Artist Initiative
Artist Initiative
Building upon his past work on vintage signs around the Twin Cities area, Mike Welton will develop new paintings exploring the historical and personal relationship between Minnesotans and their regional vintage signage.
Ardell Brede: Mayor of Rochester, elected 2002.; Peggy Burnet: Businesswoman, art collector, and community volunteer. Chair of the Nominating Committee, Smithsonian National Board. Trustee, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. Vice Chair, Minnesota State Arts Board.; Uri Camarena: Business consultant, Metropolitan Economic Development Association. Board chair, Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Officer at-large, Minnesota State Arts Board; Michael Charron: Dean of the School of the Arts, Saint Mary's University of Minnesota. Secretary/Treasurer, Minnesota State Arts Board.; Sean Dowse: Mayor of Red Wing, elected 2016. Former executive director, Sheldon Theatre. Board member for Minnesota Citizens for the Arts. Chair, Minnesota State Arts Board.; Philip McKenzie, Oboe and English horn player; adjunct oboe faculty, NDSU; Mary McReynolds-Pellinen: Executive director, Lyric Center for the Arts; coordinator, First Stage Gallery; Thomas Moss: Consultant to nonprofits and government agencies.; Dobson West: Senior advisor, Spell Capital Partners Fund.; Christina Widdess: Arts organization consultant; former managing director, Penumbra Theatre. Vice Chair, Minnesota State Arts Board.
Mica Lee Anders: Visual artist and educator; women's writing program coordinator, COMPAS; Kenneth Bloom: Director, Tweed Museum; Ann Klefstad: Artist and writer; Arts Board grantee; Alexander Lindsay: Mixed media artist; Kathryn Nobbe Bergmann: Visual artist; Arts Board grantee; Christopher Rackley: Visual artist; Arts Board grantee and Art(ists) on the Verge fellow; Laura Youngbird: Art instructor and cultural counselor.
ACHF Arts Access
To enable a greater awareness and significance of vintage signage in greater Minnesota though my paintings. Each painting would have a short history of the sign and community significance, along with a pad and pen for observer's written responses. These responses would be posted to my website and social media. 2: I will create at least five paintings and exhibit them in a Minnesota venue. I will research and paint vintage signs from at least five regions of the state. I will exhibit and give an artist talk either at Douglas Flanders Gallery or Hopkins art center where audience input will be encouraged.
I painted five vintage Minnesota signs from different regions of the State. Getting Minnesotans responds from each Then writing histories of each sign. Photos of potential signs to paint where visitors comment on photos of them. I chose my painting this way. Tracing my photos onto canvas then Oil painting. Writing historys to be exhibited along with the painting at the grant exhibit.