Mike Gill

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."

Ben Dempcy

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!

Virgilio Cerda

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.

Sierra Kallio

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.

BETSY PARDICK

I'm Betsy, a single mother of two boys, Dexter (20) and Carson (12). Originally from Illinois, I've called Minnesota my home for the past 13 years. After relocating here, I began to explore my musical style and started performing locally with other collaborators. As bandmates came and went, I worked at honing my unique style, aiming to perform solo eventually. I ventured into songwriting in early 2014 and have a small collection of songs that I'm eager to record. In my spare time since moving to Minnesota, I've taken up kayaking, discovering numerous natural treasures along the river. These discoveries have inspired me to create visual art that complements the themes found in my songs.

JANEL GUERTIN

My name is Janel Guertin, I’m 23 years old and born and raised in Granite Falls. I work at the Rock Dinning & Events in town as a waitress and bartender. I grew up doing crafts and art projects with my mom and grandmas. Painting quickly became my favorite way to express myself and one day I decided to paint myself and my cats in cartoon style, it became my favorite thing to do! Now I spend most of my free time painting cats in a cartoon style and I’ve even started digital art of cats, hoping to make cat animations some day soon! I grew up always having a cat in life and I make friends with pretty much every cat I come across. I’m also known for rescuing stray cats and I’ve fostered a lot of cats through the shelter. I now have 6 cats and one dog so I have plenty of inspiration for my art!

BRIAN-PACO

I am a poet named Brian-Paco.

My pronouns are Brian and Paco or B-P. I appreciate when people say my name. As a resident of Marshall for most of my life, I am a known local presence that is either reading, writing, taking poetry requests, or sharing creativity with friends and fellow artists.

As an “in-the-world” poet, Brian-Paco muses in nearby bars and open mic spaces.

B-P goes out believing existence is better with art in experience, so people should create and release things, then appreciate relatable pieces. Coordinating with local creators to make, print, and cut self-published zines, Brian-Paco enjoys distributing them from a poetry bag.

Bringing poems into the daily lives of those lucky folks that reach into the satchel, Paco feels words, shut away and shelved, die too soon. Often, Brian reads aloud in public to individuals but also upon stages from Sioux Falls, South Dakota to a few regional Minnesota cities such as Marshall, New London and Granite Falls.

SONJA MADSEN

I am an emerging sculptor and metalsmith from the breathtaking state of Minnesota. The wonders of nature, combined with my fascination in folklore, compel me to bring components of and creatures from my imagination to life. I was raised on books filled with magic and dragons, monsters and daring escapes. Longing for such fantastic encounters in everyday life, I seek to actualize the imagined. Therefore, I create predominantly 3-dimensional art to command attention and conjure visions of ancient legends, carving a space for the mystic within the mundane. I studied Art & Design up at Northern Michigan University and have since been searching every crevice for the whimsical otherworldly!

NICOLE BRENNY

Nicole Brenny is a multidisciplinary artist living in the prairie. She explores sharing her voice through music, filmmaking, DJing, electronic music production, visual arts, gardening & homemaking. She believes that art in its highest form can serve as a physical manifestation of what is within. So her artistic journey has been one of deep inner refinement to instill within all that can be thought of as true, good and beautiful. May peace prevail.