RIVER VALLEY RIPPLE (RVR):
A SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA ARTIST RESIDENCY PROGRAM
Department of Public Transformation (DoPT) and The YES! House present the 2025 River Valley Ripple (RVR) Artist Residency, a program focused on uplifting and supporting emerging and established Southwest Minnesota (SWMN) rural artists with time, space, and resources to further develop and/or expand their artistic practice. To be considered for the program artists must reside in the 18 counties of Southwestern Minnesota (map of the region here). The RVR Artist Residency program provides a unique, close-to-home opportunity for 4 emerging and/or established artists to dedicate time to their practice, connect with a regional network of creative people and programs, and share their work with friends, family, and neighbors in an “artist salon” public showcase.
Each participating artist spends 2-weeks at The YES! House in Granite Falls, MN, where they are provided with a living space, studio space, a welcome-to-town meal at a local establishment, a downtown walking tour, introductions to other artists, community partners, and local residents, and support in promoting and hosting an ‘artist salon’ public event. In addition, each participating artist receives a $1,000 stipend to support their cost of living during their 2-week residency and up to $250 for supplies and materials.
The RVR Artist Residency is open to all artists and all disciplines. DoPT intentionally defines the term “artist” broadly, as anyone who is creative, resourceful, inspired, and driven to collaborate across all sectors of public, private, and civic life. This includes mediums such as visual, performance, multimedia, literary, social/ civic, culinary, land, traditional, folk, textile, and more. We mean culture bearers, craftspeople, artisans, hobbyists, contractors, and handypeople. In the selection process, priority has been given to Native, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color), and LGBTQ2IA+ artists and culture bearers, as well as artists for whom this would be their first residency experience.
2025 River Valley Ripple Artists-in-Residence
I'm Ben Dempcy. I currently live in Granite Falls, MN with my wife, Krishana and my daughter, Nora.
I grew up an hour west of Granite, so I guess I didn't make it too far! I'm a videographer for Pioneer PBS during the day, but at night I fancy myself a painter. I started painting in a college art class and have continued off and on throughout my life. I don't know how I would classify my style, but I do know that I enjoy exploring darker themes through painting.
I have always been drawn to art that exposes the shadows of life. We're all multi-dimensional people who embody both light and darkness. I try to capture that. Mainly, though, I like to paint what I would like to look at. I hope you would like to look, too!
Sierra Kallio is an emerging artist from Kandiyohi County.
She earned her degree in studio art from UMM, Morris. The work bridges between sculpture, painting, and bookmaking.
With an emphasis on viewer interaction and recyclable materials, her work takes the form of faux advertisements, surreal objects, and functional props.
Virgilio Cerda was born on November 15, 1996, in Worthington, Minnesota, to immigrant grandparents from Mexico. Raised by his mother, Yolanda Cerda, a registered nurse and creative soul, Virgilio inherited her artistic talents and caring spirit. At age 11, Virgilio’s life was shattered when his father, Billy Joaquín Brambila, disappeared in Mexico due to cartel violence. This tragedy led to years of struggle with grief, addiction, and rebellion.
As a teen, Virgilio found solace in poetry and creativity, but his life took a dark turn. He started using hard drugs at 13, leading to legal troubles, time in juvenile detention, and eventually jail in South Dakota, where he faced up to 50 years in prison. While incarcerated, Virgilio discovered The Complete History of Zen by Yu-hsui Ku, which taught him to find peace in the present. He also drew inspiration from Terrance McKenna’s teachings, helping him break free from addiction.
After serving his time and completing treatment at Project Turnabout, Virgilio rebuilt his life through creativity. He began creating a little bit of everything for himself, others, and small businesses, which eventually grew into Virgil with a J, a multimedia company specializing in photography, videography, and branding.
Virgilio has since worked on fashion shows in Minnesota and Colorado, collaborated with designers, and produced projects for clients like Monogram Meat Snacks and the Native American rock band Brulé. Along the way, he has used his talents to help small businesses access high-quality creative services that they might not otherwise afford.
Today, Virgilio uses his platform to uplift underrepresented voices and tell meaningful stories. His work is driven by a passion for making creativity accessible and helping others see their potential. Virgilio’s journey from addiction to artistry is a testament to resilience, purpose, and the power of giving back.
Since a young age, I have been fascinated with music. This eventually led me to study music at the University of Minnesota Morris. There I honed my craft on both saxophone and guitar and discovered a love of singing. I continue to enjoy playing in solo and group settings today. Blues, jazz, and funk are the styles of music I most often play, though I am also interested in bluegrass, metal, country, and hip hop. Being that I was born hard-of-hearing, I don't hear sung lyrics very well. However, with instrumental music I can infer the "feeling" of the music. I am drawn to the freedom of improvisation which blues, jazz, and funk provide. Expressing myself in the moment with improvisation yields a catharsis that I crave.
With this residency, I want to challenge and push myself to a higher level of technique by learning music aurally via solo transcriptions and interval and chord ear training. Intonation, articulation, scales, and speed/coordination are some of the areas I plan to improve upon. With this wonderful opportunity, my intention is to embrace this experience and be cognizant of the time in which I have in order to push myself to harness and incorporate more technique; like the name of Charlie Parker's title tune, "Now's The Time."
Questions or Comments: Please contact Luwaina Al-Otaibi, The YES! House Program Coordinator, at luwaina@publictransformation.org
Applications are closed. Please find the Full Call for Artists Here.
This RVR Artist Residency is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Southwest Minnesota Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
Past River Valley Ripple Artists
(Click the images to meet the artists)
