A Long post about Vacations and Bathrooms

2023-06-08T00:44:55-04:00Articles|

A Long post about Vacations and Bathrooms I just returned from 2 glorious, restorative weeks on the shores of Lake Superior.  A beautiful surprise  appeared shortly before I packed up to come back to Minneapolis, were 2 beach artworks by Dale Kennedy. I arrived to a torn -up house.  The Gallery looks like a hazmat site!  Do you remember the scene in the movie ET when they wrapped the house and entered in hazmat suits to try to capture ET?  That's what the gallery/studio looks like! "Why?" you may ask. Well, the renovation continues.  I am installing a full bathroom on the first floor. It takes away some of  the exhibition space, but will be worth it in the end. Meanwhile, elsewhere in the house, more bathroom action. As you probably know, I live above the gallery. The bathroom upstairs was falling apart...in fact it is a wonder the toilet did not fall through the floor. But when I got home a few days ago, everything was stripped out of that bathroom and the fixtures were back ordered! My personal bathroom as it looks today. So, in the middle of the night, and all day too, I have [...]

Installation

2023-06-08T00:48:09-04:00Articles, Embroidery Art, News, Artists|

Installation The gallery is a quiet studio, talk radio in the background. This Saturday, it will light up with the second South Minneapolis Wild Wool Market. Ideas have been knocking around in my head that involves the little dresses again, but in 3-d with fiber. SO, I today I began. I like the relationships that are developing among the parts, although it is still too linear, simply curated objects rather than a full 3-d experience. I think the placenta dress needs to hang in space rather like the stuffed dress at the left.But with the wool market arriving in a couple of days, I will leave it as is for now. Susan Hensel Gallery The focus of Susan Hensel Gallery is on compelling objects, meaningful use of materials, and engaging sculpture. It is a gallery where experimental ideas and works of the hand join to create unique sensory experiences. Opened September 10th, 2004 Susan Hensel Gallery is a gallery/ workspace presenting 5-6 shows per year in an intimate space, with hardwood floors and high tin ceilings. In 2013 the interior space reverted to a working studio for Susan Hensel where she [...]

Sydney Aquarium after hours

2023-06-08T00:48:41-04:00Articles, Art|

Sydney Aquarium after hours I was not particularly looking forward to the Sydney Aquarium...You know, seen one seen them all. And I suppose it was not that unusual as aquariums go. BUT we got to see it with no strollers, no screaming kids, no cranky parents! The most exciting thing was seeing 2 real platypus! The were quite small, swimming far to quickly for my camera to catch them in the dark water. Holly is a woman from Florida who wears fine jewelry and always arrives fashionably and creatively dressed. Except for the Florida connection, I would never have dreamed of her special talent. Holly can talk to the sea creatures, even through the glass, and they appear to listen. Holly's normal voice is quite loud, brash, carrying far. When she talks to the sea creatures, she speaks with the tone of a new lover, sweet & inviting. The leopard ray came right to the glass and seemed to reach out to her. The dugong stopped sleeping, and swam to her. About Susan Hensel Gallery Opened September 10th, 2004 Susan Hensel Gallery was a gallery/ workspace presenting 5-6 shows per [...]

Project Gutenberg Project?

2023-06-08T00:50:18-04:00Exhibition, Artists, Art|

Project Gutenberg Project? Jeff Rathermal, Executive Director of Minnesota Center for Book Arts, stopped by the other day to show me how his exhibition, The Project Gutenberg Project, was coming along. He has been hard at work in his studio, working with the detritus from the Gutenberg Project. The Gutenberg Project disassembles old books, of varying value and states of repair, and digitizes them for posterity. You can actually download some from the internet. The gathering of the information is laudable, but the destruction of the books is sad. He has been examining the scraps, working with them to make beautiful objects that also comment on the irony of destroying to preserve. Textile Art by Susan Hensel Discover the transformative textile art by Susan Hensel. Susan Hensel is a multidisciplinary artist, with a 50+ year career. She combines a mixed media practice with embroidery across digital and manual platforms. She also makes sculptures and wall art using the colors and techniques of commercial embroidery. These artworks are designed in the computer and stitched out on the computer-aided embroidery machine. The goal is to create an experience for the viewer that overwhelms them with color. And yet transcends the quotidian, encouraging [...]

Radio coverage of Reader’s Art 11

2023-06-08T00:50:45-04:00Exhibition, News, Artists, Art|

Radio coverage of Reader's Art 11Jodi Reeb-Myers and I were interviewed by Jessica Folker of KFAI radio just before the opening of Reader's Art 11. The interview should air next Monday at 7:40 am during the show Takeaway, and either Monday or Wednesday of next week from 7:30-8 pm during the show MinneCulture. The station is at 90.3 pm in Minneapolis and streams live online.Susan Hensel GalleryThe focus of Susan Hensel Gallery is on compelling objects, meaningful use of materials, and engaging sculpture. It is a gallery where experimental ideas and works of the hand join to create unique sensory experiences. Opened September 10th, 2004 Susan Hensel Gallery is a gallery/ workspace presenting 5-6 shows per year in an intimate space. with hardwood floors and high tin ceilings.In 2013 the interior space reverted to a working studio for Susan Hensel where she continues to work on small and largescale artwork that engages. Both sculptural and cultural space. You can find Susan Hensel’s current work at www.SusanHenselProjects.com. The Susan Hensel Gallery is now a large window gallery on Cedar Avenue. The main thoroughfare in south Minneapolis and an online venture represented on Artsy.net.MissionThe focus of Susan Hensel Gallery is on compelling [...]

