The relationship between artists and museums is one of the dynamics that power the art world forward. Certain museums have shown an ability to spot talent early and a willingness to take risks to display new work—much to the benefit of audiences who come to see exhibitions by up-and-coming creatives. The Garrett Museum of Art has that vision of filling their galleries with these breakout artists and has done so annually for the past 3 years. For the artists, the rewards of getting in on the ground floor is invaluable.
Angela Green, Curator, says of the list of Breakout 2022 artists, “Many of these artists are people whose work wouldn’t necessarily be seen otherwise. We can give these artists a platform.”
Spring is the season for emerging art and this group show is full of names you may not have heard of (but will know very soon) and are all a fresh crop of talent. Here, we highlight 5 breakout artists hailing from Minnesota and Michigan to our home state of Indiana.
Natalie McKibben is a graduate of Alma College in Michigan and works mainly in the 2D mediums of acrylic paint and colored pencils. She also has done 3D work in clay, papier-mâché, and even garbage. She has been creating art her entire life and loves to experiment with various mediums. Natalie currently lives in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Mark Hepner, originally from Royal Oak, Michigan, had a career in the automotive industry. He was always interested in art and in the 90’s, took art classes in his local community. He began in oils and landscapes but has now moved on to acrylic on canvas, painting landscapes, seascapes, and rock and roll stars. He resides in Brownstown, Michigan.
Monika Dipert is from Trier, Germany. She started creating textile collages in 2015 because she had so many remnants left over from decades of sewing clothes and she couldn’t bear the thought of parting with them. Monika’s textile collages have people, places, and pets as subjects. She now lives in Andover, Minnesota, but spent many years at West Otter Lake in Steuben County. She not only creates unique art but is studying to become a glider pilot.
Carmen Hamilton is from Kendallville, Indiana, and just graduated from IUFW in 2021. Carmen is a printmaker whose goal is to tell stories with her art. Her recent work weaves memories into narratives by using figures placed in specific environments. Carmen’s work is cutting edge printmaking that is thought provoking. She plans to pursue her MFA in the fall of 2022.
Indre Mineikis is from Lithuania. She now resides in Noblesville, Indiana, and has just been juried into IN Artisan, a group of some of the finest artists in the state. Indre loves theater and making delicious baked goods, as well as crafting puppets and sculpture. Indre’s mixed media soft sculptures of animals are delightful and sure to make you smile.
Join us at the Garrett Museum of Art, located at 100 S. Randolph Street in Garrett, on Friday, April 1, 2022 from 6PM – 8PM to celebrate the opening of our next exhibition, Breakout Artists 2022.
The Opening Reception is free, open to the public, and all ages are welcome. The show will run from April 1, 2022 through May 1, 2022.
Regular Museum Hours:
Friday 5PM – 8PM
Saturday 4PM – 7PM
Sunday 1PM – 4PM
Private tours are available Monday through Thursday by appointment only. Please call 260-704-5400 to schedule yours today.