Knowing Your Neighbors: MacRostie Art Center

Gallery Features Local Artists, Brings Color to Community

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Paintings, pottery, and watercolor.

“We’ve got a lot of talented people around here and it’s really fun to be able to show their work,” said Executive Director Katie Marshall.

The MacRostie Art Center has got it all…and more.

“But we’ve also had wood–working exhibits, we had a 19–foot canoe in here last fall,” MacRostie said.

For nearly 50 years, the nonprofit art gallery has exhibited the works of Minnesota artists.

“When we have a local artist that has an exhibit, it’s always one of our better turnouts for opening receptions so that’s fun,” Marshall smiled.

With so many great displays to choose from…

“Oh, favorite exhibits? That’s probably hard. I don’t know if I could pick a favorite,” laughed Marshall.

But 23 years later, the Annual Juried Show each August still remains a crowd favorite.

“Every year it’s a real variety of pieces, and you never know what we’re going to get, and it’s always like a big jig–saw puzzle trying to fit it all together into a cohesive exhibit,” Marshall explained.

Marshall knows her gallery holds a special spot in the heart of the small town.

“We just try to make art and artists a visible part of the community, so they’re not hiding off in the woods somewhere,” she said.

Sharing a world full of color and beauty with the Grand Rapids community.

“I think a measure of a really vibrant and interesting community is how it supports it’s artists and it’s arts,” Marshall said.

MacRostie also offers classes in all things art, like water color, figure drawing and pottery.

This summer they have a birch–bark weaver coming all the way from Russia to teach a class.