Tag: People

Image courtesy Rick Brown.

Ojibway artist Rick Brown, aka River Man, will be featured at the Crosscreek Art Gallery on Lake Street in downtown Wayzata from now until January 15, 2011.

Brown is the third most popular painter in the state, according to local merchant Ken Herren of Your Art’s Desire in Minnetonka.  “Brown is a prolific painter; he has a soothing palette, and his paintings are easy to look at.  This type of artwork is appealing to families and all kinds of sensibilities, and his Indian heritage makes him popular with local casinos.” Herren stated via a telephone interview. Your Art’s Desire will be providing the frames for the display.

The walls of the Crosscreek Art Gallery will be filled with Brown’s paintings, and one can’t help but wonder what the inspiration for the paintings is when viewing them.  According to Brown, the influences on his art come from the northern portions of the state, “Most of my landscape pieces–the inspiration comes from hiking in the woods up in Grand Marais, near Lake Superior.”

While Brown may enjoy the fruits of being a popular painter now, his upbringing near Lake of the Woods on the Manitou Rapids Indian Reservation was more humble.  “I was raised in an orphanage and at fifteen years old, I ran away from those places.  I got my families address here in the Twin Cities and tracked down the place.”

Brown encountered the home he believed the family to be living in, but found a hospital bill for his brother indicating the family had moved back to Canada. He decided to hitchhike further south down Interstate 35 into Iowa.  It wasn’t for another year before he was able to connect with them, with the revelation the family had been out playing bingo the evening he arrived at the home.

Asked about the popularity of his artwork, Brown indicated, “A lot of people seem to like my art, so I keep plugging away.”

Brown has provided numerous commissions including corporate and private collectors, according to his website.  The Crosscreek Art Gallery is located at 810 East Lake Street in Wayzata, and is open Monday – Sunday, 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.

If you go:

What: Paintings by popular artist Rick Brown, aka River Man
When: Now through January 15, 2011
Where: 810 East Lake Street, in the building that D’amico & Sons is in.
Hours: Mon-Sun 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.

For more information, call Ken Herren at Your Art’s Desire: 952-988-9772

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