Gallery events are free and open to all in our community thanks to our 21 Step Gallery Sponsor: Random Hippie https://www.randomhippie.com/ (Oct 12 – November 9)! Their generous sponsorship fuels creativity in the NW Metro, funding studio space for gallery displays and art instruction.
To support creativity in the NW metro – please visit: https://rumriverart.com/support/
The Rumriver Art Gallery was initiated to support and show local artists’ work. One issue many artists experience is where to show their work as gallery space can be limited, especially to those who are just starting. Our mission with the gallery is to support and show the artwork of local artists. The shows are changed every month, providing many opportunities throughout the year for artists to display their work. The Art Gallery brings the community together and creates a greater appreciation for art. Selected artwork may be available for sale.
Being that we are located in a very old building, there are no elevators or escalators. The only way into the 21 Step Gallery is to climb up 18 stairs. We are currently exploring funding options such as grants and fundraisers to get a chair lift installed for the stairway to make this gallery more accessible for everyone.
If you’ve ever counted the stairs on your way up to visit the 21 Step Gallery, you may have tilted your head in confusion as your count abruptly stopped at 18 steps.
Legend has it that Rumriver Art Center Director Larry Weinberg was CERTAIN there were 21 steps. RRAC Co-founder Susan Yee suggested it was 18.
Susan was correct.
But being the fun, quirky Art Center RRAC is, Larry’s certainty was honored with the title: 21 Step Gallery.
Larry suggests that it remained the 21 Step Gallery to honor Susan’s birthday, which falls on the ’21st,’ and that 21 is a popular and memorable number.
Upcoming Shows
- Holiday Show and Shop: November 16, 2024 – December 21, 2024
- Laura Hanson – Forced Witness: January 4, 2025 – February 1, 2025
- Angie Renee: February 8, 2025 – March 1, 2025
- Jena Rivard: March 8, 2025 – March 29, 2025
- Art Jacobs: April 5, 2025 – May 3, 2025
- Ju-Ping Huang: May 10, 2025 – May 31, 2025
- Pamela Lifson: June 7, 2025 – July 5, 2025
- Eric Zuccola: July 12, 2025 – Aug 2, 2025
- Jill Whitney: August 9, 2025 – September 6, 2025
- Deborah Ann Kirkeeide: September 13, 2025 – October 11, 2025
- Bonnie Klatt: October 18, 2025 – November 8, 2025
- Holiday Show and Shop: November 15, 2025 – December 20, 2025
Gallery Hours
Fall Hours (9/30 – 12/21)
Mondays, Tuesdays: 10am – 7pm
Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays: 10am – 3pm
Saturdays, November 16th – December 21st: 10am – 4pm
Closed Sundays
Closed December 22nd – January 1st
Winter Hours (1/2 – 3/6)
Mondays, Tuesdays: 10am – 7pm
Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays: 10am – 3pm
Saturday 1/4: 2pm – 7pm
Saturdays 1/11, 1/18, 2/1, 2/8, 2/15, 2/22, 3/8, 3/22, 3/29: 10am – 3pm
Closed Sundays
Current Gallery Show: Holiday Show and Shop
Rumriver Art Center is excited to announce our annual Holiday Show and Shop! The Show and Shop will be open in our Jan Johansen gallery and throughout the art center (2665 4th Ave, Suite 103, Anoka). There will be hundreds of unique items available for purchase made by dozens of local artists. The variety of artwork in the Holiday Show and Shop will include textiles, ceramics, art prints, stained glass, paintings, jewelry, and much more. This is a perfect opportunity to purchase one-of-a-kind holiday gifts! Check out our Holiday Show and Shop webpage for more information!
Our show and shop opening will take place on Saturday, November 16th from 10am – 4pm.
Next Gallery Show: Forced Witness
The 21 Step Gallery of Rumriver Art Center is presenting Forced Witness by artist Laura Hanson. The public is invited to attend the show opening on Saturday, January 4th from 2pm – 4pm. During the evening of January 4th, from 5 – 7pm, Hanson will be giving an artist talk in the same space. Individuals are also invited to meet the artist on Saturday, January 18th at 12pm. All events are free.
Hanson, an artist from Anoka, Minnesota, has been actively creating and exhibiting mixed media works for over six years. A graduate of Anoka High School who also attended North Hennepin Community College, Hanson began painting as a hobby 10 years ago, though she has been engaged in artistic expression since childhood. Her work primarily focuses on acrylic painting but also incorporates various materials like modeling paste and glitter to convey texture and depth. Influenced by impressionist painters and the raw, evocative style of Ashcan realism, Hanson’s art emphasizes raw human emotion and everyday experiences. Her work has been featured in galleries across Minnesota, New York, and Missouri, including the 2020 Minnesota State Fair, and has found homes worldwide.
Forced Witness features 30 paintings Hanson created between 2020 and 2024. The collection captures key moments of personal and historical significance, examining humanity’s resilience in the face of adversity and exploring themes such as global health crisis, social unrest, war, and economic collapse. The series invites viewers to reflect on their own stories of survival and healing while highlighting the power of art as a tool for observation, processing, and collective memory.
In conjunction with the exhibition, Hanson is releasing her book Forced Witness, which includes over 50 pieces from the collection along with commentary and reflections, providing readers with an immersive experience into her artistic process.
The exhibition will open January 4th and run until February 1st, 2025.
Past Shows
- Surelle Schewe – The Stories She Tells: Saturday, September 10, 2022 – Saturday, October 1, 2022
- Call for Entry – World of Anime: Saturday, October 8, 2022 – Saturday, October 29, 2022
- Paul Hanson – Portraits in Watercolor: Saturday, November 5, 2022 – Saturday, December 17, 2022
- Sanjukta Mitra – Spiritus: Saturday, January 7, 2023 – Saturday, January 28, 2023
- Danniella Mortezaee – Love Always: Saturday, February 4, 2023 – Saturday, February 25, 2023
- Val Coopet – Faces and Places: Saturday, March 4, 2023 – Saturday, March 25, 2023
- Montana Becker – Prone to Wander: Saturday, April 1, 2023 – Saturday, April 22, 2023
- Kenya Latourneau – Kenya Letourneau’s Kreations!: Saturday, June 3, 2023 – Saturday, July 29, 2023
- Juanita Tatum – Exploring Emotions Through Faces: Saturday, August 5, 2023 – Saturday, September 30, 2023
- Britt Maki – Don’t Be Hasty: Saturday, October 7, 2023 – Saturday, November 4, 2023
- Holiday Show and Shop: Saturday, November 18, 2023 – Saturday, December 30, 2023
- Margarita Stantchevski – Beauty and More: Saturday, February 10, 2024 – Saturday, March 9, 2024
- Joel Springer – Finding My Voice: Saturday, March 16, 2024 – Saturday, April 13, 2024
- Lynelle Kocher – Bits and Places: Saturday, April 20, 2024 – Saturday, May 11, 2024
- MaryLeah Marshall – Themes from Nature: A Collection: Saturday, May 18, 2024 – Saturday, June 8, 2024
- Rachel Coyne – Rock and Rollerskate: Saturday, June 15, 2024 – Wednesday, July 3, 2024
- Jerry Jorgenrud – Spiritus: Saturday, July 13, 2024 – Saturday, August 3, 2024
- Sandy Adler – Celebrate Creation: August 10, 2024 – September 7, 2024
- Carol Collins – Wonderful World of Fur and Feathers: September 14, 2024 – October 5, 2024
- Emma Ahart – Visceral: October 12, 2024 – November 9, 2024