National Eagle Center to host artist meet and greet, live painting event October 5-6

Wabasha, MN – This Saturday, Oct. 5th and Sunday, Oct. 6th the National Eagle Center will host St. Paul-based artists MaryBeth Garrigan and Petra Lommen for a live painting and artist meet and greet event from 10am to 5pm in the Watershed Gallery. Works from their latest collaboration are currently on display in the Watershed Gallery at the National Eagle Center in an exhibit titled Avian Night Sky.

Garrigan, who served as Executive Director at the Center from 2000-2009, and Lommen are collaborating artists at Ugly Daisy Studio in St. Paul. Their partnership arose from MaryBeth telling stories from her long history with birds. Combined with the metaphysics and sacred traditions of iconic bird imagery, MaryBeth’s stories suggested visual ideas. When the artists visited Wabasha, leaving behind the light pollution of the Twin Cities, they were captivated by the dark night sky and realized that the stars provide the perfect backdrop for the visual bird stories. The result is a collection of beautifully layered paintings that amaze and inspire through their use of color and movement. 

“We’re very excited to host MaryBeth and Petra for this event,” said Anna Christenson, Watershed Gallery Curator. “Their work is magical, combining color, movement, and patterns. It fits very well with our educational work at the Center.”

Visitors will be able to meet the artists, ask questions and watch them work on new paintings both days.

“It will be a wonderful opportunity for our guests to learn about their art and collaborative creative process,” said Christianson.

Avian Night Sky will be on exhibit at the National Eagle Center through December.

For more information on the Watershed Gallery and the current exhibition, visit nationaleaglecenter.com/watershed-gallery.   

The National Eagle Center is a landmark interpretive center on the banks of the Mississippi River in Wabasha, MN celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2019. Offering wild eagle viewing and live eagle programs daily, the National Eagle Center connects people with eagles in nature, history, and culture. For more information about the National Eagle Center, visit nationaleaglecenter.org.