https://www.warroadriverplace.org/events daily 0.75 2026-04-03 https://www.warroadriverplace.org/events/5th-grade-concert-2026 monthly 0.5 2026-04-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/1775066116447-F16JUTESZO2D839XINDI/NWMAC%2BLogo%2Bsun%2BTrey%2B.jpg Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Warroad Elementary 5th Grade Music Concert https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/1775066131721-SBVXFU53EFBDGJJS4V0I/LegacyLogo.jpg Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Warroad Elementary 5th Grade Music Concert https://www.warroadriverplace.org/events/stitch-and-swap-april2026 monthly 0.5 2026-03-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/03af69a7-f471-4584-833e-fb853df836ce/IMG_9672.jpg Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Stitch and Swap - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.warroadriverplace.org/events/jam-night-april2026 monthly 0.5 2026-03-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/473e65d8-f725-410c-9bbe-1644fc987b35/20260120_150512.jpg Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - RiverPlace Jam Night: Open Mic, Open Acoustic Jam, & Tech Sneak Peek - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/ef832053-9177-4155-8b97-aea7e61af4f6/IMG_6957.jpg Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - RiverPlace Jam Night: Open Mic, Open Acoustic Jam, & Tech Sneak Peek - BEHIND THE SCENES TECH SNEAK PEEK Curious about what happens behind the scenes in the RiverPlace performance hall? If you’re interested in getting a sneak peek inside our tech booth, come join the fun! Simply check in at the front desk, and our staff will be on hand to show you around. See what goes on to make every show come alive. https://www.warroadriverplace.org/events/head-drawing monthly 0.5 2026-03-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/1774379041019-28FRGP7CQDIDDUWEQBG7/head+drawing+2.jpg Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Head Drawing with Holly Marie - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/4559cc3b-d914-4fa2-a654-e323907639ca/pic+for+bio.jpg Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Head Drawing with Holly Marie - HOLLY MARIE CROWTHER Holly Marie Crowther, a Warroad-based artist specializing in oil and watercolor painting, returns to the RiverPlace classroom after previously teaching Beginner and Intermediate Drawing courses. She graduated in 2018 with a BFA in Illustration and loves telling stories through her art. Drawing much of her inspiration from nature, she enjoys incorporating natural elements into her work. https://www.warroadriverplace.org/events/nw-artist-reception monthly 0.5 2026-04-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/1774027611248-2AYW06R13JDKJBX1RBPR/image0%2814%29.jpeg Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Artist & Awards Reception | Northwest Minnesota Annual Art Exhibit - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/ea72caac-17f1-43f8-a192-84cd6562fe1c/RRT26Program_Page_1.jpg Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Artist & Awards Reception | Northwest Minnesota Annual Art Exhibit - RED RIVER TRIO The afternoon will include special music by the Red River Trio, a music group formed by three UND music students selected to be part of an annual residency in Kanuma, Japan. The group studies chamber music for one full year under the direction of Dr. Nariaki Sugiura and Dr. Simona Barbu. Part of the training includes regular coaching at UND as well as local, regional, and national performances. The Red River Trio’s final project is a week-long residency in Kanuma, Japan. This project is one of Kanuma’s official events, and the trio will make school visits in Kanuma to promote musical and cultural exchanges. Their activities culminate with the joint concert with In Tempo String Ensemble. https://www.warroadriverplace.org/events/2026-nw-art-exhibit monthly 0.5 2026-03-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/1773684316171-4E5X303YBNQ98VUV5IN9/Screenshot+2026-03-12+at+3.03.39%E2%80%AFPM.png Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Northwest Minnesota Annual Art Exhibit - Mother Elephant by Alyssa Aune https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/1773684295317-IBRVV8K4DA5Y2SBIFWD8/Screenshot+2026-03-12+at+11.56.43%E2%80%AFAM.png Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Northwest Minnesota Annual Art Exhibit - What a Relief! by Betsy Saurdiff https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/1773684304221-FSLLXNB5NLMCZE67HI22/Screenshot+2026-03-12+at+10.31.26%E2%80%AFAM.png Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Northwest Minnesota Annual Art Exhibit - Prowling Past the Pines by Shelley Grove https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/1773684291692-A5CE3OURZJWGVY4BHFW0/Screenshot+2026-03-12+at+11.37.23%E2%80%AFAM.png Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Northwest Minnesota Annual Art Exhibit https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/1773684305090-U67HKM1LMQLJP5WEZD2J/Screenshot+2026-03-12+at+12.01.37%E2%80%AFPM.png Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Northwest Minnesota Annual Art Exhibit - Grandma Esther and Her Little Red Pail by Debbie Dahl Aune https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/1773684273924-OYF65KX96C1UJVGS2VBS/Screenshot+2026-03-12+at+9.56.43%E2%80%AFAM.png Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Northwest Minnesota Annual Art Exhibit - Angel Fish by Sherri Kruger-Kukowski https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/1773684285700-J2FDZREUAGJRI1ISOMHH/Screenshot+2026-03-12+at+11.15.23%E2%80%AFAM.png Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Northwest Minnesota Annual Art Exhibit https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/1773684312825-LVBEQPWNTVLFW0HIJNW8/Screenshot+2026-03-12+at+10.54.02%E2%80%AFAM.png Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Northwest Minnesota Annual Art Exhibit https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/1773684270263-10CDDKS0G2HE30W46OVZ/Screenshot+2026-03-12+at+10.45.34%E2%80%AFAM.png Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Northwest Minnesota Annual Art Exhibit - Forest's Queen by Holly Ellsworth-Crowther https://www.warroadriverplace.org/events/sound-bath monthly 0.5 2026-03-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/295777ec-ec8a-4969-a929-0f68a3937b70/Squarespace+Design+for+Events%2818%29.jpg Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Restorative Sound Bath with Cass Maxwell - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/cd0b0d28-aeac-4ae0-ace8-26ad2218b34e/IMG_9473.jpg Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Restorative Sound Bath with Cass Maxwell - CASS MAXWELL Cass Maxwell is an interdisciplinary healing artist, Reiki Master, yoga and meditation teacher, sound and vibrational therapist, and founder of The Laughter Patch Integrative Health and Energetic Healing in Roseau, Minnesota. Her work lives at the intersection of art, nervous system science, and sacred practice—bridging visual art, movement, sound healing, energy medicine, and herbalism into immersive, transformative experiences. https://www.warroadriverplace.org/events/arcostrum monthly 0.5 2026-03-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/1773072548538-DV93Y2LNZ3E9OV0QLMK4/meta-eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ%3D%3D.jpg-3.webp Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Arcostrum