Silversmithing photo by Tara Burns

WBCA In the News

'Arts' a hidden jewel in White Bear Lake

Tuesday, September 6, 2005

By Kristine Goodrich

I don't pretend to be an art connoisseur. I freely fess up to my lack of culture and creative ability.

I still remember the look of horror on the tour guide's face when I asked if I could ride the equestrian sculpture during a grade school trip to the Walker Art Center.

The one and only "B" I ever received on a college paper was in my art history class, despite the fact I stayed up all night working on it.

But it doesn't take a connoisseur to recognize that downtown White Bear Lake is a hidden jewel in the arts community.

In just a square mile or two, there's now six studios owned by local artists. There's also the White Bear Center for the Arts, which offers numerous classes and sponsors other art events.

"We've got something really special here," Suzi Hudson, executive director of the arts center, told me last week. She had stopped by the office to tell me about the center's iron pour coming up next month as part of the annual downtown Art Walk (see the community calendar for details).

I've heard that same phrase from many other local artists I've had the privilege to meet.

While I would think most gallery owners would be displeased by the "competition" just down the street, these artists relish it. I used quotations around the word competition because the artists don't see it that way. They all have something unique to offer and the more offerings the better, they tell me.

"We're like a family here," one downtown artist once said.

It's been gratifying to hear a lot of positive feedback about the Press starting to recognize the uniqueness of the arts in White Bear Lake, and giving it some much-deserved publicity. I'll do my best to continue to do so. (As long as the artists remain so patient and are willing to explain the difference between abstract expressionism and abstract illusionism.)

While downtown White Bear Lake seems to be the heart of it all, there's certainly no shortage of other arts opportunities in the northeast metro. They're not in my coverage area, so I don't know quite as much about them, but there's also the ArtReach Alliance in Stillwater, Ramsey Center For Arts in Shoreview and the Phipps Center for the Arts in Hudson, to name just a few.

A trip to the big city is no longer needed to fulfill your need for some culture (or, in my case, a need to develop some). There's plenty of talented artists right down the block.

Kristine Goodrich can be reached at 651-407-1233 or vadnaisheightspress@shertel.net.

Copyright © 2005 Press Publications. All rights reserved.

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