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Gallery Exhibit: Dan Wahl
- Exhibit runs
- July 14 - August 26, 2022
- Marshall-Lyon County Library
- 201 C Street
Marshall, MN 56258 https://marshalllyonlibrary.org/
Mon. 10:00 am – 8:00 pm Tue. 10:00 am – 8:00 pm Wed. 10:00 am – 8:00 pm Thu. 10:00 am – 8:00 pm Fri. 10:00 am – 6:00 pm Sat. 9:00 am – 2:00 pm
Don't Doubt Your Horses
Southwest Minnesota Arts Council announces
Gallery Exhibit & Two Artist Receptions
featuring the artwork of
DAN WAHL
Don't Doubt Your Horses
a participatory exhibition
Exhibit runs July 14 - August 26, 2022
Check out this exhibit either in-person or virtually*
This Exhibit is being held at and in partnership with
the MARSHALL-LYON COUNTY LIBRARY,
201 C Street, Marshall, MN
The Southwest Minnesota Arts Council is so proud of this FIRST TIME PARTNERSHIP with the Marshall-Lyon County Library. This partnership was necessary as SMAC is currently in transition from one gallery location to a new space and the Marshall-Lyon County Library was excited about the opportunity to present DAN WAHL's art to the public, enhancing the library's already awesome efforts in that direction. SMAC is equally excited about the potential for future art exhibit partnerships with MLCL!
Artist Statement by Dan Wahl:
Don’t Doubt Your Horses is an interactive exhibition that includes your drawings with mine. It has been in development for 7 years, beginning with the 400 Horses Project.
Born from a desire to understand the equine body structure, the 400 Horses Project began as a drawing exercise. I set out to create 400 horse drawings from January 1 to December 31, 2015. All was going well until I got blocked a few months into the project. I journaled and meditated and drew my way through the artist’s block. Then came a truly unexpected idea. I discovered that the project was not about making horse drawings. It was about liking the horse drawings.
If the project was to be completed at all, I would have to accept all the horses.
Gallery Exhibit & Two Artist Receptions
featuring the artwork of
DAN WAHL
Don't Doubt Your Horses
a participatory exhibition
Exhibit runs July 14 - August 26, 2022
Check out this exhibit either in-person or virtually*
This Exhibit is being held at and in partnership with
the MARSHALL-LYON COUNTY LIBRARY,
201 C Street, Marshall, MN
The Southwest Minnesota Arts Council is so proud of this FIRST TIME PARTNERSHIP with the Marshall-Lyon County Library. This partnership was necessary as SMAC is currently in transition from one gallery location to a new space and the Marshall-Lyon County Library was excited about the opportunity to present DAN WAHL's art to the public, enhancing the library's already awesome efforts in that direction. SMAC is equally excited about the potential for future art exhibit partnerships with MLCL!
Artist Statement by Dan Wahl:
Don’t Doubt Your Horses is an interactive exhibition that includes your drawings with mine. It has been in development for 7 years, beginning with the 400 Horses Project.
Born from a desire to understand the equine body structure, the 400 Horses Project began as a drawing exercise. I set out to create 400 horse drawings from January 1 to December 31, 2015. All was going well until I got blocked a few months into the project. I journaled and meditated and drew my way through the artist’s block. Then came a truly unexpected idea. I discovered that the project was not about making horse drawings. It was about liking the horse drawings.
If the project was to be completed at all, I would have to accept all the horses.
Every drawing, every horse. This was much easier said than done.
The shift of focus from the act of drawing to the act of liking necessitated a deeper appreciation for the horses themselves. In order to accept them I had to let them be who they were. Who they are.
This approach to the project began raising essential questions about standards and aesthetics. What is “bad art”? What drawings would artists hide in their sketchbooks? What horses would be crumpled up and thrown away? In the end, it seemed right to include every single drawing in one exhibition.
The phrase “Don’t Doubt Your Horses” traveled along with some of the more adventuresome horses who were harder to like. I repeated the phrase to myself. Without that mantra some of these horses might never have come into being.
Bio
Dan Wahl is an artist and writer from the prairie land of southwest Minnesota. He thanks all people, past and present, who hold the land in their hearts. For several decades he has been asking friends, acquaintances, and strangers, “Could you please draw me a horse?”
Wahl received an Established Career Artist Grant from SMAC in 2021.
Join an IN-PERSON artist reception on
Wednesday, July 27
from 9:30am - 11am
at the Marshall-Lyon County Library,
201 C Street, Marshall
(outdoor reception & event)
**This artist reception is in conjunction with the 'Oceans of Possibility' Summer Reading Program event which includes a petting zoo & children's carnival**
Join a VIRTUAL artist talk on
Thursday, August 4
at 5:30 pm.
Please email SMAC staff [info@swmnarts.org] for the ZOOM link to join this Artist Talk.
The shift of focus from the act of drawing to the act of liking necessitated a deeper appreciation for the horses themselves. In order to accept them I had to let them be who they were. Who they are.
This approach to the project began raising essential questions about standards and aesthetics. What is “bad art”? What drawings would artists hide in their sketchbooks? What horses would be crumpled up and thrown away? In the end, it seemed right to include every single drawing in one exhibition.
The phrase “Don’t Doubt Your Horses” traveled along with some of the more adventuresome horses who were harder to like. I repeated the phrase to myself. Without that mantra some of these horses might never have come into being.
Bio
Dan Wahl is an artist and writer from the prairie land of southwest Minnesota. He thanks all people, past and present, who hold the land in their hearts. For several decades he has been asking friends, acquaintances, and strangers, “Could you please draw me a horse?”
Wahl received an Established Career Artist Grant from SMAC in 2021.
Join an IN-PERSON artist reception on
Wednesday, July 27
from 9:30am - 11am
at the Marshall-Lyon County Library,
201 C Street, Marshall
(outdoor reception & event)
**This artist reception is in conjunction with the 'Oceans of Possibility' Summer Reading Program event which includes a petting zoo & children's carnival**
Join a VIRTUAL artist talk on
Thursday, August 4
at 5:30 pm.
Please email SMAC staff [info@swmnarts.org] for the ZOOM link to join this Artist Talk.
