BEMIDJI — Sometimes, artists are called to do more than just create art.
Sometimes, they feel compelled to share what they know with others and convince them that they can be artists, too.
That happened with Kathy and Les Sanders.
Together, they started Sanders Art Studios in Bemidji. They host artist events, work with artist collective Loon Country Arts and run artistic family enrichment classes at Mt. Zion Church.
A statement by flute-maker Ken Light inspired Kathy to teach art to others.
“He said, ‘If you know something, the best way to contribute to the community and to preserve your legacy is to teach it,’" she said. "And I think that I've kind of been brought up that way, too.”
Becoming artists
Kathy Sanders never knew a life without art. Her mother was into it, and when Kathy was in high school, she regularly received praise for her work in art class.
“I think that really helped me to think, ‘Well, maybe I can do something that's quite significant,’” Kathy said.
When she lived in the northwestern Minnesota town of Grygla years ago, a rosemaler came to teach Scandinavian decorative folk painting. That sparked Kathy’s interest in not only rosemaling but also oil painting.
She then found an interest in acrylics, gourd art and glass bead-making. When she met Les, she also got into wood carving.
Les Sanders became interested in wood carving after leaving the Navy in 1961. His father had tools for it around the house, and Les took it up. He didn’t get serious about it until 30 years ago. He joined the local wood carving club, participated in classes across the country and dabbled in wood burning for a while. He also discovered a love for watercolor pencils.
Les met Kathy when he took an acrylic painting class she taught in 2004. They married the next year.
Becoming teachers
After inspiration struck the couple to pass on their artistic knowledge, they started by teaching skills at a big picnic in Nymore Park. They received positive responses.
“I mentioned to Kathy, we should probably find something to teach here," Les said. "I went to Mt. Zion Church and told them what I wanted to do, and they gave us two big classrooms and I started teaching there.”
Along with Les' woodworking classes, Kathy started teaching painting at the church about a month later. They self-financed their classes for about a year-and-a-half but ran into a problem.
Les said, “When you teach the same people the same thing, it kind of gets old. I said, ‘Jeez, we really need to get a grant or something so we can expand.’”
Kathy wrote and received a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, allowing expansion to six different teachers. Two more grants over the next two years brought them to 10.
“We're trying to create an art experience, not just a quick little craft one-and-done,” Kathy said. “You get 10 hours over the course of two and a half months. We like to have that time in between so that people can practice what they've learned, too.”
Kathy and Les originally envisioned classrooms filled with kids and their parents, but the classes have attracted a large number of senior citizens interested in learning as many art skills as they can.
“You're getting people to start to think about, well, maybe I can paint. Maybe I am an artist,” Les said. “I know it's just a neat experience, and it's just great to see people grow and have fun.”
Kathy and Les teach twice a month, two classes every other Thursday night. Currently, Les is focused on spoon carving and Kathy teaches oil painting. Other classes cover needle felting, watercolors and more.
Some classes have 30-50 people in attendance. Thanks to grants, the classes are free to attend, but people need to register beforehand. Classes usually include two to six sessions.
An upcoming free event planned at Mt. Zion is an open house — Four Hours, Four Artists — on Saturday, March 7. Attendees don’t need to register, and they can come and go as they please. Four artists will demonstrate: Les carving cottonwood bark, Lily Hadrava showing watercolors, Lanee Paulson needle felting and Kathy's gourds artwork.
Les said he appreciates it when people take the classes and become full-time artists themselves. He said by offering different styles of art classes, they give more people the opportunity to find their passion.
But ultimately, they said they just want people to give new things a try.
“We've had so many people coming in and say, ‘I don't know anything about art. I don't think I can do it,’" Les said. "The only thing you can tell 'em is, you need to try it.”
Kathy added, “A lot of people think, 'Oh, I can't draw a straight line.' And I say, art is never a straight line. We just start where we start. The classes are a good length to give beginners plenty of time to learn something.”
More info for upcoming events from Sander Art Studios can be found on their website.
Tell us about upcoming arts events where you live in Northern Minnesota by emailing psa@kaxe.org
Area Voices is made possible by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the citizens of Minnesota.
