Richard Bonk (mixed media & ephemeral processes)

Richard Bonk seeks to unite his interest and experience in health and wellbeing with nature and creativity. He is interested in cultivating a mindful, collaborative and reciprocal relationship with nature, inserting himself in natural processes to capture ephemeral forms. Richard feels his nature musings and art making are meditative, offering opportunities for healing and self discovery.

Suzanne Lewis (drawing)

Suzanne Lewis is a life-long Minnesotan, whose curiosity for nature and natural history developed in early childhood from shared outdoor adventures with family and friends, especially in places such as along Lake Superior’s north shore and northern Minnesota. These early experiences grew into a special interest in botanical illustration and later a bachelor’s degree in History from the University of Minnesota. Suzanne remains an outdoor enthusiast who enjoys going on long hikes and documenting the flowers and plants she finds along the way.

Don Luce (oil painting)

For over forty years, Don Luce combined his interests in science, art and nature to develop original exhibitions at the University of Minnesota’s Bell Museum of Natural History. He also curated the museum’s collection of art, including many works by famed painter of dioramas, Francis Lee Jaques. He played a key role in developing the new Bell Museum, from designing a new exhibition gallery to moving and restoring the museum’s historic dioramas. Now retired from the museum, Don devotes more time to his work as an artist and illustrator.

Tom McGregor (oil painting)

Often, Tom paints from little more than a pencil sketch done on location. Working in the studio offers him an opportunity to spend more time with ideas since he is not rushed to get something on canvas before the light changes everything. Tom thinks plein air and studio painting are like pair of gloves. you have to have both to truly express yourself in a meaningful way.

Christine Olson (mixed media, painting)

Christine Olson lives and works as an artist in St Paul, MN. She is a participant in St Paul Art Crawl twice yearly at the FOK Studios. Her subjects are about relationship to the land, with a keen interest in geology and soil biology. She works in watercolor, acrylic and mixed-media.

Bonnie Ploger (mixed media, painting)

Bonnie Ploger is an artist and professor emerita of biology at Hamline University, where she has also been a long-term Artist in Residence at the Center for Global Environmental Education. She teaches interdisciplinary college courses and public workshops that integrate intuitive art-making and outdoor exploration to deepen self and environmental awareness. Her artwork includes paintings, monoprints, drawings, photographs, and sculpture with found objects and natural materials, which she has exhibited in solo and group exhibitions in Minnesota, Wisconsin and China.

Robyn Beth Priestley (fiber arts, printmaking, mixed media)

David Spohn (printmaking)

David Spohn has illustrated and designed books and made prints for over 50 years. He is also the author/illustrator of several children’s books. He first began creating etchings as a student at Loras College where he graduated in 1970. He lives in the St. Croix Valley of Minnesota and has long been inspired by the woodlands, waters and wildlife (large and small) that surround his home.

Diane Wesman (drawing, painting, mixed media)

Diane Wesman is a Minnesota artist whose work, though abstract, springs from a direct observation of nature. Her recent series focuses on the horizon, specifically the water of Lake Superior where it meets the sky as seen from the north shore. 

Vera Ming Wong (cut paper, watercolor, drawing)

Integrating a B.A. in Biology (Swarthmore College); a B.F.A. in Studio Arts (University of Minnesota) with years of ethological & ecological fieldwork, Vera Ming Wong shares her deep respect for the wisdom and processes of natural systems with other humans through visual artworks, workshops, and leading Project Art for Nature. Her mission, shared with PAN, is to inspire conservation of nature through art.