Installation is nearly done

2023-06-08T00:51:40-04:00Exhibition, News, Art|

Installation is nearly done Installing My Father's Religion is not difficult, but it is slow and painstaking. It involves wire, tools, plumbing pipe, picture wire, monofilament, a level...and forming, re-forming, frogging and knitting. The day was made much easier by the participation of Mark Carlson. My Father's Religion is showing in conjunction with : Opening Soon: My Father's Religion June 4- July 12 Opening Reception: June 17, 7-9pm Textile Art by Susan Hensel Discover the transformative textile art by Susan Hensel. Susan Hensel is a multidisciplinary artist, with a 50+ year career. She combines a mixed media practice with embroidery across digital and manual platforms. She also makes sculptures and wall art using the colors and techniques of commercial embroidery. These artworks are designed in the computer and stitched out on the computer-aided embroidery machine. The goal is to create an experience for the viewer that overwhelms them with color. And yet transcends every day, encouraging one. For even a few seconds, to step outside the narrative of the ego into a place of pure sensation. Find Susan's Fine Art Hensel’s artwork is known and collected all over the world. It is displayed in collecting libraries and museums. As disparate [...]

Travels with Leslie

2023-06-08T00:52:26-04:00Articles, News, Art|

Travels with Leslie Leslie Sobel's time in Minneapolis is coming to a close. We had a picnic by the Mississippi River and walked across the Stone Arch Bridge and continued on into the Mill Ruins Park. To observe the archaeological digs preserved for us. Her show runs through the end of the month. Be sure to call to see the work! We will be open Monday's and Friday's, 10-5. We will also be open May 29, 10-4 for the South Minneapolis Wild Wool Market. Be there or be square. Susan Hensel Gallery The focus of Susan Hensel Gallery is on compelling objects, meaningful use of materials, and engaging sculpture. It is a gallery where experimental ideas and works of the hand join to create unique sensory experiences. Opened September 10th, 2004 Susan Hensel Gallery is a gallery/ workspace presenting 5-6 shows per year in an intimate space. With hardwood floors and high tin ceilings. In 2013 the interior space reverted to a working studio for Susan Hensel where she continues to work on small and large scale artwork. This engages both sculptural and cultural space. You can find her current work at www.SusanHenselProjects.com. The Susan Hensel [...]

Threads and nets and wires…knitting a life

2023-06-08T00:56:23-04:00Articles, News, Art|

Threads and nets and wires...knitting a life As Libbie Soffer's work in ars domestica continues to question the threads of relationship and women's work through the ages... Carolyn Halliday's work picks up the thread and makes it hard and soft at once, knitting in copper wire of various gauges, entangling nature and definitions of body and self. Carolyn will lead a dialog with Libbie Soffer on Friday, May 20, around 7pm, as part of the Mending Circle Soiree that begins at 5pm. Susan Hensel Gallery The focus of Susan Hensel Gallery is on compelling objects, meaningful use of materials, and engaging sculpture. It is a gallery where experimental ideas and works of the hand join to create unique sensory experiences. Opened September 10th, 2004 Susan Hensel Gallery is a gallery/ workspace presenting 5-6 shows per year in an intimate space, with hardwood floors and high tin ceilings. In 2013 the interior space reverted to a working studio for Susan Hensel where she continues to work on small and largescale artwork that engages both sculptural and cultural space. You can find her current work at www.SusanHenselProjects.com.

Soldier PJ’s

2023-06-08T01:00:09-04:00Articles|

Soldier PJ's These were Jon's pajamas when he was 6 years old. Before the time of Disney and Warner Brothers cartoon characters, boys were limited cowboys, toy soldiers and the occasional deer. Jon loved his soldier pjs dearly. Speaking of deer, his family went on a camping trip and had to take their pjs with them. It rained the whole way there and since they were pulling a boat behind the car everything in the boat became very wet. Once they set up the tent his mom thought is would be a good idea to try to dry out their clothes on the grill. For whatever reason, she chose to dry out Jon's flannel red housecoat with the deer heads first. Almost immediately they caught on fire. Luckily his soldier pajamas weren’t harmed at the time. Incidentally, after this horror and Jon's crying for a solid hour, his family decided to call it quits in the middle of the night and head home. They were tired, sad, broken hearten and very damp. It was their first and last camping trip as a family. Memories, memories. 2006 Don't forget! Reader's Art ends April 15, whether you have filed your [...]

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