65th Arrowhead Regional Biennial Art Exhibition
DULUTH, Minn. — Art enthusiasts gathered at the Duluth Art Institute to celebrate the 65th Arrowhead Regional Biennial art exhibition.
The event highlights art and artists from across Minn., Wis., the Dakotas, Iowa, Mich., and Ontario, bringing a variety of different artwork together to reflect the shared cultures and environmental interconnectedness by drawing from the landscapes of lakes, woodlands, and prairies.
“It started with the Tweed, and the Duluth Art Institute took it over in 1940 as an annual show,” said Christina Woods, executive director for the Duluth Art Institute. “So if you do the math, you’re like, how do you get to 65 because we’re only 118 years old. So we have been running the biennial since 1940, and at some point, to change to a biennial rather than an annual show.”
Over 90 artists submitted multiple pieces of their work, equating to around 400 submissions, and this year, juror Wendy Savage of the Fond Du Lac Nation selected more than seventy pieces to represent the region’s creativity.
“When we do a call for art, we’ll have a panel of community members select our year-long selection of art,” said Woods. “So, for the Biennial, what makes it really special is that it’s one person, and we ask that person to do a really big job.”
The juror is taking on the job of carefully selecting the art for this year’s installation, along with picking the top three works of art. One of the top artists chosen, K. Daphnae Koop, received third place for her piece titled ‘By the World’s Great Flood,’ sharing what art means to her.
“I think that art, this spirit, the intention, the time, the energy that an artist puts into creating their work, resides in that piece,” K. Daphnae Koop, artist. “It lives in that piece. And when people come to see that work, I think that there is a way that the energy of the art in that piece of art accesses the heart and soul of the person watching it.”
The Duluth Art Institute is keeping the art up until the beginning of Dec. before switching it out with new pieces.
