Nick Wroblewski

It is 45 degrees today….a tell tale sign in Wisconsin that spring is on its way! Another sign, is the influx of some new work to SEASONS on St. Croix Gallery. After having a wonderful February show with collage artist, Gena Ollendieck, we are fortunate enough to have retained some of her amazing works that tell delightful stories through objects and images cleverly arranged and developed. Gena is a wonderful addition to the gallery space. We are also pleased to welcome Julia Timm as a new potter in our midst. Her functional work is splendidly crafted from porcelain in charming forms that that are sophisticated, yet whimsical. We have also added some new colorful stemware by David McDermott and are pleased to be carrying Ana candles… a stripped line of candles that will be wonderful for spring and summer use. In addition, current artists are bringing in new work… Nick Wroblewski, a phenomenal woodcut artist, just dropped off new work yesterday. It is amazing!

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Ruth did have a great trip to Halifax, Nova Scotia and a very enjoyable time at the Atlantic Canada Craft Show. The artists were delightful and engaged in their work. She selected some work that we will be showing at the gallery… some wonderful functional wood pieces by Brent Rourke, pewter by Ray and Delia Will, glass bead jewelry by Susan Hood to mention but a few. Karen Passow and Laura Pilney, gallery associates, also made the trek to the Buyer’s Market of American Craft in Philadelphia with Ruth in mid-February. It was a great show with some fabulous finds for the gallery.

Our choices include some new jewelry, interesting glass, some fiber art…..and so forth. These too will be arriving throughout the coming months. Stay tuned!

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SEASONS on St. Croix Gallery was honored as a national recipient of two awards. We were named a NICHE 2010 Top Retailer by NICHE, the exclusive trade magazine for retailers in fine craft. We also received the award for Best Visual Merchandising. There is lots to celebrate as we were one of ten other galleries from all over the United States and Canada to be recognized. The other galleries and museum stores were from: Texas, Massachusetts, Florida, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Maryland, Arizona, Colorado, and Pennsylvania.

Each year, the magazine recognizes and honors craft galleries for their efforts to strengthen the industry, support fair business practices, educate the public and mentor artisans. SEASONS is truly thankful for this recognition, but more importantly, for the creative, wonderful artists we represent, the customers we serve and for a loyal and talented staff.

Ruth is very excited as she has been invited to attend the Atlantic Craft Trade Show in Halifax, Nova Scotia. As a Canadian herself, she is definitely looking forward to seeing the works of craftspeople in that region of Canada and is hoping to find some great “fits” for the gallery. She will head out to the east coast later that month to attend the Buyers Market of American Craft. Hopefully, through careful choices, we will merge some of these artful finds with the wonderful work of the local and regional artists we are so proud to represent.

Work is underway for the 2011 artOPENer – the st. croix valley studio tour. SAVE the date to attend – May 14th and 15th – 10am – 5pm each day. This is a wonderful opportunity to see an eclectic group of artists in their studios…”from the Gallery to the Backyard” is the tag line we have used to describe the breadth of studio layouts and setups. It truly is an art excursion that shows the best of the arts in the lovely St. Croix Valley.

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SEASONS on St. Croix Gallery was honored as a national recipient of two awards. We were named a NICHE 2010 Top Retailer by NICHE, the exclusive trade magazine for retailers in fine craft. We also received the award for Best Visual Merchandising. There is lots to celebrate as we were one of ten other galleries from all over the United States and Canada to be recognized. The other galleries and museum stores were from: Texas, Massachusetts, Florida, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Maryland, Arizona, Colorado, and Pennsylvania.

Each year, the magazine recognizes and honors craft galleries for their efforts to strengthen the industry, support fair business practices, educate the public and mentor artisans. SEASONS is truly thankful for this recognition, but more importantly, for the creative, wonderful artists we represent, the customers we serve and for a loyal and talented staff.

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Each year, the magazine recognizes and honors craft galleries for their efforts to strengthen the industry, support fair business practices, educate the public and mentor artisans. SEASONS is truly thankful for this recognition, but more importantly, for the creative, wonderful artists we represent, the customers we serve and for a loyal and talented staff.

