Staff Directory 6370406

Alicia Eler

Critic / reporter | Visual art
Phone: 612-673-4437
Recent content from Alicia Eler
Groveland Gallery Director Sally Johnson shares a smile inside her favorite exhibit room at the gallery in Minneapolis, Minn., on Thursday, May 18, 20

How Minneapolis' Groveland Gallery has stayed in business for 50 years

Groveland Gallery director Sally Johnson is celebrating the gallery's half-century with three consecutive exhibits exploring its history.
Three Minneapolis outdoor art experiences to welcome spring

Three Minneapolis outdoor art experiences to welcome spring

Spin into Art-A-Whirl, experience art and healing at George Floyd Square, or play mini-golf on the rooftop of the Walker Art Center.
“Spencer” (detail), 2019, by Christopher Selleck

3 must-see art exhibits in the Twin Cities

Shows at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, All My Relations and NE Sculpture Gallery take on grief, painting aesthetics and male bodybuilding.
Visitor damages ancient owl in Minneapolis Institute of Art's Chinese Bronzes exhibition

Visitor damages ancient owl in Minneapolis Institute of Art's Chinese Bronzes exhibition

The museum is currently assessing damages and conservation needs.
Highpoint Center for Printmaking’s Artistic Director and Master Printer Cole Rogers is retiring.

After 22 years, Highpoint Center for Printmaking co-founder Cole Rogers steps down

Rogers and his wife Carla McGrath opened Highpoint in October 2001
View of the exhibition “A Million Things to Say” at the Museum of Contemporary Art and Design in Manila, 2018.

Filipina American artist Pacita Abad finally gets her due at the Walker Art Center

After self-exile from the Philippines and leaving law behind, Abad made a name for herself in art
New Yorker cartoonist Roz Chast in her studio

New Yorker cartoonist Roz Chast's comics travel to Stillwater

The famous humor cartoonist's work is on view at ArtReach St. Croix as part of the NEA Big Read.
Two Minneapolis art exhibits coincide with the Russian-Ukraine war's one-year anniversary

Two Minneapolis art exhibits coincide with the Russian-Ukraine war's one-year anniversary

Photographs and paintings depict visions of the war.
Artist Kahlil Robert Irving's Walker Art Center exhibition invites us to stay in the present

Artist Kahlil Robert Irving's Walker Art Center exhibition invites us to stay in the present

The St. Louis-based artist uses everyday objects in his ceramic sculptures on display at the Minneapolis museum.
Molly Steenson will be the next president and CEO of the American Swedish Institute.

American Swedish Institute hires leader with Twin Cities ties, academic background

Molly Steenson returns to the Twin Cities after 30 years of design, architecture and academic work.
View of Target Gallery with objects installed for the exhibition “Eternal Offerings: Chinese Ritual Bronzes” at Minneapolis Institute of Art.

Chinese bronzes get theatrical treatment at the Minneapolis Institute of Art

Works in the show range from the late Shang to Zhou dynasties (1200s-200s B.C.)
Minneapolis Institute of Art union members held an informational picket on Feb. 16 as part of contract negotiations.

Mia union workers and management agree to a new 2½-year contract

The negotiations had been ongoing since November.
Angela Two Stars, “Priceless Winyans” (detail). Fabric, ribbon, paper, handwritten Dakota phrases

Reviews: Three Twin Cities art exhibits worth a look before they close

The shows explore L.A. aesthetics, Minnesota hidden gems & Angela Two Stars' healing process.
Digital art exhibit at Weisman Art Museum peers into the future and the past

Digital art exhibit at Weisman Art Museum peers into the future and the past

Nineteen international artists' works are on display in this technologically inquisitive journey from the Chicago-based Thoma Foundation.
David Goldes, “Microbia,” 2020.