Hosted by the Northern Lights Concert Association - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.warroadriverplace.org/events/todd-oliver monthly 0.5 2026-03-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/a56c0550-15e4-401a-8592-1d3b5276f989/todd-oliver-ventriloquist-1.jpg Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Todd Oliver’s Funniest Night in Town Hosted by the Northern Lights Concert Association - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.warroadriverplace.org/events/garth-live monthly 0.5 2026-03-09 https://www.warroadriverplace.org/events/mandala-dot-painting monthly 0.5 2026-03-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/fb981247-659d-4c94-abe7-b378e7fa5e2d/Stone+Picture.jpg Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Mandala Dot Painting with Diana Magner - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/4d76ab70-0687-417a-924e-a3bd4536362b/IMG_4318.jpeg Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Mandala Dot Painting with Diana Magner - DIANA MAGNER Diana Magner grew up in Roseau County but has made Grand Rapids her home for the last 30 years. She taught elementary school, but retired from teaching four years ago. She now spends her time creating art and teaching both adult and student art classes. Diana started doing dot painting during Covid as a way to reduce stress. She was teaching a class of second graders from home and the anxiety was starting to build. Dot painting was a way to focus her mind on something other than the craziness around her. It became her therapy. Four years ago, Diana started a business named after her very creative mother. "Donna's Daughter" participates in a variety of craft shows and art festivals across Northern Minnesota. Besides her dot painting, Diana creates a variety of art from mostly repurposed and recycled materials. Her work is for sale at the Plaid Walleye in Warroad and the Bead Gypsy in Roseau. https://www.warroadriverplace.org/events/stitch-and-swap monthly 0.5 2026-03-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/03af69a7-f471-4584-833e-fb853df836ce/IMG_9672.jpg Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Stitch and Swap - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.warroadriverplace.org/events/denim-reimagined monthly 0.5 2026-02-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/7846d580-4b1a-4f4f-8f58-593d270c9519/IMG_9498.jpg Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Free Young Artist Studio | Wearable Art: Denim Reimagined - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.warroadriverplace.org/events/playing-with-paper monthly 0.5 2026-02-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/b448fc2f-039d-4068-8f01-5d65c3403c4b/IMG_5647.jpg Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Playing with Paper: A Beginner’s Introduction to Paper Quilling with Nikki Besser - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/73d99b57-8d2e-4f5d-ac50-616bad226c65/IMG_6568.jpeg Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Playing with Paper: A Beginner’s Introduction to Paper Quilling with Nikki Besser - NIKKI BESSER Nikki Besser is a self-taught, multifaceted artist from northern Minnesota, in the small town of Mizpah. Her creative journey spans oil and acrylic painting, soft pastels, airbrushing, paper, and mixed craft-based techniques. With no formal training to guide her, she has built her practice through instinct, curiosity, and an unrelenting pull toward the arts that began in her early teen years. Her path has always been one of exploration—moving through mediums in search of the one that felt like home. She found it in paper quilling. Drawn by its vibrancy, versatility, and dimensionality, with qualities unlike any other medium, Nikki discovered a form of expression that allowed her imagination to unfold in extraordinary ways. Over countless hours, she has honed her craft, shaping delicate strips of paper into intricate, sculptural worlds that blur the boundary between the real and the surreal. Today, her work reflects a fusion of technical mastery and imaginative storytelling, transforming delicate strips of paper into immersive scenes filled with character, emotion, and symbolic depth. Through her dedication and experimentation, Nikki continues to expand the possibilities of paper quilling, using it as a vessel to create intricate narratives that invite viewers into worlds both fantastical and deeply human. Her work increasingly ventures into realms of myth, magic, and dreamlike symbolism—fantastical landscapes and archetypal figures rendered with breathtaking detail. Yet within these scenes lives something familiar, something recognizable: the timeless struggle, triumph, and wonder of being human. She describes her practice as storytelling on a cosmic scale: revealing hidden wonders through form, color, and delicately quilled dimension. Her commitment to the medium is fueled by a passionate pursuit, to touch the heart of humanity through art, and to offer portals into worlds where the extraordinary feels possible, alive, and within reach. Nikki hopes viewers step into her work with a sense of awe, curiosity, and openness. She aims to awaken something dormant in the mind and heart—an inner stirring that reconnects us with imagination, mystery, and the stories we often forget we carry. https://www.warroadriverplace.org/events/clay-fish-wall-hanging monthly 0.5 2026-03-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/089e8f97-d5a9-4518-89c5-0d0dad51afdc/April+%26+May+Classes%2879%29.jpg Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Clay Fish Wall Hanging with Betsy Saurdiff - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/1771974746541-9JO36C9YK37QIROQTXLU/April+%26+May+Classes%2880%29.jpg Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Clay Fish Wall Hanging with Betsy Saurdiff - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/a726367c-4506-4ad8-8e37-26a2440c137f/parkpoint_me.jpg Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Clay Fish Wall Hanging with Betsy Saurdiff - BETSY SAURDIFF Flowing, undulating patterns of blueberry vines, pine boughs, coneflowers, deer antlers, and vintage scrap quilts influence Betsy Saurdiff's pottery. She fell in love with the art form 40 years ago, and to this day, she is still amazed at the transformation of a simple ball of wet clay into a beautiful, hand-crafted vessel — always designed to be used: sipped from, served from, and enjoyed. Raised on a dairy farm near Ponsford, Minnesota, Betsy works out of her garage studio near Grygla, Minnesota, where she hosts regular open studios for the community to gather, chat, and browse her works. Betsy's artistic inspiration is the rural life in northern Minnesota. She often pays homage to her grandmothers and mother in her work, while also drawing from local plant and animal life. Her favorite medium is porcelain, and her techniques include altering wheel-thrown work, adding texture or brushwork, and sgraffito, a technique in which underglaze is scratched to show the clay underneath. She often sprays her glazes to create soft gradients. Betsy has been a part of many Northwest Minnesota Arts Council (NWMAC) exhibitions and spring shows, Steven Hill's Journey Workshop final exhibits, Bemidji's Watermark Art Center It's Only Clay exhibitions, and the inaugural exhibit at Warroad RiverPlace. Her solo show, Celebrations (2022, Northland College, Thief River Falls, Minn.), included