·:[ Prairie Renaissance Cultural Alliance ]:·
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Have you ever wondered how people make glass pieces that we can drink and eat from as well as use for a decorative piece in our home? Now you can see for yourself! The Prairie Renaissance Cultural Alliance is offering a tour of John Oleson’s White Pine Studio located just outside of Vining, in the beautiful Lakes region of Northwestern Minnesota. John will be giving us a tour of his glass studio and a demonstration of his glassblowing technique. The tour is Saturday, June 14. We will be leaving PRCA, 630 Atlantic Ave. at 8:00 am. The cost for the tour is $12. Contact the PRCA at 320-585-5037 to sign up or for more information.

A native of rural northern Minnesota, John Oleson is a glassblower who has a special talent for combining form and color to create pieces of glass that are functional as well as beautiful.

The Prairie Renaissance Cultural Alliance is holding the 7th Annual Photo Contest, open to amateur photographers of all ages and completely free. The deadline for submitting photographs is June 20th at 5:30pm. Winners will be announced on Sunday afternoon of Prairie Pioneer Days, July 13th, at East Side Park in Morris.

This year, prizes will be given in each of five categories: Community, The Natural World Around Us, Future Generations, The Wetlands, and The Minnesota Sesquicentennial. The category “The Wetlands” is sponsored by the Friends of the Morris Wetland Management District. Any photographs taken in Waterfowl Production Areas and especially photos taken from the photographer’s blind at the Morris Wetland Management District are welcome. All other categories are sponsored by local area businesses.

A judge will select three winners in each category. The judge will be named at the end of the contest. One “Best of Show” winner will be chosen by the public. Everyone is invited to come by the Prairie Renaissance Cultural Alliance to vote on a favorite photograph. Viewers are asked to vote only once. Voting will take place from June 21 until July12. The Cultural Center is open Tuesday to Friday 11:00 am until 5:30 pm and Saturday from 10:00-2:00.

Photographers may submit one photograph per category for the photo contest. All photos can be submitted at the Prairie Renaissance Cultural Alliance, 630 Atlantic Ave in Morris. There is no entrance fee. Photos should be unframed, unmatted and between the sizes of 4 x 6 and 8 x 10. All photographs will continue to be on display for two weeks after Prairie Pioneer Days and can be picked up after July 27.

For more information contact PRCA at (320) 585-5037, email prca@prairierenaissance.org or visit www.prairierenaissance.org.

The Prairie Renaissance Cultural Alliance will host the 5th Annual Prairie Camp, an arts day camp for kids. It will be held at the Morris Area High School June 9-20.
The Prairie Camp is 10 days of inspired fun. We’ll start with a field trip to the Morris Area Wetlands. Then we’ll read a folk tale from our region. Local musicians, visual artists, teachers and writers will lead workshops that allow kids to let their imaginations soar. Kids will transform recycled materials into sculptures, puppets and paper. They’ll write lyrics and music, paint, dance and play handbells. For brochures and questions call 320-585-5037.

Magnificent large scale musical theater production to celebrate the Sesquicentennial.  Old Minnesota:  Song of the North Star, by the Big Top Chautauqua explores the history of Minnesota in scene, song and hundreds of historic images.  Central Square Glenwood 7:30pm. Tickets: $5 students, $20 adults.  Call for reservations.  320-634-0400.  1-866-497-0400. 

The Morris PlayRight Community Theatre and the UMM Jazz Band present “Saddle Soar” - a BONANZA of high-steppin’ fun - Friday, April 18th, 7:30pm, MAES Concert Hall, one night only.

You’ll hear great songs and some boot stompin’ music, watch silly skits (as usual with PlayRights) and there’s even the premiere of “Son of the Guns”, a silent movie discovered stashed away in the PlayRight vault (it took some doing to get the Zip-Loc bag open after so many years). As always, it’s a family-friendly evening.

Tickets are $10 general admission and $25 for a family ticket. Tickets are available starting at 5:30pm on the day of performance.

