Avian Night Sky: A collaborative Exploration of Darkness and Transition | MaryBeth Garrigan and Petra Johnita Lommen

This captivating display celebrates the fading beauty of our night skies, threatened by light pollution. Through ethereal paintings, the artists explore the transformative power of darkness. As birds soar through starlit heavens, they become metaphors for our own journeys through the subconscious realms of life. Garrigan's environmental activism echoes in the celestial backdrop, while Lommen's narrative weaves threads of the LGBTQ experience into the cosmic tapestry. Enhancing the multi-sensory experience is poetry by Stephen Wilbers. You can experience music by Jerry Kosak inspired by the artwork, at the closing reception and Star Party. Garrigan and Lommen have partnered with Starry Skies North to share resources on light pollution. 

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

The artwork of MaryBeth Garrigan is a personal narrative of Artemis the feminine archetype as hunter. Eas of MaryBeth’s paintings is about a bird, and each bird tells a story from her life experience – from earning her bachelor’s degree in animal science in 1986, working with both peregrine falcon recovery programs in the 1980s, serving as bird trainer at the University of Minnesota’s Raptor Center from 1989-1999, as as founding director of the National Eagle Center from 2000-2010. It was in Wabasha that she fell in love with the night sky devoid of light pollution. Two weeks after meeting neighbor and fellow artist Petra Johnita Lommen at Schmidt Artist Lofts and suggesting that maybe she should do the birds and Petra should do the night skies. They began creating artwork together. Their collaboration continues more than ten years later.

Since 1972 Petra Johnita Lommen has exhibited her artwork extensively, both regionally and nationally. With a BFA and an MFA from the University of Minnesota, she has worked in the fields of art education and science education. Her art explores a personal creative feminine energy through archetypal themes relation to the celestial beauty of the night sky. Embedded deeply in her artistic consciousness are images of the dark skies and northern lights of northern Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. 

Gallery Hours: 

Thursday-Sunday: 10:00am-4:00pm; Closed on Federal Holidays