special pottery to help celebrate special occasions, a nod to getting together after the pandemic halted such celebrations. In the summer of 2025, Betsy had her pottery on view at RiverPlace in the Rural Traditions exhibit with Debbie Dahl Aune (watercolorist). Betsy also has several pieces in the Margaret Harlow Collection, a permanent teaching collection at Bemidji State University. Highlights of her career include two McKnight Fellowship Awards, two Merit Awards at a NWMAC exhibit, being named NWMAC's 2018 Art Advocate of the Year representing the seven-county region, and in 2024, receiving the NWMAC's Northstar Award, a lifetime achievement award. Betsy studied ceramics at Bemidji State University and the University of Minnesota, where she studied under master potter Warren McKenzie. She takes workshops to continue her ceramic education. She is now retired after a career of teaching visual art and German at the Grygla and Goodridge Schools, where she was named Teacher of the Year three times and was awarded numerous grants for her art and equipment. Betsy continues her love of teaching by sharing her knowledge with adults and students through community education classes and as a guest artist for students in area schools. Betsy and her husband, Lee (aka General) — a great studio assistant in his retirement — have three adult children. Hannah and her husband, Kyle, have two sons, Henry and Lenny. Jake and his wife, Alyssa, are expecting their first child, a girl, in August. Sadie is Betsy’s full-time assistant at art festivals and also her much-needed tech support, credited as the developer of Betsy’s website (bettspottery.com). “I love them all and appreciate their support!” she says. https://www.warroadriverplace.org/events/charlie-maguire monthly 0.5 2026-04-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/046213ee-8d0e-4be6-aa16-d16fbc586774/Charlie+Maguire+Poster+%28Facebook+Cover%29.jpg Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Celebrating 250 Years: Songs of America's Hometowns with Charlie Maguire - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/38ddf228-348a-407e-8a76-4e7d3d868084/Charlie+Maguire+standing+closeup+1.jpg Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Celebrating 250 Years: Songs of America's Hometowns with Charlie Maguire - CHARLIE MAGUIRE Called “A legend in the Midwest” by the Winnipeg Folk Festival; a performer “Who can sing, really sing” by Diane Sawyer of ABC-TV; and whose songs are “Damn good and so are you” by Pete Seeger; Charlie Maguire may be as much in the tradition of photographer Robert Capa, as his own musical roots in the Woody Guthrie tradition. Capa said, “If your pictures are not good enough, you are not close enough.” Guthrie described his songwriting as being like “A photographer without a camera.” Like Capa and Guthrie, Charlie Maguire uses the same close-up methods for his subjects when he writes songs about them. Charlie has written songs about migrant labor as a VISTA volunteer, and the alienation of old age in his life-long work with elders. He has sailed the Great Lakes mirroring the job of a Third Mate on the bridges of huge grain and iron ore carriers well as an “ordinary seaman” on the slippery decks of a U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker. Both of these opportunities brought a fresh look at the conditions of modern working life on the U.S. Great Lakes. He has donned the uniform of the U.S. National Park Service ranger as the first and only “Singing Ranger” in the history of the service, training in the Grand Canyon and subsequently writing 24 award-winning songs about the Mississippi River. His work with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources as “Centennial Troubadour” was so compelling it raised the awareness of women actually gainfully employed in conservation as far back as 1903. That research and writing led in part to the construction of the Mary Gibbs Headwaters Visitor Center at Itasca State Park, honoring Ms. Gibbs, as the first woman park manager in the history of the United States. Maguire is a native of upstate New York, and was mentored by Seeger, Lee Hays, and Marjorie Guthrie. His eyes and ears for a good story rest in his belief that songs containing real drama experienced close up, whether tragic or uplifting, not only inspire the listener but have a power to change — as well as comfort and heal people. Recently as an artist-in-residence contractor at the Minnesota Veterans Home, Charlie’s way of using music and photography to forge answers to social problems, recently led to an award-winning suicide prevention program for U.S. Veterans and returned military personnel. Since its inception there three years ago, “OSS: Operation Sight And Sound” has had a zero suicide rate for those veterans involved in the program that practices songwriting and photography in service to the greater community. https://www.warroadriverplace.org/events/chicks-and-bunny-hop monthly 0.5 2026-02-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/1b6ea8d5-0d19-4c79-ac48-3a9fb10440de/IMG_9352.jpg Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Free Crafts for Kids: Spring Chicks and Bunny Hop Races - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.warroadriverplace.org/events/pete-the-cat-2pm monthly 0.5 2026-03-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/31a82b50-7e37-4dc3-88d3-4e938e4cc0a5/TheaterWorksUSA_PeteTheCat_L-R_+Sam+Tedaldi-Adante+Carter-Brandi+Porter-Matt+Dengler-Kyle+Sherman_Jeremy+Daniel+Photography+%282%29.jpg Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Pete the Cat Presented by TheaterWorksUSA - Make it stand out L-R: Sam Tedaldi, Adante Carter, Brandi Porter, Matt Dengler, and Kyle Sherman; Photo by Jeremy Daniel Photography https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/27277d19-01a2-44a3-a0ae-17b33fbc3a34/TheaterWorksUSA_Pete+the+Cat_Travis+Artz_by+Jeremy+Daniel+Photography.jpg Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Pete the Cat Presented by TheaterWorksUSA - Make it stand out Traviz Artz; Photo by Jeremy Daniel https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/5f252962-1cb9-4596-8daf-7725daa12abe/TWUSA_FINAL+LOGOS_CMYK-01.png Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Pete the Cat Presented by TheaterWorksUSA THEATERWORKSUSA (Barbara Pasternack, Producing Artistic Director; Tegan Meyer, Managing Director) has led the Theater for Young and Family Audiences movement in New York City and across North America for over half a century. At TWUSA, we believe that access to art—and theater, in particular—is vital for our youth. Since 1967, the 501(c)3 not-for-profit has captured the imaginations of 100 million new and veteran theatergoers with an award-winning repertoire of over 140 original plays and musicals. Acclaimed alumni include Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez (Disney’s Frozen), Daphne Rubin-Vega (Rent), Jerry Zaks (The Music Man), Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (Dear Evan Hansen), Miguel Cervantes (Hamilton), Kathleen Chalfant (Angels in America), and Chuck Cooper (Tony award-winning actor, The Life). WWW.TWUSA.ORG https://www.warroadriverplace.org/events/pete-the-cat monthly 0.5 2026-03-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/31a82b50-7e37-4dc3-88d3-4e938e4cc0a5/TheaterWorksUSA_PeteTheCat_L-R_+Sam+Tedaldi-Adante+Carter-Brandi+Porter-Matt+Dengler-Kyle+Sherman_Jeremy+Daniel+Photography+%282%29.jpg Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Pete