The second annual Saint Peter Art Stroll drew 29 artists and plenty of foot traffic Saturday to 15 sites in St. Peter and nearby Kasota. And this year, it’s a two-day affair.
Event organizers Cheryl Casteen, Bryan Holland and Amanda Malkin heard plenty of praise and ideas from last year’s inaugural event, which surprised many with throngs of visitors. Many suggested expanding the artistic endeavor to a second day because it was difficult to take in each artist.
In 2022, the art stroll drew 24 artists in 10 locations. As was the case last year, most artists’ locations were within blocks of the historic downtown district.
“We wanted to make it two days because there’s more artists and people told us last year that it was hard to get around to everyone,” said Casteen, whose own artistic works were on display at Holland’s studio in north St. Peter.
Holland agreed: “And I wanted to give us a little insurance in case weather’s bad.”
Last year’s cold temperatures, however, didn’t hold back crowds, noted Casteen. And Sunday’s second day of the Saint Peter Art Stroll, which will run from noon to 4 p.m., has the potential for even broader attendance, with a forecast high of 61 and sunny skies.
Malkin, a talented paper conservator, handles much of the marketing and social media presence for the Saint Peter Art Stroll. Casteen and Holland credit Malkin’s creativity and efforts which helped launch the inaugural art stroll and now into year two.
Art Stroll demos
Sculptor and glass-blowing artist Mark Hall had plenty of heat glowing in his historic wooden shop in downtown Kasota. He and fellow artist Dustin Swiers provided one of the featured demonstrations in Hall’s small shed, the community’s former blacksmith shop.
Hall has made quite a name for himself and his Hallmark Glass business, not so much from his glass-blowing prowess but from his ornate sculptures, mostly the result of scrap metals and materials.
“Mark has found inspiration in Native beliefs, which harmonize his,” wrote Malkin in event promotional material. “He prefers to create by utilizing materials that he has on hand, or salvaged from scrap yards (using value-added metals).”
Hall’s finished sculptures now number 13 throughout the Midwest, including his most recent, “Cactus Flower,” which stood outside his Kasota shop and is on its way to Sioux Falls, South Dakota. This year, Hall’s works total four there.
Hall’s first sculpture, the 12-foot “Dream Catcher,” created a little more than 10 years ago, still might be his favorite because it opened the door to a more lucrative art form than his glass-blowing efforts.
“I didn’t mean to get into it,” he admitted. “I just stumbled on to it.”
It was glass blowing that Hall, now 69, featured for years in his Kasota shop.
“A lot of my glass-blowing friends are perfectionists,” Hall said. “They blow every day. They’re really good at it. I’m not serious. And it’s not easy. You’re already walking a tightrope.”
During Saturday’s demonstration, he was joined by Swiers, who said he’s joined Hall’s shop the past four years.
Another art stroll demonstration was hosted by Blue Valley Clay, which recently opened its doors in downtown St. Peter. Four artists — Juana Arias, Stepanie Bove, Nate FitzSimmons and Thomas Prahl — formed the company to better serve a growing pottery culture in the Minnesota River Valley region.
Malkin wrote this about Arias and her Blue Valley Clay venture: “For the last 10 years, Juana’s work is influenced by ideas of body memory, impressions in our physical form. … Her current focus is on applying print methods to create multi-layered images on functional pottery.”
Arias said the name came from the region’s typography, which includes rare blue clay, and it’s also an acknowledgement to the Indigenous people who first occupied this land.
“It’s a ton of work to get a studio running,” Arias said. “But I’ve got a great group of people to work with.”
There’s room for seven renters in the sprawling basement location of the former Nicollet Hotel on Park Row, space that had been vacant for some time, according to Arias.
“We have room to expand, which is great,” she said. “We just wanted it to be much about space.”
Fellow co-owner Bove said she’s excited to be a part of the partnership, noting that the shared space and talents help distribute some of the workload, including the social media and marketing.
Teamwork was cited, as well, by art stroll organizers, as many volunteers also contributed to this second-year event. Casteen said the volunteers allow some needed breaks for the artists, who are now prepping for day two.
Again, Holland agreed: “Personally, I think we make a great team.”