New Paintings by Reed White, Installation by Dana Sikkila February 3-27 at the Arts Center of St. Peter

    February 7th, 2021

    Submitted Photo - Two paintings from Reed White's Corona Blues
    Submitted Photo – Two paintings from Reed White’s Corona Blues

    SAINT PETER, MINN. – Flowers stretching ten feet wide across a single canvas, portraits of local people outside Mankato’s Coffee Hag, and short films of the artist in conversation with a polymer clay puppet make up Reed White’s “Corona Blues,” on display February 3-27 in the Arts Center of Saint Peter’s main galleries.

    White turned to flowers as subjects when pandemic restrictions disrupted his usual practice of painting live models. “I was social distancing, spending time in my garden, when the idea struck me,” says White. “I thought about the similarities. Flowers have a fleshy quality, the folds, the wrinkles, the complex anatomy, the subtleties of reflecting light.”

    Also on display February 3-27, in the south window gallery, is a new installation by Dana Sikkila exploring the obsessive relationships between a woman and her favorite things.

    In lieu of a reception, the exhibiting artists will be interviewed on Live from the Arts Center of Saint Peter which airs Thursdays 1-2 p.m. on KMSU 89.7FM. Guests are announced Thursday mornings on the Arts Center’s Facebook page. The show is streaming and archived for two weeks at kmsu.org.

    Masks and social distancing are required in the Arts Center’s galleries, which are free and wheelchair-accessible. Gallery hours are Wednesday though Friday 1-5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., and Sunday 1-5 p.m. The Arts Center’s COVID-19 readiness plan is available upon request.

    This activity is made possible through grants from KMSU Radio and from the Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.