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We had a fabulous 10th Year Anniversary Celebration on Friday, October 1, 2010. Susan Westley Seeger was our featured artist….the show was spectacular and extremely well-received. In addition, Bob and Al (The Wine Guys), surprised us by wearing tuxedos…very fun. We had a great crowd who seemed to enjoy Sam Salter’s music, Linda’s classic appetizers, as well as great art and conversation. We were also able to raise a generous donation for YOUTH ACTION HUDSON.
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Now, we are moving on to the holidays…we kicked them off on Friday, November 5th. The gallery has been transformed with a touch of the holidays every where you look…it is delightful. Our theme this year is Tradition with a Twist. We have many traditional elements that are displayed in fun and charming ways. We hope all our customers will have the opportunity to stop in and enjoy the festive nature of the gallery. We are featuring many holiday items including ornaments by Steve and Katia Pflipsen, Thomas and Rebecca Maras, Lauri Wilson, Mike Carlson, Christine McGrath to mention but a few. We also have some great metal work by Prairie Dance and the Glocke Glass Christmas Trees. The trees were featured in Midwest Living and have been flying out the door.

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In addition, most of the gallery artists have brought in new work that will certainly meet most gift-giving needs.

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We survived our annual craziness….”Seconds, Experiments and Undiscovered Art” sale over the 4th of July. It was a great weekend for us, filled with fun, excitement, great deals and lots of friendly faces. If you missed it maybe you can get it on your calendar for next year….July 1 -4th!

The show circuit continues for many of the artists we represent… Patrick Casanova, Thomas Maras, Steve Pflipsen and Katia Pflipsen Olivova (to mention a few) all attended Art on the Square in Madison a few weeks ago. The Uptown Art Fair is around the corner – August 6th, 7th and 8th – and will feature the work of many of your favorite artists….stop by and check out new work. Other favorites will be at Powderhorn Park and Loring Park that same weekend. It is an amazing life style, that takes an incredible skill set….the creativity to produce, the ingenuity to display, the interpersonal skills to sell and the stamina to pack, drive, set up, interact, sell, take down, drive, unpack! Being an “on the road” artist is not for the faint of heart!

One of the joys of the gallery is always the new work that arrives on a regular basis. We love to see packages arrive!
New work in the gallery included some handsome new fused glass serving pieces by Lynn Latimer…the design is contemporary andthe rich green, turquoise and gold is a gorgeous color palette…just right for fall entertaining. We have just received new work from one of our favorite jewelers….Sharon Shaffner. She creates whimsical work in silver and semi-precious stones that often has charming characters embedded in the pieces. She also creates those “go to” earrings that are artful, light weight and go with everything. The selection is good right now. Kate Gomez, one of our favorite local artists, just brought in four new pieces of work. Her work is organic, complex, original in subject matter and extremely well executed. Whether you are a fan, or someone who is looking for interesting, original work, stop in and enjoy the new selection. Our latest local addition to the gallery is Kerri Norman. Kerri is a jeweler who works in metals…sterling, copper, gold and bronze. her work is fresh,contemporary, and playful in its movement. Stop in to see her lovely work.

We continue to get new work in at the gallery…almost like Christmas every day! Some of the new items that have arrived include new glassware from Welmo Glass – love the new scotch glasses with the gold leaf in the bottom. We received new votive candles from Tabbatha Henry. The translucent quality of her work is amazing. She also sent some lovely little vases in her black and white palette that are charming…and, very affordable. For those of you who love Nanci Yermakoff’s watercolor paintings, she just brought in five new ones that are stunning. Sticks just sent us a lovely table and chairs…suitable for home or cabin. For our jewelry divas, we have just added the work of Lonnie Lovness, an established Stillwater artist, whose design work is stunning, current and luscious. There is more…so, a trip to the gallery is definitely worth your time.

An exciting grassroots effort is underfoot. It is called American Craft Week, October 1 – 10th, 2010. It is an opportunity to celebrate craft in America and will be supported by artists, galleries, arts organizations and arts lovers across the country. We will be celebrating the 10th Anniversary of SEASONS at our “First Friday” event on October 1st as part of our celebration….we are also planning a STICKS event on October 8th and 9th. Stay tuned for more information.