Artist David Goldes plays with electricity — and wins in 'Unpredictable' Dreamsong exhibit

The former MCAD professor uses graphite and silver as conductors in creating art.
Hazel Selb, 2, explores a piece modeled after Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa,” at the Minnesota Children’s Museum in St. Paul, Minn., on Tuesd

Step into da Vinci's 'Mona Lisa' and other artworks at the Minnesota Children's Museum

The exhibition toured other children's museums, and now returns to St. Paul.
Jo Andersson, “Being - Light Vessel,” on view in “Fluidity: Identity in Swedish Glass” at the American Swedish Institute. Artists in the show

At American Swedish Institute, glass becomes a meditative experience

Artist Jo Andersson's work is the starting point for a tour through Swedish glass art from the 20th century to today.
Retired Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Alan Page, and his daughter Georgi Page-Smith, posed for a portrait at the family home Tuesday, Jan.24.2023 in

'TESTIFY: Americana from Slavery to Today' exhibition returns to Mpls. library

The exhibition opened for the first time in 2018.
Art works by Arlene Burke-Morgan and Clarence Morgan now on exhibit at the Katherine E. Nash Gallery on the University of Minnesota campus in Minneapo

Nearly 50 years of Arlene Burke-Morgan and C. Morgan art on exhibit at Nash Gallery

100 artworks and nearly 50 years of life come together in exhibition "A Tender Spirit, a Vital Form."
At Art Shanty Projects, the Fashion Disasters Hurricane spins into an icy landscape.

7 not-to-miss shanties at this year's Art Shanty Projects

Shaky ice conditions moved this year's experience from lake ice to land for the second time ever.
A work from Miles Mendenhall’s “Flowers” exhibit

4 Minneapolis art shows to catch as winter rages on

From legendary Twin Cities artist Bill Cottman to images of lilacs, there's color this winter in the Twin Cities.
Art Shanty Projects moves from ice to land for the 2023 program.

Art Shanty Projects slated for frozen Lake Harriet move to land because of deteriorating ice

This is the second time in its 19-year history that such a move has become necessary.
Minneapolis Institute of Art

Minneapolis Institute of Art and Walker Art Center finish in the black

Both institutions reported an increase in attendance and expanded open hours.
American artist Gertrude Abercrombie’s oil on canvas work “Search for Rest,” 1951, was on display in “Supernatural America: The Paranormal in

'Supernatural America,' beloved artist Jim Denomie and Botticelli colored the year in visual art

1. "Supernatural America: The Paranormal in American Art." Minneapolis Institute of Art hosted the country's first major museum exhibition to examine artists' relationship to…
Visitors browse artworks at the Northrup King Building during an open house

Twin Cities holiday gift ideas for the art lover in your life

Buy art by local artists ranging from a few bucks to $1,000.
Hmong-American photographer Pao Houa Her is the Star Tribune's Artist of the Year who has been documenting the Hmong diaspora in MINNEAPOLIS, Minn., o

Artist of the Year: Minnesota photographer Pao Houa Her illuminates Hmong culture

In 2022, the artist debuted her work at the Whitney Biennial, Walker Art Center and Paris Photo, and stays committed to Minnesota.
Austrian activists of Last Generation Austria splashed a Gustav Klimt painting with oil in the Leopold Museum in Vienna on Nov. 15. The painting is be

Twin Cities arts leaders confident in museum security despite international artwork attacks

There haven't been any artwork attacks or vandalism recently at Twin Cities arts institutions.
Paul Chan, Khara En Penta (Joyer in 5), 2019  Courtesy the artist and Greene Naftali, New York

After a 10-year 'breather,' artist Paul Chan returns with a solo show at the Walker Art Center

The internationally renowned N.Y.-based artist launched an experimental publishing house, among other adventures, during his "breather."
The University of Minnesota’s Weisman Art Museum is one of 120 organizations to receive the award.

Weisman Art Museum receives nearly $240K grant toward Indigenous reconciliation project

The grant focuses on a truth and reconciliation project, including consultation with Indigenous communities with an aim toward decolonizing.
Minneapolis College of Art and Design's in-person art sale returns

Minneapolis College of Art and Design's in-person art sale returns

MCAD invites alumni from the past 25 years back to sell work for the anniversary bash.
St. Paul photographer Nell Ytsma, known for her social activism, documentary and community projects, dies at 73

St. Paul photographer Nell Ytsma, known for her social activism, documentary and community projects, dies at 73

An immigrant from the Netherlands, Ytsma's work was deeply embedded in her local community.
Tetsuya Yamada, “From 3 Parts: In and Out Out and In,” 2019. Fired clay, newspaper. 23 x 23 x 8 inches. Image courtesy the artist and Midway Co

