Grand Forks, ND - Northern Valley Youth Orchestras announces the first performance of its 16th season: a free outdoor public concert Friday August 14th,  11:30 am at the Grand Forks Historical Society’s  Myra Museum Gazebo, 2405 Belmont Road.  Dal Segno Music camp week is August 10 - 14, 2026.   At the conclusion of a week of rehearsals and outdoor activities, 40 student string, wind, and brass musicians  from a dozen area schools and communities will present a performance featuring a variety of music learned during the week. Concertgoers will enjoy a mix of chamber music and string and full orchestra works from classical, movie, folk and symphonic pops repertoire. Bring your own chair or blanket, support the young musicians, and enjoy a mid-day concert in the historical museum outdoor setting. (Rain site: Grand Forks Public Library. )  Campers and student volunteers this year come from multiple schools in Grand Forks, as well as Grafton, Reynolds, Pembina  and Larimore. ND and East Grand Forks, Fisher, and  Thief River Falls, Minnesota. Camp coaches and mentors are private and public teachers in the area;  some are alumni of the NVYO programs.  Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/share/1HEQmmckv8/ or contact NVYO  at  info@novyo.org  Campers will also play briefly at the  Town Square Farmers Market in downtown Grand Forks on Saturday morning at 9 am.  

Dal Segno is a project of Northern Valley Youth Orchestras. Sponsors include Arioso Music Academy, Bernie’s Restaurant, Popplers Music, Claire Givens Violins, InPrints Screen Printing, and Thrivent financial. Dal Segno is supported in part by grants from the Grand Forks Park District Foundation, the City of Grand Forks, and the Neel Family Fund and Iseminger Arts grants through the  Community Foundation of Grand Forks, East Grand Forks and Region. 

Northern Valley Youth Orchestras is also presently accepting string, wind, brass and percussion auditions and registrations for its school year programs; more information is available on the website. 

The North Dakota Museum of Art invites the public to an exhibition opening reception on July 16, 4:30 – 6:30 pm. Join us to celebrate the opening of the new exhibition, Material Abstractions. The exhibition includes the work of twenty-four artists whose work explores a diverse representation of abstract art. One of the featured artists, Lauren Fensterstock, will provide commentary about her work starting at 5 pm. Curator Anna Sigrídur Arnar will also speak on the theme and give an overview of the exhibition. The history of abstraction has typically focused on a sequential progression of heroic individuals in Western art “discovering” abstract art in the early 20th century. By contrast, Material Abstractions acknowledges the global and diverse traditions of abstract art, many of which predate Western developments.

The gallery talk and reception, including hors d’oeuvres and beverages, are free and open to the public. Parking is available, at no charge, in front of the Museum located on the University of North Dakota campus. The exhibition will continue through October 4, 2026.

The exhibition also features works of fiber art including weavings, quilts, and fabric constructions. Such works are often inherently abstract in their underlying structure or bear decorative abstract motifs yet have traditionally been excluded from the narratives about abstract art because of their status as a decorative art or craft. Above all, Material Abstractions highlights abstract art that embraces the unique communicative power of materials including paint, wool, wood, hemp, bamboo, clay, metal oxides, glass, leather, mirrors, repurposed books, animal bones, and seashells to name but a few examples. These materials appeal not only to sight, but also to touch and sound to invoke a multisensory experience. For many artists featured in the exhibition, the historical traces or personal stories embedded in materials release information that fundamentally shape understanding of a work of art.

All works in this exhibition come from the permanent collection of the Museum and provide an overview of the depth and range of artists in the collection.

The North Dakota Museum of Art is located at 261 Centennial Drive on the campus of the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks. Exhibition hours are weekdays, 9 am - 5 pm and weekends, 1 - 5 pm. Admission to the Museum is free of charge, donations welcome. For more information, 701-777-4195 or ndmoa@ndmoa.com. Visit ndmoa.com to discover more about Museum exhibitions, Cafe, programs, concerts, and events, and membership opportunities.

Upcoming Curator Tours:
Tuesday, August 4, 4 pm

Friday, September 11, 12 pm

Sunday, September 13, 2 pm

CALL FOR ART! Submit your work for “SHE THE PEOPLE: We Hold These Truths…” — an art show celebrating International Women’s Day!

Inspired by the spirit of our country’s founding documents and the ongoing pursuit of equality, this juried exhibition explores what freedom, justice, and representation mean through the eyes of women today. We invite artists to reflect on themes of identity, autonomy, and truth — from personal stories of empowerment to collective struggles for rights still denied.

March 1–31, 2026

Grand Forks, ND

To learn more and submit work by January 31, 2026 → https://app.entrythingy.com/calls/public/13598/

Mayor Bochenski Chooses Paul Gronhovd to Receive Artist Award on May 15

North Dakota Museum of Art Announces Two New Exhibitions

Guy Nelson: Tales from the Understory 

and From Paint to Print: Helen Frankenthaler and the Art of Collaboration

Call for Art

Welcome the Whimsical Art Exhibit 

Submissions Accepted Now Until May 6 

Warren, MN. The Northwest Minnesota Arts Council is pleased to announce a call for art for an upcoming exhibit Welcome the Whimsical: An Art Exhibit Featuring Your Imagination. The deadline for submissions is May 6.

Welcome the Whimsical features other worldly experiences. Think playful, unusual, odd, quaint, imagination, or fanciful art or Dr. Seuss-type images. This exhibit is open to students and adults in our 7 county area (Kittson, Marshall, Norman, Pennington, Polk, Roseau, and Red Lake). Entry for the exhibit is free.

All mediums will be accepted including chalk, oil, sculpture, pencil,  folk art, photography, writing, music, watercolor, acrylic, collage, mixed media, fiber, pen and ink, crayon, clay, pottery, and more! 

The exhibit will be open May 21- August 15 at Northland Community and Technical College in Thief River Falls. Learn more at the Arts Council website at NWArtsCouncil.org. 

Please reach out to NWMAC Showcase Specialist Trey Everett with questions and submissions at treyeverettcreates@gmail.com. Include what you want to submit, how many pieces, dimensions, and attach a photo.

The North Dakota Museum of Art is pleased to announce the new exhibition, Women at War, along with an opening reception that includes a talk by Anne Kingsbury, whose exhibition, Slow Improvisations; A Frame of Mind, is currently on display in the Mezzanine Gallery. The public is invited to the reception on Thursday, January 16, 2025, from 4:30 – 6:30 pm at the Museum. Wine and hors d'oeuvres will be served. Parking is free – in front of and adjacent to the Museum. These exhibitions will be on display through March 2025. Women at War is underwritten by the University of North Dakota.

Visitors, patients and employees who walk through the halls or relax in waiting rooms at the new Altru Hospital will likely contemplate and appreciate the artwork around them.

They might not, however, readily grasp its significance.

The Sketchbook Project is the world’s largest collection of national and international artist sketchbooks, featuring 28,000 books created by thousands or artists representing approximately 100 countries. Since its inception in 2006, the collection has been a beloved part of the art world. Contributions range from love letters and diary entries to graphic novels and intricately detailed masterpieces, all inside the pages of five-by-seven-inch, paper-bound books. After this nonprofit decided to close, most of the collection was gifted to the Taube Museum of Art.