events

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in Marine, 2025


Mary Jo Van Dell STUDIO EVENT
FRIDAY December 5, 10am-7pm
SATURDAY December 6, 10am-4pm

JUDD STREET EXCHANGE, Van Dell Studio
above Marine General Store
101 Judd Street
Marine on St Croix MN

maryjovandell.com

Mary Jo Van Dell, a wonderful Minnesota painter, is also an inspiring exhibition partner.
This year, Al was guest host at her Marine on St. Croix gallery for a weekend in March, and guest artist at an April open house and for artOPENer 2025 in June.

Last Spring, artist John Kaul was on hand to take photos on delivery day at the gallery. John’s postage-inspired art is pictured here, along with sculpture by Don Gahr, some of Al’s favorite glass works and Mary Jo’s large canvases.

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Holiday 2024 NEWS

New Studio! Over the summer, Al unpacked the glassblowing equipment that waited for decades in the backyard studio, getting it lit in time to make the annual batch of holiday suncatchers. Going forward, he’ll be adapting the space for more complex work and considering ways to open for visitors.

The new studio will be Al’s focus in 2025, so this holiday season will be the last at the Center City showroom. We’re grateful for almost four years at the bright and spacious location that accommodates Al’s entire inventory of glass.

All are Welcome to stop in for a moment with light & color before we go!

SATURDAYS noon-6pm through December
and happily by appointment: alanhonnglass@gmail.com

ALAN HONN GLASS 320 Summit Avenue, Center City MN

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Art in Bloom 2024

For April’s Art in Bloom at Minneapolis Institute of Art, Al created a golden dragon assemblage for floral artist Richard Raiche’s interpretation of Humility Brings Prosperity Gate. This was the third year Al was commissioned by Richard, an 18 year veteran of the annual show.

Below: a Georgia O’Keefe inspired work from 2023 and a multipart recreation of Notre Dame Stadium from 2022. Read more HERE

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dedicated

Crafted over time, a new baptismal font commissioned for Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Minneapolis was dedicated in the sanctuary in May. Minnesota sculptor John Sterner envisioned and created a gravity defying bronze foundation for the expansive basin realized by Al and a team of artists at Foci – Minnesota for Glass Art. Find details on the session HERE.

In early March, Al and John met at Anurag Studio in Stillwater, where the bronze was cast, to fit bowl and base together before transporting the work to the church.

Holy Trinity is home to many handcrafted art and liturgical pieces, historical and contemporary. The decommissioned font that served the church for a century will be repurposed.

See more about Holy Trinity at htlcmpls.org and about John Sterner at johnknifesterner.com

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Spring 2023 @Al’s

In early March, elements of the baptismal font commissioned for Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Minneapolis, came together when Al and metal artist John Sterner fit basin to base at Anurag Studio in Stillwater. Find details on the glass HERE.

In Center City, mid-March brings the annual celebration of Reubens & Irish Stew at Al’s Center Saloon. This year the team served up over 600lbs of corned beef! When not at the grill, Al was at the sales desk in the glass showroom.

March 25: Al will be doing demonstrations at FOCI Minnesota Center for Glass Art, a great opportunity to catch him in action and to experience the Minneapolis facility. More info HERE

Coming in April: another appearance at Art in Bloom, the annual, fleeting installation at Minneapolis Institute of Arts. Details from the the 2022 event HERE. Follow the 2023 event HERE.

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Take Me to Marine!

Artist Mary Jo Van Dell will open open her amazing studio space to host a group show mixing wood, textile, metal, clay and glass works by area artists with her award-winning landscape paintings.

Al is honored to be included with Don Gahr, Tim Harding, Asa Hoyt and Connor Isenberg.

The studio is located above the historic Marine General Store,
at 101 Judd Street, Marine on Saint Croix MN
and will be open
September 15, 10am-8pm, with an artists’ gathering & live music from 5-8pm
September 16-18, 10am-5pm

The exhibition is part of Take Me to the River 2022, a program of ArtReach St. Croix in partnership regional art fairs & festivals. The curated collection of events celebrates “Art at Every Bend in the River” over the course of four weekends in September and October.

Find more information at maryjovandell.com & artreachstcroix.org

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more from the MN State Fair

UPDATE: furnace down/gallery open at FOCI-MN Center for Glass in the West End Market (map HERE) • NO DEMOs until next year!!

A look at Al’s 2018 First Place Fine Arts win HERE

The story on those smileys (& skulls):
A few fairs ago, Al picked up a Nordic Ware baking pan
at the Grandstand to test as a glass mold.
A success, resulting in clear, fun charms.
Experiments ensue, from time to time.