The Art’s House Gallery welcomed a new exhibit by Kay Fritz and River Maria Urke from July 24-Aug 28, 2025.
“Lost on Some Dirt Road” is the way River Urke’s poem begins and it well defines the art of her story panels. River Urke’s seven off-road story panels take the gallery visitor to a reflective North wood’s place where time is altered, perceptions challenged, feelings amplified and then illustrated. In addition to visual imagery, River provides the viewer with a QR code so they can scan and listen to her voice reciting parts of her poem as they view each panel of sewn imagery. River tells me that she spends one year focusing on poetry and writing while the next year she creates art about the poem by piecing together artwork in sewn collages of found objects, beads, feathers, embroidery, and photographs, along with the actual poem.
The collaborative art of Kay Fritz and her late partner, Bob Fritz is a compliment to River’s sewn panels. Bob created the stoneware type bottoms while Kay topped off the vessels with natural elements like dyed reeds and sweet grass. Kay demonstrates a freedom of form as well as a mastery with her basket weaving. One of my favorites from the exhibit is her hand printed silk screen of butterflies on a blue silk panel.
While there are NFS tags on all of Fritz’s artwork and no sales tags on Urke’s work: the Art’s House does have a good line of great affordable art in the boutique area.
The Meet the Artist Reception will be held July 31st 6-8 pm. The Art’s House will be hosting a poetry and open mic time from 7:30 p.m. to 9. p.m. that evening.
The Art’s House is located at 127 N. Main St, River Falls. Gallery Hours: are Thursday, 2–6pm, Friday, 2–6pm, Saturday, 10am–5pm.