The Pine Center for the Arts will be awash in color with featured artists Trudy Mintun and Kit Piltingsrud exhibiting their work throughout the month of February. The artists bring a vivid juxtaposition of concise patterns and flowing abstracts, each with the goal of invoking a sense of peace.
While Piltingsrud is a lifelong artist, the work she’s showing in February is a new technique she’s exploring. Piltingsrud creates intricate and precise dot mandalas on various materials. The technique originated in aboriginal Australia and in Sanskrit, mandala means a circle representing the universe.
“I been doing art my whole life but this particular medium I’ve been doing almost a year,” she said. “I watched others create similar works on social media and thought I’d like to try it. I taught myself from watching others.”
Piltingsrud hopes that people who view her art will feel the same sense of peace that she feels while creating it.
Like Piltingsrud, Mintun has been utilizing her art technique for a short time, since 2019. She, too, discovered new techniques through social media.
“I watch Youtube videos to learn more about the different techniques,” she said. “Some of the colors I see other artists using spark something in me.”
Mintun hopes the soft flow and movement of color of her art encourages viewers “to feel peace, hope, maybe tranquility. I have a 3 piece series that is rather dark, but powerful. Mostly, I like things to hopefully feel light and hopeful.”
The Tranquility of Color opens on Friday, January 28. The public is invited to an artists’ reception from 4-7 p.m. on Friday, February 11. Wine, beer and light appetizers will be served. The gallery will continue throughout the month of February. Regular gallery hours are 11 am-5 pm, Thursday and 10 am-5 pm, Friday-Sunday. The gallery is free and open to the public.
This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through an operating grant from the East Central Regional Arts Council, thanks to legislative appropriations from the Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund.
