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Health & Fitness

Vibrant, Active, Engaged ... Thanks to the Arts

The Arts are a significant part of what makes this Valley so great. ArtReach builds partnerships and positively impacts the vitality of the arts from our Stillwater home. Give to the Max on Nov 15!

At ArtReach St. Croix, we believe that the Arts are a significant part of what makes the St. Croix Valley great. For twenty years, ArtReach has been working to build partnerships and positively impact the health and vitality of the arts from our home base in Stillwater.

In 2012, ArtReach made great strides along our journey toward connecting communities with the arts through arts leadership, supporting individual artists, collaborative marketing, and strengthening arts education. Here are just a few examples of ArtReach's mission in action:

Stillwater artist Edie Abnet signed on to host an anchor event for Take Me to the River, a celebration of art festivals powered by ArtReach St. Croix. Her September art show revived a tradition that saw her farm-based art studios transformed into a lively art scene showcasing the work of eight diverse artists. By being part of Take Me to the River, Edie's event achieved a level of visibility that would have been hard to attain on its own.

Currently showing in the ArtReach galleries is "Tour de Force," the first ever group exhibition of the Minnesota Potters of the Upper St. Croix. This group of seven potters are nationally (and internationally) recognized and known for their Mother's Day weekend studio tour. Right now, you can see the range of their work right here in Stillwater.

ArtReach has been selected to participate in ArtsLab, an intense multi-year leadership and strategic management program run by ArtsMidwest. Also, ArtReach's director, Heather Rutledge, has joined the board of the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council. Both opportunities are raising the visibility of the arts and artists in the St. Croix Valley and beyond.

And perhaps most visible are the long-overdue improvement to our house. The new roof and stunning new paint job started a trend in our spiffy North Hill neighborhood, as well as creating a welcoming home for all to come and connect with the arts.

Give to the Max Day is such a great tradition in Minnesota and ArtReach is excited to have the support of our neighbors during The Great Minnesota Give Together.

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