Reviews: 'Reckoning,' 'Shallow River' and 'Dead Serious' are Twin Cities art exhibits to see

Artists Harriet Bart, Tetsuya Yamada and Luis Fitch mount solo exhibitions.
Arte povera artist Jannis Kounellis exhibition opens at Walker Art Center

Arte povera artist Jannis Kounellis exhibition opens at Walker Art Center

It's the first major U.S. retrospective of the artist's work in more than 30 years.
Mia’s Jonathan Hamilton fine-tuned the lighting on Botticelli’s “Adoration of the Child with Angels (Madonna of the Roses).” 

Works of Botticelli and other Renaissance artists visit Minneapolis Institute of Art

This special collaboration with Florence's Uffizi Gallery brings to the U.S. more than 45 works that rarely leave Italy.
Duncan Hannah, Minneapolis kid turned international artist, dies at 69

Duncan Hannah, Minneapolis kid turned international artist, dies at 69

His memoir, "Twentieth-Century Boy: Notebooks of the Seventies," paints New York through his eyes as he rubbed shoulders with David Bowie, Andy Warhol and others.
Stephen Marc, Untitled (Columbia, South Carolina),” 2015 Digital photograph/inkjet print, 16 x 24 in. Courtesy of the artist.

'A Picture Gallery of the Soul' photography exhibit presents the Black American experience

More than 100 artists are part of the show at the University of Minnesota's Nash Gallery.
The OMNIS sculpture outside Allianz Stadium in the evening sun before a game with Everton on July 20 St. Paul.

Former UnitedHealth Group CEO Bill McGuire marries soccer and art

A 12-foot-tall bronze sculpture at Allianz Field offers fans another look into the meaning of soccer.
Jehra Patrick, left, and Alissa Light, two new leaders in the Twin Cities arts scene, stand along Bde Maka Ska.

Bakken Museum, Highpoint Center for Printmaking poised for change with new leadership

Alissa Light and Jehra Patrick plan to build on the legacies of these institutions in their new roles.
10 must-see Twin Cities art exhibitions coming fall 2022

10 must-see Twin Cities art exhibitions coming fall 2022

'Botticelli and Renaissance Florence: Masterworks from the Uffizi' Renaissance Florence comes to Minneapolis through an exhibition straight from the Uffizi Galleries in Italy. The…
Stone sculptor Inkpa Mani was picked for a prestigious public art project at Water Works park in March.

Water Works artist Inkpa Mani resigned amid accusations of cultural appropriation

Inkpa Mani, née Javier Lara-Ruiz, was awarded a $400,000 commission to create a stone sculpture in downtown Minneapolis. A few months later, his contract came to an abrupt end.
“Waiting, Longing” by Beth Thompson is on display Friday, August 26, 2022 in the Fine Arts Exhibition at the Minnesota State Fair in St. Paul, Min

10 artworks to see at the Minnesota State Fair fine art exhibition

More than 2,200 works were submitted, but only 324 made the cut.
A vegetarian journey through Turkish cuisine in meat-centric Istanbul

A vegetarian journey through Turkish cuisine in meat-centric Istanbul

A return to Istanbul uncovers a new food trend: veggie versions of Turkish favorites.
(08/20/22) - Guests gather around the “To Sit Awhile” installation by sculptor Alison Saar at the block party at the Pillsbury House in Minneapoli

Come 'sit awhile' in a parking lot with legendary playwright Lorraine Hansberry

A 2,000-pound bronze sculpture celebrating Hansberry's life, created by international artist Alison Saar, stops in Minneapolis on its U.S. tour.
Revere Auctions co-founder Sean Blanchet in front of a collection of angel paintings from Aveda and Intelligent Nutrients founder Horst Rechelbacher t

What Minnesota's millionaire hairdresser Horst, of Aveda fame, left behind

Nearly 2,000 art objects from Horst Rechelbacher's personal collection will go up for auction.
Piotr Szyhalski, “Politprop, 1995.” Stenciled acrylic paint on paper, 24 x 18 in. This design employs the infamous racist Nazi slogan “Arbeit Ma