Other signs of spring include new work that artists are bringing in to the gallery. We just received some beautiful new platters/bowls by Marc Matsui. Marc’s fine porcelain bowls with brilliant colors transform clay in to a canvas. His pieces are simple in form, outstanding in craftsmanship and appropriate for home , office and gift-giving occasions. We are also anticipating new work from Christine McGrath….lovely boxes, vases, picture frames and clocks that incorporate contemporary fabrics with glass. And, we can’t wait to receive a new selection of black ware tiles from Laura McCaul, an exceptional Wisconsin clay artist that we have had the privilege to represent for years.

The American Craft Council Show opens in St. Paul on April 16th. We always look forward to this event that is literally 20 minutes west of the gallery. Naturally, we look forward to seeing new artists and their work. However, we also like to cheer on the artists we represent. If you are able to go to the show, you need to seek out Steve Pflipsen and Katia Pflipsen Olivova. Their work just keeps getting better. Katia’s unique jewelry is exceptional and their collaborative glass/metal pieces are beautiful…almost beyond description. You will also want to visit Lauri Wilson’s booth. This is Lauri’s first year in the show and we really hope it is a winner for her as her work is impeccable. Some of our other favorites include: Fred Kaemmer (glass), Kelly Marshall (textiles), and Michele Friedman (jewelry). Enjoy the show.

It is also a good time to look at custom lighting from either Maras Glass or Casanova Glass that can enhance the artful feel of your home. The list goes on with one of a kind pottery sculptures and vessels from Joe Christensen and Jude Ryan Reiling or an original painting from a host of remarkable regional painters…..Nancy Aschenmacher, Melissa Belanger, Genie Castro, Kate Gomez, June Kocan, Dan Wiemer and Nanci Yermakoff to mention a few. We are here to help you out with your commission and customized requests.

On the artist front, we recently heard that Kelly Jean Ohl was honored by having a piece of her work accepted in to the Duke University Eye Center – Touchable Gallery. Congratulations Kelly Jean! Barbara Bend was recently featured in a marvelous show at The Phipps Center for the Arts in Hudson….her body of work – all sculptural dolls – was outstanding. The work reflected her innate creativity, her clever use of materials (kimono prints, vintage ties, labels, telephone wire, piano hammers, zippers, labels, nylon stockings, etc.), and, her profound understanding of human life and relationships. Congratulations on a great show Barb! Also, Patrick Casanova received good news that he would be a guest artist in the Smithsonian Show in April. Just a few tidbits as to the many accomplishments the artists we represent have attained.

The Hudson Hot Affair is February, 5, 6, and 7th. This is great family fun if the balloons go up or not. For more information, call 888-AIR-AFFAIR.

Don’t forget to find a lovely piece of art for your Valentine….maybe jewelry, maybe pottery or glass….a little something “handcrafted” to say “I love you!”

Our BIG news is this wonderful new website. We are thrilled to have it launched and to have a place to showcase the work of our outstanding artists, to keep you informed about happenings at the gallery and the community of Hudson, and to introduce you to featured artists and new work.

- SEASONS on St. Croix Gallery was recently ranked number 12 in the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal’s Gallery List of the Top 25 in the Metro Area. The ranking included both non-profit and commercial endeavors. It was good recognition and press. Yeah for us!!

- We will be brimming with holiday gifts and decorative items throughout the season. Many of the artists we represent on a full time bases have brought in new work, plus we have added about 30 seasonal artists. Some of the seasonal work includes: metal snowflakes and trees from Prairie Dance; beautiful glass blown ornaments from Warner Whitfield, as well as R. Jason Howard, and Fritz Lauenstein, raku ornaments from J. Davis, glass candy canes from Cal Breed, wooden ornaments from STICKS, glass sculptural trees from Mark and Julie Glocke, glass reindeer from Mike Carlson to mention a few. Remember Give Art Be Merry is our theme this holiday season.

- Casanova Glass Studio will be offering an opportunity to Blow Your Own Christmas Ornaments again this year. To sign up….which you must…call the gallery (715-381-2906) to make a reservation. The experience takes about 15 minutes and costs $38.00 per ornament. The program will begin on Sunday, November 8, 2009 and will occur each Saturday and Sunday until January 3, 2010….excluding Thanksgiving Weekend. Saturdays, times will be slotted from 10 am through 4 pm and Sundays will be from noon until 5 pm.