ArtReach Events Calendar

The Rivertown Fall Art Festival has been part of the beautiful and historic Stillwater riverfront for over 30 years. This event will feature high-end artwork ranging from custom made jewelry, hand-thrown pottery & hand-blown glass, to gorgeous paintings, photographs, lovely fiber work, wood and more. This event is a juried event.

Our festival has been a popular and well attended event attracting more than 10,000 people from across the Midwest. Relax on the grass and listen to live music, shop, enjoy some adult beverages and wonderful food.

We are pleased to share our riverfront with you in Lowell Park, the heart of Stillwater, Minnesota. Enjoy the view and welcome to the valley!

Creativity will converge at our little Stillwater barn, rallying around Furniture Builder Joel Nichols remodeled 1965 vintage airstream trailer that will be parked out front for viewing joelnicholsfurniture. Joel used every skill set he has for this project " there is no room for bad design in small spaces" We design rugs for small spaces too! And not only that, Contemporary Landscape Painter Mary Jo Van Dell maryjovandell has added small framed paintings to her offerings, and the table is set with Guillermo Cuellar's pottery guillermopottery. It's a Rug, Painting, Pottery & Airstream dream idea sale! Check our website for more details and rain date option artandes.com

The artwork in the exhibit moves beyond conventional pairings of text and illustration and features artists who create encounters of words and image that turn their work into neither text nor image, but fresh composites that churn up something new.

“Our show focuses on women artists, whose voices have often been marginalized. We speak from lives in multiple worlds and invent fresh ways to speak through our art. We reach for the power of words, letting our art, as well as ourselves, be truly seen as well as heard,” expresses exhibiting artist Susan Armington who worked with fellow artist Hend Al-Mansour to organize the show.

The overarching aim of Breath of Words is for women artists to innovate and provoke new approaches to telling their stories through art. They ask themselves, what are the issues that haunt and concern us and how can we use words and texts expressively to activate thought and feeling in our work?

Exhibiting Artists are Hend Al-Mansour, Susan Armington, Robyn Awend, Rani Halpern, Nina Ghanbarzadeh, Fawzia Khan and Anna Metcalfe.

John H. Potter Theater

Figaro! Figaro! Figaro! The SCVO presents a new adaptation for young spectators of one of the most popular operas and most famous operatic characters. With homages from Bugs Bunny to Mrs. Doubtfire, Rossini’s The Barber of Seville provides a wonderfully suitable (and whacky) introduction of this timeless classic. Follow Figaro on his mischievous escapades to unite an unlikely couple and ensure that true love wins the day.

Best for ages 4 and over.

This session with The Loft Literary Center is for avid readers who want to learn what their favorite stories and characters can teach them about writing their own strong stories. This class will teach techniques for reading as writers and is intended for readers and writers alike.

Have you ever wanted to learn about Aerial Silks?

AERIAL SILKS *6 week INTRO course:

Dreaming of life in the circus? This 6 week series is designed for beginners. In this series, students will be introduced to aerial fitness and provided with a foundation of key movements. Throughout our time together, students will begin to master beginner moves and unique poses that will work together. Students will learn tricks, poses, spins, climbs, while also building muscle, endurance, and flexibility.

This class is designed for anyone 14+ years of age.

Ages 14-17 Must have parent or guardian sign a waiver prior to your 1st class.

This intro COURSE is designed for someone who has never experienced pole fitness and wants to learn the art of pole in a fun and welcoming environment.

- All participants within this class must be 14 years or older.

**Ages 14-17 must have a parent or guardian sign a waiver before your 1st class.**

Tuesdays, June 21 through October 11
11am - 3pm (new time!)
Curve Crest Clinic, Specialty parking lot

We would like to welcome the following vendors and a food truck!
4-R Farms – Vegetables & berries

Davis Urban Farms – Honey, bees wax products, jams, sauces, pickled foods, plants, produce

Elephant Ears – Vegetables & berries

Minnesota’s Vegetable – Vegetables

Slinger’s Apiary – Gluten-dairy-soy-nut free breads, various whole grains

Xiong’s Fresh Garden – Vegetables & flowers

Marine Maple – Maple Syrup

Vang Family – Vegetables

Taqueria los Paisanos – food truck

This presentation, by Amber Annis (Cheyenne River Lakota), Director of Native American Initiatives of the Minnesota Historical Society, and her team will provide an overview of the work that they do across Minnesota and beyond to share their resources and provide access to the Historical Society. They will discuss the work being done to strengthen the representation of Native nations and communities in Minnesota.

The Native American Student Alliance of Stillwater Area High School (NASA) will be in the Gallery demonstrating educational trunks of artifacts, cultural, and historical information created by the Native American Parent Advisory Council of ISD #834 (NAPAC) for use in elementary classrooms. Two videos showing the work of these two groups will be presented.

This program is presented in partnership with NAPAC and Stillwater's Friday Study Club.

Enjoy stories, songs, poems and more to encourage the development of early literacy skills. Programs will be held outside on the 4th Street Lawn while weather permits. In case of inclement weather, the event will relocate inside to the Margaret Rivers Room. Please plan to follow current guidelines for group events attended by young children. No registration is required.

September 7: Teacher Sarah from Music Together in the Valley

September 14 and 21: Miss Alisa

September 28: Baby Bear and Miss Kim

October 5: Teacher Sarah from Music Together in the Valley

October 12, 18, 26: Baby Bear and Miss Kim

“Using my experiences and the surroundings I inhabit—both permanent and temporary—I create pieces that study the question: How are we connected to nature?” says Jennifer Anderson. “This question is explored and expressed with the joy and beauty of nature and their intricate networks, but also the pain and heartbreak from our impact and demands.”

