Local Artists Get Chance to Shine at Upcoming Harvest of Art Festival

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It's one thing to see art when it's locked behind glass at a museum. But it's another thing entirely to experience it when it's hanging on the walls of your local restaurant, coffee house or community center.

That's the philosophy behind the Harvest of Art Exhibit, which kicks off with an exhibit opening from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sept. 9 at the art house, located along Lexington Avenue in Eagan. More than 70 pieces will be on display as part of the exhibit, according to Eagan Art House Recreation Supervisor Julie Andersen.

“What is so cool is to be able to see the diversity of the artwork in the community," Andersen said. "From drawings to photos to paintings, [we have] all kinds of subject matter. It's just so reassuring to know that all of this creativity is going on right here in this community."

The art, submitted by area artists and juried by art house staff, will be on display at the art house on Sept. 9 for the opening, which also includes outdoor pottery glazing, a pottery sale, artist demonstrations and a community arts activity. After the opening event, the exhibit will be split up and displayed at locations across Eagan, including , , the and , Anderson said.

Music from a local guitar duo and ice cream from Ring Mountain Creamery will also be available at the exhibit opening.

Local painter and retiree Bette Undis is one of the 35 local artists who will be displaying work in the exhibit. Undis, who has a penchant for landscapes and still life paintings, recently decided to take her art in a new direction. For the exhibit, she has prepared a portrait of her daughter based on an old photograph taken when her daughter was young.

Undis, a former Eagan Art House Board chair, believes the art house is a wonderful resource for both youth and older adults in the community.

The Harvest of Art event, Undis and Andersen hope, will expose participants to the local arts scene and put them in touch with their creative side.

“There are some people that don’t go to art museums … but if they go to a coffee house or go to an ice cream shop, or the church lobby or community center, there will be art there," Undis said.

“I want them to take away the awareness of the artwork that’s right here in their own backyard," Andersen said. "Because of the interactive activities we have at the event as well, I want them to come away thinking that they can be creative, they can experience art in lots of different ways."

Additional information regarding the Harvest of Art Exhibit is available online at www.eaganarthouse.org.