the Cat Presented by TheaterWorksUSA - Make it stand out L-R: Sam Tedaldi, Adante Carter, Brandi Porter, Matt Dengler, and Kyle Sherman; Photo by Jeremy Daniel Photography https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/27277d19-01a2-44a3-a0ae-17b33fbc3a34/TheaterWorksUSA_Pete+the+Cat_Travis+Artz_by+Jeremy+Daniel+Photography.jpg Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Pete the Cat Presented by TheaterWorksUSA - Make it stand out Traviz Artz; Photo by Jeremy Daniel https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/5f252962-1cb9-4596-8daf-7725daa12abe/TWUSA_FINAL+LOGOS_CMYK-01.png Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Pete the Cat Presented by TheaterWorksUSA THEATERWORKSUSA (Barbara Pasternack, Producing Artistic Director; Tegan Meyer, Managing Director) has led the Theater for Young and Family Audiences movement in New York City and across North America for over half a century. At TWUSA, we believe that access to art—and theater, in particular—is vital for our youth. Since 1967, the 501(c)3 not-for-profit has captured the imaginations of 100 million new and veteran theatergoers with an award-winning repertoire of over 140 original plays and musicals. Acclaimed alumni include Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez (Disney’s Frozen), Daphne Rubin-Vega (Rent), Jerry Zaks (The Music Man), Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (Dear Evan Hansen), Miguel Cervantes (Hamilton), Kathleen Chalfant (Angels in America), and Chuck Cooper (Tony award-winning actor, The Life). WWW.TWUSA.ORG https://www.warroadriverplace.org/events/suncatchers monthly 0.5 2026-02-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/96d3017a-fead-402a-a7f5-9b6e0447c738/Squarespace+Design+for+Events%2813%29.jpg Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Stained Glass Suncatchers with Sherri Kruger-Kukowski - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/16158e19-1ee0-44c1-9163-2d19ce5175f8/bumblebee.webp Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Stained Glass Suncatchers with Sherri Kruger-Kukowski - BUMBLEBEE Finished project measures approximately 7-1/2" wide x 6-3/4" high. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/3ae40e54-d91a-49bb-84eb-bcbdc4da75af/239675.webp Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Stained Glass Suncatchers with Sherri Kruger-Kukowski - CARDINAL Finished project measures approximately 7" wide x 6-7/8" high. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/4bd678be-0c84-4793-ab65-65a590056c76/chickadee.jpg Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Stained Glass Suncatchers with Sherri Kruger-Kukowski - CHICKADEE Finished project measures approximately 4" x 4". https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/cbc68a45-b26f-4be5-9912-d7cb37243d8f/lotus.webp Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Stained Glass Suncatchers with Sherri Kruger-Kukowski - LOTUS FLOWER Finished project measures approximately 6-1/2" wide x 4-1/2" high. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/4ef9be48-629e-4272-bd91-88c0c59eefd1/moon+and+star.webp Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Stained Glass Suncatchers with Sherri Kruger-Kukowski - MOON & STAR Finished project measures approximately 6-1/4" wide x 7-1/4" high. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/c633193c-6243-44ae-ab5c-018549616c64/seaturtle.webp Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Stained Glass Suncatchers with Sherri Kruger-Kukowski - SEA TURTLE Finished project measures approximately 6-1/4" wide x 7" high. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/cdf3a64d-b7a3-40b9-8132-2f98d2d216f2/sherri.jpg Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Stained Glass Suncatchers with Sherri Kruger-Kukowski - SHERRI KRUGER-KUKOWSKI Art feeds her passion and soul to create as she develops her skills. Retired after 25 years teaching high school mathematics, Sherri follows in the footsteps of her creative parents and siblings: woodworker, florist, and pipe organ designer-fabricator, and she is now a full-time artist. In the past 30 years, Sherri has taught herself stained glass mosaic techniques using stained glass and other found objects or treasures, as she refers to her substrate hunts. With a grant from the Northwest Arts Council, Sherri traveled to Philadelphia and studied under mosaic artist Bonnie Fitzgerald. While out east, Bonnie taught the fundamentals of public art and the materials necessary to create a public piece of art that would stand the test of time. Public art is a balance of including the public to be a part of the design and creation of the art. Working alongside community members, she taught them the skill of mosaic art so they would be an active part of creating the art for their community. Sherri has completed a 24x12-foot stained glass mosaic wall for the City of Badger, MN. Two other public art pieces are furniture for the Roseau Public Library (Roseau, MN) and the Hallock Public Library (Hallock, MN). Sherri has participated in several art shows, winning awards, people’s choice awards, and the Art Advocate of the Year Award. Sherri’s work is constantly changing. The theme, available materials, and numerous treasure hunts allow her work to reach out to the patrons observing the art. Many of her pieces depict nature and use the treasures of the great outdoors: moose antlers, white-tail deer antlers, driftwood, and pebbles. All pieces include her primary medium–glass–which is used in some form to incorporate with her “treasures” to tell a story. It was a great honor for her to be included in an exhibit in Southwestern Pennsylvania called “The Ruins.” A fellow mosaic artist is taking the ruins of a coal mine and filling them with history using mosaic art. Sherri met the artist Rachel Sager while attending a conference in Buffalo, New York, in the fall of 2023. Being invited to complete a piece with international artists was humbling and a great honor. Sherri has exhibited at Warroad RiverPlace (Warroad, MN), the Waseca Art Gallery (Waseca, MN), Red Door Art Gallery (Wahpeton, ND), and Tettegouchee State Park Visitors Center (Silver Bay, MN). Sherri has also exhibited at several state-wide art in the parks and festivals. Presently, Sherri is a retired high school math teacher, studio owner, and artist in Badger, MN. She and her husband have four children, seven grandchildren, a two-year-old black lab named Lucy the faithful doorbell, and Oreo the crazy cat. For more information: windingrivermosaic.com https://www.warroadriverplace.org/events/art-quilling-basics monthly 0.5 2026-01-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/aa7314cc-ba1d-4dec-bddf-354fd723f858/Squarespace+Design+for+Events%2814%29.jpg Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Learn the Basics of Quill Art with Sherri Kruger-Kukowski - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.warroadriverplace.org/events/bowl-cozies monthly 0.5 2026-02-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/1769015872462-CDSSE1TS5ANWBY2YQW02/Squarespace+Design+for+Events%2810%29.jpg Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Sew Useful: Bowl Cozy Workshop with Carolyn Fortier - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.warroadriverplace.org/events/beaded-bracelet monthly 0.5 2026-01-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/1769009213284-F3QFV95L465PZ5HF8ODS/March+Kids+Class.jpg Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Free