“Unincorporated” Gallery Exhibit
Artist Laura Grisamore
December 4 – 28, 2024
The New York Mills Regional Cultural Center is pleased to announce its new gallery exhibit “Unincorporated” in the gallery from December 4-28, 2024. A reception will be held on Friday, December 6 from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m.
This gallery exhibit features the work of Artist Laura Grisamore. In 2023, with a Minnesota State Arts Board grant, Grisamore launched Project Unincorporated MN. She photographed 33 unincorporated towns across Beltrami, Clearwater, Hubbard, Mahnomen, and Lake of the Woods counties, focusing on the nuanced narratives captured through man-made structures and the stories they tell about these rural communities’ culture, history, and way of life.
It was important to Laura to shed light on these unique, often-overlooked towns, giving them visibility and a voice. Laura took people along on a virtual journey via social media as she photographed each town and exhibited the resulting work. The New York Mills Regional Cultural Center Gallery is pleased to present this show in our unique gallery space during the month of December 2024.
Artist Bio
Laura Grisamore is a photographer, co-owner of Studio 176—a small art gallery in downtown Park Rapids—and a substitute teacher in Nevis, MN.
A native Iowan, she studied photojournalism at the University of Iowa. Her early work captured urban and social landscapes in Des Moines, Iowa City, Chicago, and New York City. After relocating to Park Rapids in 2013, she shifted her focus to Northern Minnesota’s natural landscapes and evolved her style to include conceptual and fine art photography.
Since 2014, Laura has showcased her work at numerous art festivals in the Park Rapids area and exhibited at Great River Arts, The Watermark, Nemeth Art Center, New York Mills Regional Cultural Center, and The Armory in Park Rapids. In 2023, she received a Minnesota State Arts Board grant to launch Project Unincorporated MN, documenting unincorporated towns in rural Northern MN and marking a return to her photo documentary roots.
Artist Statement
Project Unincorporated MN is a photo documentary focusing on 33 unincorporated towns in Northern MN. This exhibit gives a presence and captures the essence of these rural, unincorporated towns. It tells a story of their resilience, self-reliance, and shared histories, as seen through the lens of various industries such as the railroads, logging, homesteading, and tourism.
The exhibit celebrates the natural beauty of these areas, recognizes their freedom from governmental constraints, and acknowledges the rise and fall of economics and commerce. It also serves as a tribute to the historical remnants of these towns and to the remarkable people who live in them.
Gallery Reception December 6, 2024
A Gallery Reception will be held on Friday, December 6th, 2024 from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. Laura will share an artist talk around 5:00. Refreshments provided. Free to attend and open to ALL!
Gallery Hours:
- Wednesdays 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
- Thursdays 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
- Fridays 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
- Saturdays 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
- Closed Sundays/Mondays/Tuesdays; private viewings available.
The Gallery is always free to see and open to all. Call 218-385-3339 or email cheryl@kulcher.org with any questions or to schedule a private gallery viewing.
Call the Cultural Center at 218-385-3339 with any questions.
