculpture and gallery installation, community-engaged projects, and public art, primarily utilizing metalworking and reinterpreted found objects. They hold a BFA from the University of Minnesota and an MFA from the University of Washington. Currently, Brighton teaches at the Chicago Avenue Fire Arts Center, is an Assistant Professor at Hamline University, and is the founder of Fire Press Library.

In the spirit of Art Connects Community, we invite you to see the artwork—and engage with your fellow viewers!—while the works are on exhibit (through at least August 31st) at three Stillwater locations: Matt’s Basement, Valley Bookseller, and Mike & Kat’s Other Place. You can also view the works online and vote for the People’s Choice Award!

Excitingly, several artists have elected to donate their artwork to the silent auction at SSMN’s fall gala, Mission: Possible - An Evening of Climate Action, to be held on October 30th. Find out more about the gala and purchase your tickets here.