Crafts for Kids: St. Patrick’s Day Beaded Bracelet - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.warroadriverplace.org/events/jam-night-feb2026 monthly 0.5 2026-03-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/473e65d8-f725-410c-9bbe-1644fc987b35/20260120_150512.jpg Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - RiverPlace Jam Night: Open Mic, Open Acoustic Jam, & Tech Sneak Peek - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/ef832053-9177-4155-8b97-aea7e61af4f6/IMG_6957.jpg Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - RiverPlace Jam Night: Open Mic, Open Acoustic Jam, & Tech Sneak Peek - BEHIND THE SCENES TECH SNEAK PEEK Curious about what happens behind the scenes in the RiverPlace performance hall? If you’re interested in getting a sneak peek inside our tech booth, come join the fun! Our staff will be on hand to show you around, and you’re welcome to stop by and see what goes on to make every show come alive. https://www.warroadriverplace.org/events/gallery-exhibit-nikki-besser monthly 0.5 2026-01-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/409a15fb-2f12-4b81-a7b8-86c55288eb22/Image+7.jpg Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Gallery Exhibit: Portrayals in Paper: Tales of Overcoming by Nikki Besser - Make it stand out “The Great Discovery" Patrick - The Librarian by Nikki Besser https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/1765818839933-RAG4473THXQGDJ5B98RQ/Image+2.jpg Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Gallery Exhibit: Portrayals in Paper: Tales of Overcoming by Nikki Besser - "The Tide Turns" Eduardo the Artist by Nikki Besser https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/1765818838221-RGIFILUSDHGMETV74III/Image+6.jpg Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Gallery Exhibit: Portrayals in Paper: Tales of Overcoming by Nikki Besser - “The Colliding Scope” Dolores - The Old Maid by Nikki Besser https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/1765818839003-DR2CJGXC5Q7XXSWWPBHR/Image+3.jpg Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Gallery Exhibit: Portrayals in Paper: Tales of Overcoming by Nikki Besser - “The Second Chance” Anthony - The Shepherd by Nikki Besser https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/1765820212461-I7H75IOHEFQVMETTL80F/Image+5%281%29.jpg Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Gallery Exhibit: Portrayals in Paper: Tales of Overcoming by Nikki Besser - “The Heart Strong” Thaddeus - The Hero by Nikki Besser https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/73d99b57-8d2e-4f5d-ac50-616bad226c65/IMG_6568.jpeg Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Gallery Exhibit: Portrayals in Paper: Tales of Overcoming by Nikki Besser - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/0a152fa8-97b8-45ff-87c6-61a52167d820/Headshot1.jpg Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Gallery Exhibit: Portrayals in Paper: Tales of Overcoming by Nikki Besser - MEET THE ARTIST | NIKKI BESSER Nikki Besser is a self-taught, multifaceted artist from northern Minnesota, in the small town of Mizpah. Her creative journey spans oil and acrylic painting, soft pastels, airbrushing, paper, and mixed craft-based techniques. With no formal training to guide her, she has built her practice through instinct, curiosity, and an unrelenting pull toward the arts that began in her early teen years. Her path has always been one of exploration—moving through mediums in search of the one that felt like home. She found it in paper quilling. Drawn by its vibrancy, versatility, and dimensionality, with qualities unlike any other medium, Nikki discovered a form of expression that allowed her imagination to unfold in extraordinary ways. Over countless hours, she has honed her craft, shaping delicate strips of paper into intricate, sculptural worlds that blur the boundary between the real and the surreal. Today, her work reflects a fusion of technical mastery and imaginative storytelling, transforming delicate strips of paper into immersive scenes filled with character, emotion, and symbolic depth. Through her dedication and experimentation, Nikki continues to expand the possibilities of paper quilling, using it as a vessel to create intricate narratives that invite viewers into worlds both fantastical and deeply human. Her work increasingly ventures into realms of myth, magic, and dreamlike symbolism—fantastical landscapes and archetypal figures rendered with breathtaking detail. Yet within these scenes lives something familiar, something recognizable: the timeless struggle, triumph, and wonder of being human. She describes her practice as storytelling on a cosmic scale: revealing hidden wonders through form, color, and delicately quilled dimension. Her commitment to the medium is fueled by a passionate pursuit, to touch the heart of humanity through art, and to offer portals into worlds where the extraordinary feels possible, alive, and within reach. Nikki hopes viewers step into her work with a sense of awe, curiosity, and openness. She aims to awaken something dormant in the mind and heart—an inner stirring that reconnects us with imagination, mystery, and the stories we often forget we carry. https://www.warroadriverplace.org/events/sip-and-see-artist-reception monthly 0.5 2025-11-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/f95875fe-dab7-4beb-8ec2-9d16ebf83910/Squarespace+Event%286%29.jpg Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Sip and See | Artist Reception, Coffee Bar, and Themed Treats with Erik Pearson - Make it stand out Pictured right: "Percolations and Musings of the Fire Eater" acrylic, mixed media by Erik Pearson https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/e61b6682-f183-4172-abf2-09abf967c1f4/IMG_4154.jpg Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Sip and See | Artist Reception, Coffee Bar, and Themed Treats with Erik Pearson - ERIK PEARSON Erik Pearson was born and raised in Northern Wisconsin by Lake Superior where he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with emphasis in painting from the University of Wisconsin - Superior. In 2001 he was awarded the first artist-in-residence at Lanesboro Arts in Minnesota and has been a full-time artist ever since. In 2005 he completed his first public mural project, also with Lanesboro Arts, and has created over twenty public murals since then, working with city officials, community groups, and business owners in the process. Erik has been creating and exploring new techniques in his paintings, sculptures, mixed media illustrations, murals, and sculptural installations for over twenty years. He has shared his ideas with the community through artist demonstrations and workshops and has also served as a commissioner on the public art Placemaking Commission in Bloomington, MN. Follow Erik on Instagram: @erikpearsonart https://www.warroadriverplace.org/events/percolations-and-musings monthly 0.5 2025-10-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/6f3f0f3d-fa73-4e7a-a3c2-bf69757ac9d8/fire+eater.jpg Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Gallery Exhibit: Percolations and Musings by Erik Pearson - Make it stand out "Percolations and Musings of the Fire Eater" acrylic, mixed media https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/1759181877887-1CD5ZC78L5VQNZ6PQJTJ/IMG_7120.jpg Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Gallery