Prior to the performance enjoy a “Cowboy Grub” meal, and listen to live cowboy music. Sponsored by the Prairie Renaissance Cultural Alliance. Cost for the meal is $4.00.

UMM’s Public Engagement Day: Andrew Furco, associate vice president for public engagement, will be in the Morris community. To highlight some of the many engagement activities the public will be invited to three concurrent open houses to be held between 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. The three Morris locations that will be featured are: Legacy Living, 108 E 6th St, Prairie Renaissance Cultural Alliance, 603 Atlantic Ave, West Central Research and Outreach Center, 46352 State Highway 329. At 12:45 p.m., guests are invited to a Public Engagement Day local foods lunch in the Food Service Building at UMM. Featured speaker will be Associate Vice President Fruco. Space is limited so if those who are interested in attending the lunch are encouraged to RSVP to Jessica Beyer of the Center for Small Towns at jbeyer@morris.umn.edu/.

ARTISTS NEEDED FOR LOCAL FUNDRAISER!

Bread and Bowls, a fundraiser for Someplace Safe and the Stevens County Food Shelf, will be held on May 2 at the Morris Area Elementary School. A soup, salad, and bread meal, made with food donated by area businesses, will be served from 5:30-8:00 p.m. Participants can purchase a meal for a suggested donation of $10 or a bowl or cup to take home along with a meal for a suggested donation between $20-$40. All proceeds will benefit those in our community who are struggling due to poverty or domestic violence/sexual assault. Artists are invited to donate bowls or cups to the UMM service-learning program. Community members are also invited to donate an “ordinary” or store-bought bowl with a story about the bowl’s significance for sale at the fundraiser. Community organizations, including the PRCA, will be highlighted at the event and are invited to set up a table for additional sales or information-sharing. Contact PRCA at 320-585-5037 or Wendy Hyatt at (320) 589-6276 to donate a bowl!

Feb 1 & 2: Lisa Johannes presents a Jewelry Trunk Sale. Friday, Feb 1 from 3:00-5:00 pm and Saturday, Feb 2 from 10:00-12:00am. The sale is here at the PRCA 630 Atlantic Ave. Morris. The last time we saw Lisa Johannes in Morris, she was up on a scaffold, painting a mural on the dome of the Stevens County Historical Museum. Now she comes to our town with her jewelry trunk show! Well known in the upper Midwest for her landscape paintings and her murals, Lisa began making jewelry in the mid-90’s when she owned the Mercantile Art Gallery in downtown Morris. Jewelry is her specialty at this time and her art can be found in the most up-scale shops around. She is represented in the store at the Weisman Art Museum in Minneapolis, MN, the Kohler Art Center at Sheboygan, WI, the Flying Pig at Algoma, WI, Avenue Art in Appleton, WI, Ciucci Shoe Salon in Kohler, WI, the Quarter House Gallery in Cedar Rapids, IA, Zandbros in Fargo, ND, Bead Jam in New London, MN, the River Edge Gallery in Mishicott, WI, and PRCA in Morris, MN. Come to PRCA and visit with Lisa, get her ideas about what looks great and what is “in”, and most of all, view the amazing amount of jewelry that she will have with her for this event.

Feb 21: “Time To Paint” The Prairie Renaissance Cultural Alliance invites the public to come and paint every third Thursday of the month starting in February. Each session $10.00, members come for free. Come in and paint with the artists in our area from 2:00-5:30. Bring your own art supplies-still life will be set up or you can work from your own resources. Join in on this exciting chance to learn from the best! For more information contact Julia at 320-585-5037.

Chip Carving*:_ February 23rd: Expert chip carver, Carol Knutson of Odessa will teach students the art of chip carving. This is a one day class on February 23 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. and students will have learned the basics by the end of the day. Students will practice and then start on a 10″ plate. Carol has been carving for 5 years and also sells her work. Sign up soon for this class as it is limited to 8 students. Registration deadline is February 1 so supplies can be ordered. Supplies including a knife and plate, will be about $20. Students are asked to bring their own compass, ruler and lead pencil. Cost for this class is $30.