Working all the time? A Weisman Art Museum exhibit explores the meaning of labor

COVID delayed MCAD professor Piotr Szyhalski's survey show for two years, but gave him time to reflect on the pandemic's political undertones.
'Morning Dip' exhibit wades into diasporic waters at the American Swedish Institute

'Morning Dip' exhibit wades into diasporic waters at the American Swedish Institute

Swedish-American artist Peggy Anderson uses large-format photography to capture Swedes' daily ritual.
New University of Minnesota exhibition is awash in plastic

New University of Minnesota exhibition is awash in plastic

"Plastic Rapt" traces the use of the ubiquitous material in everything from billiard balls to dress shirts.
Pao Houa Her at her home in Blaine, Wednesday, July 13, 2022, Blaine, Minn. Pao Houa Her, a Hmong-American photographer whose work is featured in this

From Laos to Minnesota, international artist Pao Houa Her captures the Hmong American experience

The Blaine-based photographer's work was part of 2022's prestigious Whitney Biennial, and now she has a solo exhibition of new work at the Walker Art Center.
Still image from the video “An Interview with Artist Joshua McGarvey” for his solo exhibition POSTURING at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. The a

Artist plays with constructed realities in 'POSTURING' exhibition at Minneapolis Institute of Art

University of Minnesota MFA graduate Joshua McGarvey uses a copy of a copy of the famous "Doryphoros" in the show.
‘‘Spoonbridge and Cherry,” by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen, at the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden.

Artist Claes Oldenburg, creator of Minneapolis' iconic 'Spoonbridge and Cherry' sculpture, dies

Pop artist Claes Oldenburg, co-creator of the iconic Twin Cities fountain sculpture "Spoonbridge and Cherry," died at his home in Manhattan on Monday. Oldenburg had…
17 Midwest artists offer a peek into Black Abstraction art in SooVAC exhibit

17 Midwest artists offer a peek into Black Abstraction art in SooVAC exhibit

In group exhibition, Midwestern artists working in Black Abstraction find one another.
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Minneapolis Institute of Art Japanese textile show 'Dressed by Nature' features naturally made fabrics

Mia purchased more than 120 textiles from a private collector in California.
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Intimate Van Gogh exhibition focused on his last years lands at Minneapolis Institute of Art

The traveling exhibition is a collaboration between the Dallas Museum of Art and the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.
Gate to the Golden Dream by Michael Pavlik, 1994, at the Cafesjian Art Trust Museum, a new space focused on glass art that opens fall 2022 and seen Mo

Cafesjian Art Trust Museum, a new space focused on glass art, to open in Shoreview

The other Cafesjian Art Museum is in Yerevan, Armenia.
The Rainbow flag, Bi flag, Trans flag and Leather flag at the start of the Pride parade down Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis.     ] GLEN STUBBE ¥ glen.stub

'Gay Pride was invented here': The origins of Pride in the Twin Cities

As the celebration marks its 50th anniversary next week, we trace its history through the words of the people who lived it.
José Ángel Santiago, “Binnigula’sa” (2022)

New Highpoint Center for Printmaking show focuses on artists from Oaxaca

Artist collective from Oaxaca builds connections with Minneapolis in new show.
Lelis Brito’s performance “You Change Me” on June 12 as part of Northern Spark 2021.

Northern Spark returns with its original all-nighter format

Since 2018, the festival has gone from two nights to two weeks, a departure from the original all-nighter event.
Sam Durant’s drone sculpture, a representation of the unmanned Predator drone, is displayed on the High Line, Thursday, June 3, 2021, in New York. T

Headed to New York City for a long weekend? Here's a guide for a whirlwind art tour

A three-day itinerary of art in the Big Apple, from the High Line to Lower Manhattan.
2022 Franconia Fellow Marcela Torres works on her upcoming project“Xochiotia”, an outdoor adobe sculpture that re-envisions Flower Mountain, a pre

4Ground Midwest Land Art Biennial showcases sustainable art for the land in Upper Midwest

Two-month-long, multi-state land art biennial raises awareness of environmental and historical issues.
International muralist Hiero Veiga continues work on the Official Prince Mural in Downtown Minneapolis on the Ramp A wall on First Ave. on Tuesday, Ma

Larger than life: Prince mural nears completion in downtown Minneapolis

Just steps from Prince's old haunt, the First Avenue nightclub, a nearly 100-foot mural of the music icon is slowly emerging.International artist Hiero (pronounced…
A sculpture based on “Chromie Squiggle,” an NFT created using generative code, stands on the front lawn of the Porch Gallery at 3306 Park Av. S. i

Pssst, there's an NFT art party this weekend at a house in south Minneapolis

Virtual art meets physical space at the experiment-minded Porch Gallery.
Art-a-Whirl revelers took in a concert outside the 331 Club.