Exhibit: Percolations and Musings by Erik Pearson https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/1759181878230-DWSKMF76FM9NADZRVX1O/IMG_7119.jpg Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Gallery Exhibit: Percolations and Musings by Erik Pearson https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/1759181899235-ZJ58QTL9S3NAJ0TJ93SY/24.jpg Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Gallery Exhibit: Percolations and Musings by Erik Pearson https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/e61b6682-f183-4172-abf2-09abf967c1f4/IMG_4154.jpg Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Gallery Exhibit: Percolations and Musings by Erik Pearson - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.warroadriverplace.org/events/cindy-hamilton-exhibit monthly 0.5 2025-06-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/6bc1180e-b3c9-4a7e-8b65-40916f7c05fe/Untitled+design%2810%29.jpg Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Gallery Exhibit: An Indigenous Artist’s Journey Through Leather, Beadwork, and Portraiture by Cindy Godin Hamilton - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/77807686-0ddd-4915-9353-7aaaa831f915/Cindy+Hamilton.jpg Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Gallery Exhibit: An Indigenous Artist’s Journey Through Leather, Beadwork, and Portraiture by Cindy Godin Hamilton - CINDY GODIN HAMILTON Cynthia “Cindy” Godin Hamilton is a talented Ojibwe artist hailing from Treaty 3 with a rich cultural heritage that encompasses both European and First Nations ancestry, including Metis roots. Born in Baudette, Minnesota, to Canadian parents, Emil and Iona Godin, she was raised along with her brother, Mike Godin, and sister, Teresa McDowell, in Rainy River, Ontario. Cindy and her husband, Dave Hamilton, live in Williams, Minnesota. They have two adult daughters, Tori and Tina. As an adult in the late 1990s, Cindy was working on her genealogy when she was inspired by a picture of her great-grandmother adorned in beautiful moccasins—an image that would change her life’s journey and purpose. Awakening to her family’s Indigenous ancestry, Cindy immediately knew she had to learn the art of moccasin craftsmanship. Despite being in California far from home, she persevered, self-teaching herself through extensive research and experimentation, eventually crafting her own unique patterns. What started as a hobby transformed into a meaningful artistic expression, keeping her family’s cultural traditions alive and deepening an identity with her familial roots. Each pair of moccasins that she creates represents the resilience and beauty of Indigenous culture. With moccasins as her original inspiration, Cindy’s diverse skills now span from crafting traditional leather, embroidered mukluks and mitts to portrait painting in pastels, oils, and acrylics. Her dedication to honoring her First Nations and Metis heritage is evident in her work. During this journey of ancestral homecoming through creative expression and cultural preservation, Cindy has experienced many highlights and recognitions for her work. She is the recipient of several Individual Art grants and an Artist Fellowship through the Minnesota Region 2 Arts Council. Over the last three years, she has been included in nine group art exhibitions across the state of Minnesota; her works have appeared at All My Relations Arts (Minneapolis), American Swedish Institute (Minneapolis), Watermark Art Center (Bemidji), The Reif (Grand Rapids), and MacRostie Art Center (Grand Rapids). Cindy was chosen by Manitobah Mukluks to be a contributing artist for their online Indigenous Market the last two years, and she won Best in Show at the juried art contest at the Third Annual Anishinaabe Art Festival in Bemidji in July 2024. Cindy is a 2025 recipient of the Minnesota State Arts Board Creative Individual grant; she is currently creating 10 new works that will be on display at Bemidji’s Watermark Art Center in 2026. As a local arts advocate and educator, she brings leadership service as the current president of the Lake of the Woods Art Guild in Baudette, while teaching and cultivating Indigenous craftsmanship at a variety of workshops across the region. As Cindy continues to create breathtaking artwork and to impart her knowledge through community workshops and exhibitions, her profound connection to her roots remains an essential foundation in all her artistic endeavors. Follow Cindy on social media to learn more about her journey: Facebook: Cindy Hamilton - Indigenous Artist; Instagram: cindy_hamilton_native_artist https://www.warroadriverplace.org/events/rural-traditions monthly 0.5 2025-08-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/1745441788917-IJB10KWUA4CGA5CS3OQS/Pinecone+detail.jpg Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Gallery Exhibit: Rural Traditions by Debbie Dahl Aune and Betsy Saurdiff https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/1745515385418-AXT07O6PL2ZPJGHFVAL3/Homestead+along+Hwy+89.JPG Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Gallery Exhibit: Rural Traditions by Debbie Dahl Aune and Betsy Saurdiff https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/1745441785590-NI55VW3XIIM0SP43G61K/Blues+Antler+Bowl.jpg Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Gallery Exhibit: Rural Traditions by Debbie Dahl Aune and Betsy Saurdiff https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/1745441889153-T5Z2U88PEZ45D2LF62O0/IMG_5573.jpg Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Gallery Exhibit: Rural Traditions by Debbie Dahl Aune and Betsy Saurdiff https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/1745441777953-1RTV6R0K5Y3ZZXHE6AMY/Walleye.jpg Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Gallery Exhibit: Rural Traditions by Debbie Dahl Aune and Betsy Saurdiff https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/1745441925040-E8Z0EWPSFGJY8TVKJG57/these%2Bjars.jpg Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Gallery Exhibit: Rural Traditions by Debbie Dahl Aune and Betsy Saurdiff https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/3d8595c3-22bf-4837-8d12-b79055bc4b02/9+8x10.jpg Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Gallery Exhibit: Rural Traditions by Debbie Dahl Aune and Betsy Saurdiff - DEBBIE DAHL AUNE Using her Gramma Esther's leftover, oil paint-by-number set, Debbie Dahl Aune's first painting was on a piece of gray tagboard. Art soon became her favorite distraction turned passion. Born to teach, she made a living at it through education — her biggest joy is watching children and adults find their inner artist. Debbie works predominantly in the medium of watercolor, but includes mixed media, soft sculpture, and welding into her plethora of art activities. Inspired by life in northern Minnesota, her latest collection of works, Blueberry Yoga, encompasses the longstanding tradition of the 'sacred,' seasonal event of blueberry picking in the Beltrami Forest. She is also a recognized plein air artist (Impressionist painting "in the open air") and has helped bring the movement to the upper Midwest where she paints grain elevators and other iconic sites in area towns. Debbie has received a number of awards for these works and was honored to be featured in a 2022 segment of Prairie Public Television's Prairie Mosaic series. Debbie completed her B.S. degree in art education at Bemidji State University and taught art full time