Anderson’s showcased work is primarily executed in oil paint, collage and mixed media, watercolor and ink.

“My interest in used or abused materials is central to my work,” says K. Daphnae Koop. “It is an expression both of the life and beauty that exists in the ordinary, and of notions of reclamation and rebirth. The combination of carved texture, rich color, and sparkle of shattered glass acts as a visual reminder of the spirit and light that flows through each of us.”

Koop’s showcased work is primarily executed in recycled and rough milled woods and shattered glass. “The inspiration for my work lies in the materials: the castaway and the broken. These things form the detritus of our world, and carry the dirt and scars of their history with them,” says Koop.

Kat Nottingham is best known for her waterscape paintings in oil on canvas. Nottingham’s artwork reflects her reverence for the vastness, power, and beauty of nature. “In each of my paintings, I try to celebrate moments of precious beauty: a tree reflecting on water, the crest of a wave just before crashing on the beach, sunlight dancing across a still lake at sunrise,” she says.

Amy Usdin weaves abstract mental and physical landscapes onto aging fishing nets and nets meant to keep insects off horses. “By giving these once-functional nets new volume, I honor the revolving intersections of past and present,” Usdin says. “What began as autobiographical meditation has evolved into work that more broadly speaks to histories, loss and longing, and exists in other realms of interpretive possibilities.”

Artist Karen Tan will lead the class step by step through the process. No experience necessary; all levels are welcome. Materials will be provided during this in-person class at Stillwater Public Library.

Space is limited; registration is required.  Registration opens at 5:30 PM on Thursday, September 8.

Collective memory, a sense of place, and hope for tomorrow are What Bind Us Together. Provocative art by Jennifer Anderson, K. Daphnae Koop, Kat Nottingham and Amy Usdin examine these ties through paintings, textiles and assemblage.

We will start with a short discussion in the library, then move out to the terrace to practice.  Jerry will bring his own telescope for participants to use, plus we will have a library loaner telescope available to try as well.  Suitable for families and adults.  Watch your email, as this event may be cancelled or rescheduled due to poor weather or visibility.

Saturday Mornings! Located at 3rd & Pine Street, Riverview Parking Lot of the Stillwater Veterans Memorial, across from the Historic Courthouse in Stillwater. Enjoy an assortment of organic food, vegetables, crafts, fruits and local specialties.

We have several new vendors that you will enjoy meeting and trying their products.

Follow us on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stillwater-Minnesota-Farmers-Market/104646769583889?fref=ts

Booyah is a thick stew, believed to have originated in Belgium, and made throughout the Upper Midwestern United States.

Prices for the quarts of Booyah are the following:

$10 per quart for less than 4 quarts

$9 per quart for 4 quarts or more

Whether you’re a beginner or experienced birder, these hikes are a great way to get outdoors, listen to the sounds of nature, and learn to identify the birds that call the St. Croix Valley home.

Participants also have the opportunity to contribute to citizen science data collection by completing bird count surveys with your guide. The surveys collected will assist our Natural Resources team and related work in conjunction with the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Fund grant.

Stillwater Harvest Fest, held the second weekend of October each year, is one of the premier events in downtown Stillwater and one of the largest of its kind in the Midwest. Held on the banks of the St. Croix River, highlights of Harvest Fest include:

Giant Pumpkin Weigh Off
Pumpkin Drop from 100' crane
Pumpkin Regatta
Live Music
Beer & Wine Garden
Chili Cook Off
Vendor Market
Kid's Activities

2022 Schedule of Event will be posted HERE soon!

Join us for a #smashinggoodtime

Book your hotel early as accommodations fill up quickly for this weekend!

This program will be held on the Fourth Street Lawn, weather permitting. In case of inclement weather, the event will relocate inside to the Margaret Rivers Room. Please plan to follow current guidelines for group events attended by young children. No registration is required.

Clean out your garage, and update your ski gear! Winter is Coming!

It’s Back! Our second favorite season has arrived, join us Oct 8 & 9 as we Fall into Winter Festival at the return of the Ski Swap and Festival.

Ski Swap, Hiring Party, Pass Pick-up, Outdoor Food, Live Music, and more!

Food Trucks: www.zaapthaimn.com

D's Kitchen https://www.facebook.com/nhithien02

How to Swap: New this season, we are partnering with Team Afton (our non-profit ski club) For swap ‘How Tos’, find the details here: https://www.teamafton.com/swap/

Afton Alps is hiring! Our employee centric approach includes a $20 starting wage, free Epic Pass, industry perks, and much more.

On Tuesday, October 11, 2022, Dunrovin Retreat Center will host an Open House on its 50-acre hospitality campus, located at 15525 Saint Croix Trail North in Marine on Saint Croix, just 30 minutes from the Twin Cities.

Learn about overnight and daytime rentals for groups and individuals. Stop in anytime between 10 AM - 2 PM. Local and regional nonprofits, community organizations, schools, places of worship and businesses seeking overnight accommodations, meal services and/or meetings spaces are invited. During the Open House hours of 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., the Center will be offering facility tours, cabin viewings, tastings and nature walks.  RSVPs are appreciated to assist in planning.

Please email: GuestServices@Dunrovin.org.