Art Makers: 10 Years

May 21 – July 5, 2026

Events

Opening Reception: May 21, 4:30 – 6 pm: Brief remarks by the artists present: Heidi Allen, Micah Bloom, James Culleton, Guy Nelson, Chris Pancoe, Armando Ramos, Justin Sorensen, and Donovan Widmer.

Curator Tour: June 23, 4 – 5 pm: Tour of both exhibitions led by NDMOA curator, Anna Sigrídur Arnar. For more information click here.

Decription: In 2015, the North Dakota Museum of Art mounted its first exhibition as part of its Art Makers Series. Underwritten by Dr. William F. Wosick, this program has contributed to the vitality of the Museum’s exhibition programming and represented an important game changer for artists. Because few professional opportunities are available for artists from the region, the Art Makers Series was designed to spotlight such artists, or those with ties to the region. Selected artists are often at a juncture in their artistic careers where a “leg up” could invigorate, revitalize, or change the course of their art with the opportunity of a museum solo exhibition. Last year marked the tenth year of the Series. The upcoming exhibition, Art Makers: 10 Years, celebrates the legacy of the Series and acknowledges Dr. Wosick’s invaluable contribution, showcasing work by the first ten recipients of the award. Concurrently, the 11th Art Maker Series exhibition, Fawzia Khan: Ubuntu, will inaugurate the next decade in the adjoining gallery space.

About the Artists:

Micah Bloom was the first artist to partake in the Art Makers Series. His exhibition Codex opened in the spring of 2015. He is based in Minot, North Dakota where he teaches at Minot State University and maintains his studio.

Armando Ramos is a sculptor based in Ventura, California. His 2015 exhibition Something Absurd represented the second exhibition in the Art Makers Series.

Justin Sorensen is an Ohio-based artist who works across multiple mediums and visual traditions. He was the third artist in the Art Makers Series with his 2016 exhibition Stalking the Snow Leopard.

James Culleton is a musician and artist based in Winnipeg. His artist residencies at the Museum’s McCanna House formed the basis of his multi-media exhibition for the Art Makers Series in the fall of 2016.

Mollie Douthit is a Grand Forks native who moved to Ireland to pursue her MFA. She is currently living and working in Sweden. Her exhibition Paintings took place in the summer of 2017 representing the fifth in the Art Makers Series.

Donovan Widmer is based in East Grand Forks and oversees the jewelry and metalsmithing area in the Department of Fine Art & Design at the University of North Dakota. His 2019 Western Ideas of Beauty and the Role of Body Adornment represented the sixth exhibition in the Art Makers Series.

Chris Pancoe is based in Winnipeg. He is a multi-media artist who works with clay, wood, snow and ice. In 2023 he became the seventh Art Makers Series artist with his exhibition Blue Ice.

Heidi Allen is an interdisciplinary artist, concentrating primarily in printmaking and weaving. She lives and works on the moraine near Itasca State Park. Her spring 2024 exhibition Over and Under; Here and Now marked the eighth exhibition in the Art Makers Series.

Josh Johnson is based in Bloomington, Indiana. He describes himself as a scavenger craftsman – carving and joining found materials with traditional woodworking techniques. His 2024 Double Goer exhibition represented the ninth in the Art Makers Series.

Guy Nelson was raised in Moorhead, Minnesota and is currently a sculptor and painter based in Minneapolis. Nelson’s Tales from the Understory in 2025 capped the first decade of the Art Makers Series.