Jan Johansen Gallery

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.

Thank you so much to Jan Johansen for your generous donation and for sponsoring our art gallery!

Upcoming Shows

• Layl McDill – Nooks and Crannies Coalesce: Saturday, April 20, 2024 – Saturday, May 11, 2024
• Diane Luckett – It’s Never Too Late to be an Artist: Saturday, May 18, 2024 – Saturday, June 8, 2024
• Summer Call for Entry: Saturday, June 15, 2024 – Saturday, July 6, 2024
• Larry Weinberg: Saturday, July 13, 2024 – Saturday, August 3, 2024
• RRAC Student Show: Saturday, August 10, 2024 – Saturday, September 7, 2024
• RRAC Clay Community: Saturday, September 14, 2024 – Saturday, October 5, 2024
• Fall Call for Entry: Saturday, October 12, 2024 – Saturday, November 9, 2024
• Holiday Show and Shop: Saturday, November 16, 2024 – Saturday, January 4, 2025

Gallery Hours

Monday – Friday: 10am – 3pm and select Saturdays (see info below each show)

Someone may be available beyond those hours. Please call 763-323-8830 or e-mail sales@rumriverart.com first to make arrangements if you would like to view the gallery outside of our office hours.

Current Gallery Show: Nooks and Crannies Coalesce

Rumriver Art Center presents a new gallery show titled: Nooks and Crannies Coalesce. The show opens in the Jan Johansen Gallery (2665 4th Ave, Suite 103A) on Saturday, April 20, 2024 from 2-4 pm. Nooks and Crannies Coalesce features polymer clay and mixed media sculptures by Layl McDill. Layl will be hosting an Artist Talk in the gallery on Saturday, May 11, starting at 12pm. Attendees will learn about her as an artist and the creative process she uses in creating her colorful artwork. There will also be a Meet the Artist on Thursday, May 9 from 11:30-1. All gallery activities are free and open to the public.
Layl McDill has been creating all her life. Her earliest memory is of learning how to roll a ball with playdough. She mostly wanted to learn all these techniques so she could enter in every category in the county fair for 4-H. She went on to study Illustration at the Columbus College of Art and Design. Right after art school, Layl and her boyfriend moved to Minneapolis and for the past 27 years they have run their own studio for handmade tile and her sculptural work called Clay Squared to Infinity, which is located in NE Minneapolis.
Layl says of her work, “I’ve worked mainly in polymer clay for about 24 years. Before that I made more mixed media art with fabric and found objects with just a little bit of clay added. Now I seem to be going back more into mixed media by adding more different materials including found objects and paper collage. This has been a fun direction because I am challenged by the engineering of melding different materials together and pushing the messages I am trying to convey.”
Layl tells us about her current work, “My most recent work has been about the way we as humans connect to the animals and the environment. I have always used animals as a subject matter in my work, sometimes in whimsical ways, but lately I’ve been connecting more to science and thinking about how I can convey the things I learn through my mixed media sculptures. I have used all kinds of materials, but polymer clay is the uniting factor that has tiny images and designs which are created by the millefiori technique. Many of my pieces will evoke a sensation of story and I hope the viewers will spend time with the pieces to discover the hidden details and all the layers of meaning within each piece.”
Layl McDill is also offering a polymer clay workshop where students can learn to create with polymer clay. If you are interested, you can go to this link for more information: https://app.getoccasion.com/p/n/mdrdsg4D/v5
Nooks and Crannies Coalesce will remain in the Jan Johansen Gallery through May 11, 2024.

Next Gallery Show: It’s Never Too Late to be an Artist

Rumriver Art Center presents a new gallery show titled: It’s Never Too Late to be an Artist. The show opens in the Jan Johansen Gallery (2665 4th Ave, Suite 103A) on Saturday, April 20, 2024, from 2-4 pm. It’s Never Too Late to be an Artist is a Retrospective show featuring oil paintings and sculptural work by Dianne Luckett. Luckett will be hosting a Meet the Artist in the gallery on Saturday, June 1 from 1-3 pm and an Artist Talk on Friday, June 7 at 6pm where attendees will learn about her as an artist and the creative process she uses in creating her artwork. All gallery activities are free and open to the public.
Dianne Luckett has lived in Anoka for most of her life. She was born here and says there is nowhere else she would rather be. Luckett worked as a realtor and she took classes relating to art, but didn’t have the time to really get into it until she retired. At that time, her and her husband bought a home in Arizona for the winter months. She loved taking clay classes in Arizona but didn’t have a place to do so in Anoka, so she took up oil painting until she discovered Rumriver Art Center. Oil painting is what Luckett spends her time mostly on. She says “My easel is always set up, ready for my next endeavor. No subject is safe from my brush! I like to paint portraits as well as flowers and scenes from my travels. I plan to paint until I’m old, I’m only 88 now.” Please stop on by to see this fun show with a lot of amazing paintings and sculptures!
It’s Never Too Late to be an Artist will remain in the Jan Johansen Gallery through June 8, 2024.

Past Shows