RIVER FALLS – The Third Annual Member Show opened June 18 and will run through July 31. This show features 20 talented artists: Carolina and Frank Downs, Rachael Hovland, Cheryl Maplethorpe, Carol Pruchnofski, John Grancorvitz, Gayle Brunner Frandrup, Mary Ross, Margreth Downing, Jill Fritz, Jen Falkofske, Ken Krautbauer, Rita Zawislak-Brandt, Hannah Freeman, Hjordi Van Ausdal, Jazper Joy Moonglow, Betty Most, Pauly Cudd, Leslie Batt-Lutz and Petra Guenthner Johnson. The Meet the Artist’s event with music by Jim Ehlers was held Thursday, June 25. It was a great opportunity to meet the artists and enjoy the color and hoopla of the evening.

Gallery visitors will find the 20 art pieces in this exhibit as unique and remarkable as the artists who made them. There is a wide range from the subtlety of Guenthner-Johnson’s fibers to the knock-you-over sharpness of Krautbauer’s digital photography. Nature inspiration is rampant here. “From the Forest Floor” is the title of Mary Ross’s remarkable pine needle basket weaving as well as the title for Jen Falkofske’ s photography.   

For the joy of sheer color, visit the corner where Cudd’s vase and Van Ausdal’s marbled painting hang out. Gallery visitors ponder over Jazper Joy Moonglow’s stoneware, “The Anatomy of a Ravaged Corpse.” Maplethorpe’s oil painting emotes in yet another way. “Sometimes Monotony Hides Complexity.”

 Check out Moonglow’s front window display as well as her gallery contribution. This show gives insight into the personal world of each artist and how they want to present themselves to the world. When you visit the gallery take a look at the artist’s statements. Here are some gleanings:

Hannah Freeman: “To show holy awareness in relation to the natural world.”

Carol Nelson Pruchnofski: “I especially love to find reflections in the environment.

Jen Falkofske: “I see photography as a form of nature therapy.”

Rita Zawislak Brandt: “Take a closer look and see what you can see as you walk with your eyes through a painting.”

Betty Most: “I also find immense joy in capturing (other) wildlife especially foxes.”

Leslie Batt Lutz: “I’m excited as a kid about the unpredictability of raku firing….”

Frank Downs: In regard to his fine wood-lathe-turned pens, “I have created a lot of sawdust!”

Hjordi Van Ausdal: “For me the process is as important as the finished piece. It’s about experimenting, staying curious, and embracing the unexpected.”

Many artists bring unusual techniques to this show. Kay Fritz laughed as she shared how her hand-dyed scarf with an intricate chemically burnt-out design area had been a joint project with her late husband.

There are a number of NFS tags on pieces. This means artists values the piece so much that the buyer couldn’t possibly afford it.

In regard to art pricing: It’s hard to compare apples to oranges. The highest priced art piece is Carol Pruchnofski’s Pastel “County Reflections” which runs $850. The lowest priced piece would be one of Frank Downs’ lathe turned pens at $25. Jill Fritz’s necklace set is a steal at $45.

The Art’s House is located at 127 N. Main St. at the corner of Main and Maple in River Falls.