Larson Art Gallery: Minnesota Flavors

An exhibition of various artistic approaches including paintings, portraiture and sculptural works; all by professional artists, meant to showcase the variety of talent from local Minnesotans. Join us for the opening reception on March 20 from 6 to 8pm at the Larson Art Gallery in the St. Paul Student Center. Check out the exhibit, meet the artists, and enjoy catering from Smokin' Hot Dish, a local favorite.

About the Artists

Umbreen Hasan

Medium: Alcohol inks on Yupo paper
Statement: "Art defines what it means to be human. It transports the viewer to a time and place of rich multi-layered experiences in an explosion of emotion that is hard to quantify. It fills empty spaces with the exuberance of the artist, triggering long forgotten memories of the nexus between life and its many-colored vistas."

Gena Cohen

Medium: Ink & Paint on Canvas
Statement: "I am an artist currently based in the Long Lake area in Minnesota. I have been in the fine art business since 2021 working as a professional abstract expressionist, with the occasional objective painting as well. I enjoy meeting people and talking about my work, and feel that my work would be a good fit for one of the UMN galleries. I am also a University of Minnesota alum, and it would be truly an honor to come full circle and exhibit at the university when the last time I was there was as an art student."

Christopher Bailey Foote

Medium: Paint on Paper
Statement: "An alumnus of the University of Minnesota, Chris developed a career as a local illustrator from the west suburbs. Chris produced thousands of drawings in his lifetime and was actively involved in various clubs and non-profits around the Lake Minnetonka area. In July of 2021, he died at the age of 62. His wife Diane Foote submitted these works on his behalf." 

Helene Woods

Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Statement: “D. Helene Woods (she/her) is a Jewish queer artist living and working in Monticello, MN. Woods is interested in the concept of wellness, and how generational, cultural, and immediate experiences impact health and well-being. Woods uses symbolic elements and an imagined anatomy to represent how the body physically feels. She includes environments and objects alluding to gender, class and personal histories that reflect the impacts they have on our lives and bodies. Woods explores how wellness is woven into all aspects of human activity, from the very public to the most private. The paintings express a thoughtfulness to how our sense of well-being interacts with our memories, thoughts of the future, and the very immediate present.” 

Dan Petrov

Medium: Oil Paint
Statement: "All paintings will be thematically connected with the different aspects of human condition. These paintings, produced in last two years, are mostly focusing on figure and individual in relation to the aspects of social environment, emotional expression and ideas of personal identity. I work with models in direct observation during the painting process."

Marvin Wise

Medium: Acrylic Paint
Statement: “Marvin’s artwork tells a story allowing the viewer to see things in a different light, his works encourage conversation.”

Pocket Toscani

Medium: Mixed Media & Wood Sculpture
Statement: “My hand-made objects are physical manifestations of cultural misfits. I am engaged in recoding the mainstream culture into an abstracted sculptural response. I often begin by reconfiguring found objects, or distorting western decorative arts. The issues I am exploring are the quotidian, facades and frauds, irony and parody, and being queer.” 

Toscani is also the creator of "Giant Molecules," the large molecule structure outside of the Molecular and Cellular Biology Building on the East Bank of University of Minnesota's Twin Cities' campus. Installed in 2008, the 32-foot-high, 10,000-pound atoms are arranged in an arch over the sidewalk.

Lynn Tanaka

Medium: Mixed Media
Statement: "I find strong personal connections to the idea of collecting. Objects that – by physical identity, texture, pattern or color – represent my theories and observations about life concepts. The foundation of my work revolves around collecting appreciation and motivation from my observation of nature. I see nature as the ultimate artist. From its forms and color palettes to its functions; everything that nature produces is used as a motivational tool to create and expand on my artistic output.