10 ways to savor the return of Art-A-Whirl to northeast Minneapolis this weekend

The nation's largest studio crawl is back in full force starting Friday.
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The best way to start a world-class art collection? 'Listen to your mommy'

Mpls. Institute of Art puts the spotlight on two Twin Cities art lovers.
'Banksy' is here, but not everybody in the Minneapolis art community is happy about it

'Banksy' is here, but not everybody in the Minneapolis art community is happy about it

To some, it's a cash grab, but others see a benefit for NE. Minneapolis.
Emanuel Leutze, “Washington Crossing the Delaware.” Courtesy of Christie’s Images Ltd. 2022

Iconic painting of George Washington expected to sell for $15 million or more

"Washington Crossing the Delaware," which hung for years in Winona's Minnesota Marine Art Museum, is being sold at auction.
Liz Larner’s “No M, No D, Only S & B,” is one of 30 works in the artist’s large survey exhibition now on view at the Walker Art Center.

Liz Larner's new sculpture show at Walker Art Center is literally smashing

The L.A. artist gets physical in works that defy categorization.
Kate Beane is the 10th executive director of the Minnesota Museum of American Art in St. Paul.

What's up next for the Minnesota Museum of American Art?

Kate Beane, who led Native initiatives at the Minnesota Historical Society, outlines her ideas for the still-shuttered St. Paul institution.
Installation from Chris Larson’s exhibition “The Residue of Labor” at Engage Projects in Chicago

50,000 spools of thread inspire St. Paul artist Chris Larson's huge show in Chicago

The artist spent two years sifting through the remains of an abandoned garment factory in Tennessee.
Bruce Karstadt, president and CEO of the American Swedish Institute in Minneapolis, led a 2012 expansion that added the modern-styled Nelson Cultural

Leader who grew Minnesota's American Swedish Institute to step down after three decades

With a fascination for all things Swedish, Bruce Karstadt expanded the organization's reach to a broader community.
L-R) Pao Houa Her and Dyani White Hawk pose for a photo in front of Dyani White Hawk’s work at the Whitney Museum of Art during its Biennial in New

Two Minnesotans shine at Whitney Biennial, one of art world's biggest events

Artists Pao Houa Her and Dyani White Hawk represent Minnesota — and their own communities — at New York's prestigious Whitney Biennial.
Photographer Amy Anderson’s portraits of people shot at the Bachelor Farmer Café before it closed down during the pandemic

Spring into spring at these four Twin Cities art exhibitions

Still life, portraits, shag rugs and some hope for the future.
Members of the ‘Gran Caravana,’ (Big Caravan), pass the Cuba-centric San Carlos Institute on Duval Street Wednesday, July 14, 2021, in Key West, F

Take a trip through Cuban history and culture in tropical Key West

The sunny Florida island (and southernmost point of the continental U.S.) is full of Cuban-American connections, if you know where to look.
“Four Days and Four Nites: Orange River” by artist Jim Denomie.

Jim Denomie's presence endures at solo exhibition, even without him

The late artist's last exhibit, "Sweet Dreams," is on display at ArtReach St. Croix in Stillwater.
The marble sculpture, “Doryphoros,” is well-known to museum goers.

Italian court demands Minneapolis Institute of Art return $2.5 million sculpture

Roman work long greeted visitors in museum's rotunda.
At the third stop on Marlena Myles’ “Dakota Spirit Walk” at the Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary, Íŋyaŋ, Grandfather Stone, appears in at the San

Walk with spirits and connect with Dakota history at St. Paul nature sanctuary

Animated creations are superimposed on the landscape in an augmented reality installation at Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary.