Lyssa Lovejoy
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On View In Our Charles Beck Gallery
March 17th - April 25th, 2026
Opening Reception
Opening reception: Thursday, March 19th, 5:00-7:00pm
March 17th - April 25th, 2026
Opening Reception
Opening reception: Thursday, March 19th, 5:00-7:00pm
Exhibition Statement
Discover the untold stories of the American frontier. “Black Cowboys, Buffalo Soldiers & the Wonders of the Wild West.” This engaging showcase honors the vital contributions of Black individuals who shaped Wild West history. Each artwork tells a story of courage, showcasing dynamic rodeo scenes, ranch life, and the rich heritage of these pioneering figures, all rendered with vivid colors and powerful imagery. In contrast, the legacy of the Buffalo Soldiers is brought to life through striking visual interpretations that honor their bravery and dedication.
Artist Bio: Lyssa Lovejoy
My studio and showroom are in Evansville, Minnesota, where I get to show up as a full-time artist, listen deeply, and let a few happy accidents do their work. For more than 40 years, I’ve painted, taught, and built creative spaces across Minnesota, using art to inspire connection, resilience, and honest reflection. Over the past three decades, my work has been shown in solo and group exhibitions from New York to Montana, selected and awarded in numerous juried exhibitions, and commissioned for both private collections and public projects, including community celebrations. Whether in galleries or in unexpected settings like jails, retreat centers and high risk youth programming. I return to the same belief that the creative process can open a doorway to healing, identity, and hope.
When I begin a new series, I treat it like a journey. It often begins with a question that will not leave me alone. I seek out stories through research, interviews, and conversation. I look at what has already been made around the subject, not to mirror it, but to understand the space I am stepping into and what I feel. That learning becomes part of the mark making, guiding the representations & the materials, as I build the work.
My work moves fluidly across oil sticks, pen & ink, acrylic, watercolor, mixed media, and collage because I have never been an artist of one medium or one subject. Each one carries its own language. Watercolor offers tenderness. Acrylic builds structure and energy. Oil sticks bring richness, weight, and immediacy. Collage holds layered truth. I choose what the work requires, then I follow what keeps returning, It chooses me not the other way around.
Cohesiveness comes from working on multiple paintings at once. The colors begin to speak to each other, and the rhythm carries across the group. That is how the series stays connected, even as each piece finds its own voice.
The work reveals itself in layers as I go, and it often shifts along the way. Near the end, something clicks, and I am almost always amazed by what comes forward. I try not to judge the painting while it is still becoming, because judgment goes against the soul of the work. That is usually where I struggle most. When I start judging, I stop listening.
In the end, I want to make work that honors the human story. I make the work because it needs to be made. Once it exists, I invite the viewer into conversation by sparking curiosity. Where do you see yourself in it. What story are you carrying? What does it ask of you?
When I begin a new series, I treat it like a journey. It often begins with a question that will not leave me alone. I seek out stories through research, interviews, and conversation. I look at what has already been made around the subject, not to mirror it, but to understand the space I am stepping into and what I feel. That learning becomes part of the mark making, guiding the representations & the materials, as I build the work.
My work moves fluidly across oil sticks, pen & ink, acrylic, watercolor, mixed media, and collage because I have never been an artist of one medium or one subject. Each one carries its own language. Watercolor offers tenderness. Acrylic builds structure and energy. Oil sticks bring richness, weight, and immediacy. Collage holds layered truth. I choose what the work requires, then I follow what keeps returning, It chooses me not the other way around.
Cohesiveness comes from working on multiple paintings at once. The colors begin to speak to each other, and the rhythm carries across the group. That is how the series stays connected, even as each piece finds its own voice.
The work reveals itself in layers as I go, and it often shifts along the way. Near the end, something clicks, and I am almost always amazed by what comes forward. I try not to judge the painting while it is still becoming, because judgment goes against the soul of the work. That is usually where I struggle most. When I start judging, I stop listening.
In the end, I want to make work that honors the human story. I make the work because it needs to be made. Once it exists, I invite the viewer into conversation by sparking curiosity. Where do you see yourself in it. What story are you carrying? What does it ask of you?
Dawn Rossbach
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On View In Our Studio K Gallery
March 17th - April 25th, 2026
Opening Reception
Opening reception: Thursday, March 19th, 5:00-7:00pm
March 17th - April 25th, 2026
Opening Reception
Opening reception: Thursday, March 19th, 5:00-7:00pm
Exhibition statement
The Blind Mind is a collection of oil paintings that explore the experience of being an artist with Aphantasia, a condition where individuals are unable to create mental images. With funding from the Minnesota State Arts Board,
Dawn Rossbach created these images without using objects, photos, or mental references due to the Aphantasia. The primary goals of this project are to raise awareness and foster understanding about Aphantasia. As an artist with this condition, I often face questions about how I can be an artist. However, after researching the condition, which is not considered a disability, I discovered connections between Aphantasia and memory and comprehension, which could impact learning. As a former art teacher, this discovery sparked my passion for raising awareness about Aphantasia and its impact on artists who rely on visualization and terminology that often holds metaphorical significance for those of us who are aphants. • In the debut exhibition, the artworks are arranged alternately between diptychs and single canvas works, with the colors guiding the viewer’s attention from one image to another.
Dawn Rossbach created these images without using objects, photos, or mental references due to the Aphantasia. The primary goals of this project are to raise awareness and foster understanding about Aphantasia. As an artist with this condition, I often face questions about how I can be an artist. However, after researching the condition, which is not considered a disability, I discovered connections between Aphantasia and memory and comprehension, which could impact learning. As a former art teacher, this discovery sparked my passion for raising awareness about Aphantasia and its impact on artists who rely on visualization and terminology that often holds metaphorical significance for those of us who are aphants. • In the debut exhibition, the artworks are arranged alternately between diptychs and single canvas works, with the colors guiding the viewer’s attention from one image to another.
Artist Bio: Dawn Rossbach
Dawn Rossbach, an artist residing in Menahga, Minnesota, co-owns Studio 176 Gallery in Park Rapids, Minnesota. Her artistic journey commenced in her youth, with a focus on drawing and painting. However, it was during the early 2000s that she assumed a more significant role as an artist while teaching art to high school students. Rossbach’s creative endeavors encompass a diverse range of media, including printmaking, mixed media, stained glass, and painting. Additionally, she continues to contribute to the art community by conducting workshops at a local art center.