in the Greenbush Middle River School District from 1994 until 2024, when she retired. During her tenure, she served as the Art Club advisor and secured several grants to further nurture the arts. Debbie has also coordinated many community art shows and beautification projects in the region. She continues to substitute teach and to present art classes for kids as well as adults. When time permits, Debbie attends art workshops across the country and has studied painting and photography under various artists, a few include: painters Alvaro Castagnet, Andy Evansen, Joseph Zbukvic, Cheng-Khee Chee, Paul Jackson, and Herman Pekel and photographer Craig Blacklock. Debbie has had five professional solo shows, two held in East Grand Forks, Minn., at the River Walk Art Gallery and her most recent at Northland College, Thief River Falls, Minn. She is the recipient of many regional awards, including best in shows, awards of merit, people's choice, and the 2023 Artist of the Year from the Northwest Minnesota Regional Arts Council. Debbie was born and has lived in the Gatzke area since 1964. She resides on a farm with her husband, Elroy, helping with the grandkids, painting, and baking — blueberry pies are her specialty. Many of her works can be found at The Bead Gypsy in Roseau, MN, or on her website (djaune.wixsite.com/debbieaune). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/37e05161-7279-4c8f-9029-3a59975f1d5f/Betsy+headshot.jpg Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Gallery Exhibit: Rural Traditions by Debbie Dahl Aune and Betsy Saurdiff - BETSY SAURDIFF Flowing, undulating patterns of blueberry vines, pine boughs, coneflowers, deer antlers, and vintage scrap quilts influence Betsy Saurdiff's pottery. She fell in love with the art form 40 years ago, and to this day, she is still amazed at the transformation of a simple ball of wet clay into a beautiful, hand-crafted vessel — always designed to be used: sipped from, served from, and enjoyed. Raised on a dairy farm near Ponsford, Minnesota, Betsy works out of her garage studio near Grygla, Minnesota, where she hosts regular open studios for the community to gather, chat, and browse her works. Betsy's artistic inspiration is the rural life in northern Minnesota. She often pays homage to her grandmothers and mother in her work, while also drawing from local plant and animal life. Her favorite medium is porcelain, and her techniques include altering wheel-thrown work, adding texture or brushwork, and sgraffito, a technique in which underglaze is scratched to show the clay underneath. She often sprays her glazes to create soft gradients. Betsy has been a part of many Northwest Minnesota Arts Council (NWMAC) exhibitions and spring shows, Steven Hill's Journey Workshop final exhibits, Bemidji's Watermark Art Center It's Only Clay exhibitions, and the inaugural exhibit at Warroad RiverPlace. Her solo show, Celebrations (2022, Northland College, Thief River Falls, Minn.), included special pottery to help celebrate special occasions, a nod to getting together after the pandemic halted such celebrations. Betsy also has several pieces in the Margaret Harlow Collection, a permanent teaching collection at Bemidji State University. Highlights of her career include two McKnight Fellowship Awards, two Merit Awards at a NWMAC exhibit, being named NWMAC's 2018 Art Advocate of the Year representing the seven-county region, and in 2024, receiving the NWMAC's Northstar Award, a lifetime achievement award. Betsy studied ceramics at Bemidji State University and the University of Minnesota, where she studied under master potter Warren McKenzie. She takes workshops to continue her ceramic education. She is now retired after a career of teaching visual art and German at the Grygla and Goodridge Schools, where she was named Teacher of the Year three times and was awarded numerous grants for her art and equipment. Betsy continues her love of teaching by sharing her knowledge with adults and students through community education classes and as a guest artist for students in area schools. Betsy and her husband, Lee (aka General) — a great studio assistant in his retirement — have three adult children. Hannah and her husband, Kyle, have two sons, Henry and Lenny. Jake and his wife, Alyssa, are expecting their first child, a girl, in August. Sadie is Betsy’s full-time assistant at art festivals and also her much-needed tech support, credited as the developer of Betsy’s website (bettspottery.com). “I love them all and appreciate their support!” she says. https://www.warroadriverplace.org/events/gallery-exhibit-immersed-in-color-inspired-by-her-culture-and-nature-by-shawna-boulette-grapentine monthly 0.5 2025-02-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/c18a3748-0e90-4a93-a71b-8b0708600384/Screenshot+2025-02-21+124530.png Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Gallery Exhibit: “Immersed in Color, Inspired by Her Culture and Nature” by Shawna Boulette Grapentine - Make it stand out “Resilient, Beautiful, Strong” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/0079a854-db46-46ff-8b9a-d496882dbbba/0J3A6087.jpg Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Gallery Exhibit: “Immersed in Color, Inspired by Her Culture and Nature” by Shawna Boulette Grapentine - SHAWNA BOULETTE GRAPENTINE Known for using silhouettes of nature and vibrant colors in her custom paintings, Shawna Boulette Grapentine is an Ojibwe Cree whose artwork highlights the beauty of Indigenous culture, her love for Mother Earth and everything that surrounds her. Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, the middle child of seven—five brothers and one sister—Shawna was raised in the small Metis community of Manigotagan and is a member of the Hollow Water First Nation Treaty 5 Territory in Manitoba. As a family growing up in the country, they enjoyed the outdoors. With the little they had, her supportive and loving parents remained creative, filling holidays and family gatherings with music, fun, and laughter, inspiring her both musically and artistically. Teachings, family traditions, and respect were valued, from which she now takes pride in with her own family. In Shawna's earlier years, she learned she had a great passion for sketching, painting, and creating art. She's proud to have been part of the Frontier School Division, providing her with a solid foundation for the arts where she was supported and inspired through many of the school’s programs. Shawna is honored to be sharing her talent through her artwork, along with inspiring and teaching art programs to children and adults of all ages from the United States to some of the most remote communities in Canada. Locally, she has collaborated with and empowered students to paint custom murals at the Warroad Public School and Folk School Warroad that welcome and inspire people as they enter these learning spaces. As part of the Warroad School Native American Education Department, Shawna and her sister, Danielle, have developed educational initiatives—often including creative and artistic elements—to not only draw public awareness of, but to embrace, respect, and celebrate Indigenous culture. In recent years, Shawna has had the privilege to create custom commissions for international events, lifting up and honoring Indigenous culture and the spirit of local communities. These include a "Player of the Game" hockey stick for the 2023 International Ice Hockey Federation Women’s World Championships; the