Princeton, MN “Art for me is like breathing for other people."
An artist by necessity, Amy Cunningham also has a fascination with people and their machines that started with an uncle who loved old cars. Her passions collided when she saw an old photo of her husband’s uncle Emery. It was a photograph of Emery propped against his car, a Fedora on his head and a cigarette burning between his fingers; his rifle rested at his hip. She fell in love with the photograph and its reminiscence of a bygone era. The painting she made from the photograph now hangs in her living room. It was the inspiration for her series, Faces of Minnesota.
The series is a collection of photographs Cunningham gathered from fellow Minnesotans that captured a definite feeling true to the time period. Families who submitted their photos were also asked to recite the story behind the photo. Cunningham and her editor left the stories in the voices of those who told them, lending a definite flavor to each submission. Cunningham then went on to paint her rendition of the photograph on wood, the surface's own character managing to bring out certain subtleties that might otherwise go unnoticed in a simple snapshot.
An opening reception and book signing is being held at the Elk River Arts Alliance 609 Main Street NW Elk River, MN Saturday May 2 from 1pm - 4pm and a follow up show will be at NEMAA Art-a-Wheel East Side Neighborhood Services 1700 2nd Street NE NE Minneapolis, MN *showing May 15-17.
After these shows the pieces will be distributed to their new owners, the remaining few pieces sold to interested parties.
