Groveland Gallery, a Hill & Lake area venue for artwork by outstanding regional artists, presents BWCA, an exhibition of new works by William Murray, Michael Paul and East Isles artist Charles Lyon. The artists share an affinity for the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, each one bringing his own unique approach to capturing the character of the region.
The gallery, located in Lowry Hill overlooking the Walker Art Center, will host a roundtable discussion moderated by a representative from Save the Boundary Waters on April 6 from 3-4:30 p.m. A panel of five Groveland artists will explore the meeting point of art and conservation, drawing from years spent capturing the beauty of the BWCA and studying the region. Topics will move among art, the outdoors and movements to protect one of Minnesota’s greatest natural treasures. Participants will be Charles Lyon, Tom Maakestad, William Murray, Michael Paul and Holly Swift.
Neighbors are encouraged to attend the March 9 opening reception of the BWCA exhibit and the April 6 roundtable. I’m excited for the opportunity to share this work, and later hear the artists’ perspectives surrounding their experiences depicting the Boundary Waters. These artists examine the nuances of the natural landscape and show it to us in unique ways. Their willingness to share these experiences allow us into that moment and place.
I first experienced the BWCA for myself in the middle of winter in January 1995. That winter, when my husband and I first moved to Minnesota, we spent a week at the Borderland Lodge within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. This was our introduction to the BWCA and winter in Minnesota. We cross-country skied, saw several moose and signs of wolves, and rode across a lake while tucked into a dog sled. We returned to the BWCA a couple of summers later with our first canoe and adventurous spirits.
Groveland is well known for exhibiting representational paintings, drawings and fine art prints. The three artists whose work will be on display in BWCA frequently choose to portray the area in their work. Charles Lyon settled in Minnesota in 1994 after spending over a decade living in the Arizona high desert. Charles’s new work is inspired by a love for the Northern Minnesota wilderness. Charles explains, “Traveling by canoe is one of my favorite ways to experience wilderness. Silently gliding over iron-tinged water in the BWCA is deeply satisfying physically and aesthetically. The sky and water merge as one gets lost in the rhythm of paddling. And it is a humbling experience trying to navigate.”
William Murray was born in St. Paul. Before beginning his painting career, William served in the Coast Guard on the Great Lakes and trapped lobster in Nova Scotia. Having sailed for four years on Lakes Michigan and Superior on an ice breaker and a search and rescue vessel, the artist is no stranger to the wild and challenging landscape of the North. The BWCA region has inspired him for many years, as he has dedicated himself to capturing the area in watercolor.
Michael Paul’s subject matter ranges from the expanse of the Great Plains to the sublime beauty of Minnesota. His realist depictions of still water and evening light celebrate the awe found through experiencing wilderness, the feelings of solitude and openness enhanced by the quiet sensibility inherent in his silverpoint drawing. He writes of this latest work, “In northern Minnesota, a landscape littered with lakes and rivers, water is the main attraction. It is the supporting actors, though, that give it texture and meaning: trees of course, and islands, rocks, cliffs, the forest floor along a portage, or even the soulful call of a loon.”
The artists will be present at the opening reception for BWCA on Saturday, March 9 from 2-5 p.m., and at the roundtable discussion on April 6 from 3-4:30 p.m. The exhibition continues through April 13.
