Time Taken | Joshua Cunningham

A Minnesota native from rural Isanti County, Cunningham currently lives and works in St. Paul. He is a member of the Outdoor Painters of Minnesota, Oil Painters of America, and the American Impressionist Society. His work has garnered national attention from Plein Air Magazine and Informed Collector. He was commissioned to create numerous artworks including a major painting to commemorate the 125th Anniversary of The University of St Thomas and has been a frequent Artist in Residence at several art centers as well as the St Croix Watershed Research Station, part of the Science Museum of Minnesota.

                Cunningham works primarily en plein air, the practice of painting outdoors. He likens finding a subject to being invited into a moment—to Cunningham, each new scene is an invitation to be present, to spend time looking closely, and to connect with the memories that emerge upon returning to a familiar place. The artist explains,

“Imagine the anticipation, excitement, and anxiousness of not knowing what you were about to see, but knowing the world was going to offer you something you'd either spend the morning painting or the rest of the day kicking yourself for not taking the time to answer the invitation of light, shadow, and air. On my way to these places, I left trails in the snow, slid down riverbanks, and sunk into a drift of polished pebbles along Lake Superior. I took my time picking my path, crossing a stream, and following hunches down dusty roads, trusting I would end up where I was meant to be so that I could share it with you.”

Runs concurrently with Winter Salon.

Gallery Hours:

Tuesday – Saturday, 12 to 5 pm