first-ever commemorative hockey stick for Hockey Day Minnesota (2024, Warroad); and her work, “Direction Determines Destiny,” awarded at the 2022 Canadian Grand Masters Fiddling Competition. Many of these projects and pieces can be viewed on Shawna’s online shop, Moon & Back Custom Arts (moonandbackcustomarts.com). In operation since 2010, the name originated from a children's storybook that Shawna shared with her son, relating to her unconditional love for him. As an Indigenous-owned company proudly representing Canada and the United States, her vision is to create one-of-a-kind pieces bringing loved memories to life inspired by her culture, values, and passion for art. Currently, Shawna and her family—husband, James, and son, Thomas—find themselves between Rainy River, Ontario, and Warroad, Minnesota, where her son attends Warroad Public School and plays hockey for the Warroad Warriors. https://www.warroadriverplace.org/events/gallery-exhibit-repurpose-preserve-rejuvenate-by-sherri-kruger-kukowski monthly 0.5 2025-01-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/b1b134c5-5f3e-4a6c-af19-b9ca94a1e1ba/IMG_6354.JPG Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Gallery Exhibit: “Repurpose, Preserve, Rejuvenate” by Sherri Kruger-Kukowski - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/7efba773-c1ad-4f9e-ac8a-69b5df33b530/sherri.jpg Upcoming Events at Warroad RiverPlace - Gallery Exhibit: “Repurpose, Preserve, Rejuvenate” by Sherri Kruger-Kukowski - SHERRI KRUGER-KUKOWSKI Art feeds her passion and soul to create as she develops her skills. Retired after 25 years teaching high school mathematics, Sherri follows in the footsteps of her creative parents and siblings: woodworker, florist, and pipe organ designer-fabricator, and she is now a full-time artist. In the past 30 years, Sherri has taught herself stained glass mosaic techniques using stained glass and other found objects or treasures, as she refers to her substrate hunts. With a grant from the Northwest Arts Council, Sherri traveled to Philadelphia and studied under mosaic artist Bonnie Fitzgerald. While out east, Bonnie taught the fundamentals of public art and the materials necessary to create a public piece of art that would stand the test of time. Public art is a balance of including the public to be a part of the design and creation of the art. Working alongside community members, she taught them the skill of mosaic art so they would be an active part of creating the art for their community. Sherri has completed a 24x12-foot stained glass mosaic wall for the City of Badger, MN. Two other public art pieces are furniture for the Roseau Public Library (Roseau, MN) and the Hallock Public Library (Hallock, MN). Sherri has participated in several art shows, winning awards, people’s choice awards, and the Art Advocate of the Year Award. Sherri’s work is constantly changing. The theme, available materials, and numerous treasure hunts allow her work to reach out to the patrons observing the art. Many of her pieces depict nature and use the treasures of the great outdoors: moose antlers, white-tail deer antlers, driftwood, and pebbles. All pieces include her primary medium–glass–which is used in some form to incorporate with her “treasures” to tell a story. It was a great honor for her to be included in an exhibit in Southwestern Pennsylvania called “The Ruins.” A fellow mosaic artist is taking the ruins of a coal mine and filling them with history using mosaic art. Sherri met the artist Rachel Sager while attending a conference in Buffalo, New York, in the fall of 2023. Being invited to complete a piece with international artists was humbling and a great honor. Sherri has exhibited at the Waseca Art Gallery (Waseca, MN), Red Door Art Gallery (Wahpeton, ND), and Tettegouchee State Park Visitors Center (Silver Bay, MN). Sherri has also exhibited at several state-wide art in the parks and festivals. Presently, Sherri is a retired high school math teacher, studio owner, and artist in Badger, MN. She and her husband have four children, seven grandchildren, a two-year-old black lab named Lucy the faithful doorbell, and Oreo the crazy cat. For more information: windingrivermosaic.com https://www.warroadriverplace.org/news daily 0.75 2025-10-03 https://www.warroadriverplace.org/news/executive-director-announcement monthly 0.5 2025-10-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/a95e0347-0cd9-45c6-b5f2-d5b23dbe91bd/SamanthaHeadshot1%281%29.jpg News - A Dynamic Leader for the Arts: Samantha Thibert Harrill Named Executive Director of Warroad RiverPlace - Make it stand out Samantha Thibert Harrill https://www.warroadriverplace.org/home daily 1.0 2026-03-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/10191bad-ebf9-4fc4-b3cd-098bfbf852a0/riverplace-6%281%29.jpg Home Warroad RiverPlace Performance Hall https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/18cae901-0fa3-4c15-b568-b05cc815edb9/riverplace-15.jpg Home Warroad RiverPlace Classroom https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/1754928545364-228X67RRSQI0FSTGF1VH/riverplace-1%25281%2529.jpg Home Warroad RiverPlace Art Gallery https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/1754928909178-5O6TZW95JWNA0D4YY62X/riverplace-35%2525281%252529.jpg Home Warroad RiverPlace Riverside Patio Spaces https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/63304ab3-43d6-4548-9618-28253daee405/riverplace-43.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/47280bf8-719d-4b0f-91d5-4e3093ae659a/Warroad-%2BMN.jpg https://www.warroadriverplace.org/accessibility daily 0.75 2025-08-12 https://www.warroadriverplace.org/directions daily 0.75 2025-08-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/14011864-1c0a-4542-a628-33478500c8f2/IMG_5990.jpg https://www.warroadriverplace.org/gallery daily 0.75 2026-04-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/1775182143412-O4IXC1QOP2MPC03YL67Z/Screenshot%2B2026-03-12%2Bat%2B3.03.39%25E2%2580%25AFPM.png Gallery Mother Elephant by Alyssa Aune https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/1773684295317-IBRVV8K4DA5Y2SBIFWD8/Screenshot+2026-03-12+at+11.56.43%E2%80%AFAM.png Gallery What a Relief! by Betsy Saurdiff https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/386aeafb-c425-4715-84e8-38a5e4c18179/IMG_9857.jpg Gallery Angel Fish by Sherri Kruger-Kukowski https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/1773684312825-LVBEQPWNTVLFW0HIJNW8/Screenshot+2026-03-12+at+10.54.02%E2%80%AFAM.png Gallery Hope by Tammy Hansen https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/1773684305090-U67HKM1LMQLJP5WEZD2J/Screenshot+2026-03-12+at+12.01.37%E2%80%AFPM.png Gallery Grandma Esther and Her Little Red Pail by Debbie Dahl Aune https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/1773684285700-J2FDZREUAGJRI1ISOMHH/Screenshot+2026-03-12+at+11.15.23%E2%80%AFAM.png Gallery Movie Theater by Beau Bakken https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/131d95de-8000-44b2-9ecc-b34d131f27d0/IMG_9849.jpg Gallery Father Christmas by Glen Heppner https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/1773684270263-10CDDKS0G2HE30W46OVZ/Screenshot+2026-03-12+at+10.45.34%E2%80%AFAM.png Gallery Forest's Queen by Holly Ellsworth-Crowther https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66a3e113ce07dc4ac862a0cd/1775182615815-3KPL2PJH96UZ9EFNHSP7/Screenshot%2B2026-03-12%2Bat%2B10.31.26%25E2%2580%25AFAM.png Gallery Prowling by the Pines by Shelley Grove