Where there is Water
A project of the Art & Water Curatorial Incubator Program supported by A House Unbuilt
Lead Artist/Curator
Amanda Hanlon
Dates
February 13 – March 15, 2026
Statement
Where There Is Water showcases paintings, prints, and drawings developed through repeated travel to Duluth, Red Wing, and Banning State Park near Sandstone. These locations—each shaped by different moments in Minnesota’s industrial history—are connected by rivers and lakes whose presence enabled movement, industry, and settlement while leaving lasting marks on the surrounding landscape.
Across seasons and multiple visits, Hanlon observed, photographed, and created work on site. The resulting pieces reflect both the layered timelines of these places and her embodied experience of encountering them in the present moment. Familiar structures reappear throughout the exhibition: the historic lighthouse along the Lake Superior shipping canal, boathouses along the Mississippi River in Red Wing, and the remains of a Power House in a former sandstone quarry on the Kettle River.
The exhibition includes large- and medium-scale oil paintings on canvas and wood, oil studies on Arches paper, linocut and collagraph prints, and a collection of colored pencil studies. Rather than document a single view, the works speak together—holding multiple moments at once and mirroring the way places are understood through memory, repetition, and attentive noticing. As the pilot project for the Curatorial Incubator, Hanlon’s exhibition also includes public programs intended to bring community members into dialogue with the work and with the landscapes that shape our region.
Events
Opening Reception: Friday, February 13, 6:00 – 8:00 pm
Artist Talk: Sunday, March 1, 2:00 – 3:00 pm
Closing Reception: Saturday, March 14, 4:00 – 6:00 pm
Gallery Hours
Thursday, Friday, and Sunday, 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Panelists (March 14 Reception)
Ken Graeve (Unit Supervisor, MnDOT Office of Environmental Stewardship) works on stormwater management for highway construction projects. This involves protecting Minnesota’s lakes, streams, and wetlands by controlling erosion and treating stormwater runoff. He came by this work innocently enough after several years of working on habitat restoration and ecological restoration. What could have been a collision of the conservation and construction worlds has become a career of opportunities to build infrastructure in ways that protect our environment. Ken lives in St Paul and spends his free time with his family, biking, and hiking.
Matt Poppleton has spent more than 20 years connecting people to the outdoors, guided by a deep commitment to outdoor recreation, education, and conservation. As Executive Director of the Wild Rivers Conservancy, he leads efforts to inspire stewardship and protect the exceptional ecological integrity of the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway and its watershed.
Matt holds a master’s degree in nonprofit management from Hamline University and a bachelor’s degree in outdoor recreation and conservation from Northern Michigan University. Prior to joining the Conservancy, he served in diverse leadership and partnership roles supporting nonprofits, businesses, government agencies, and Tribal communities—building collaborations that connect people more deeply to the lands and waters that sustain them.
Outside of work, Matt can most often be found with his wife, Kristen, and their two children, running, Nordic skiing, paddling, fishing, or playing his guitar in and around the Riverway.
Sarah Nassif (Artist-in-Residence, Mississippi Watershed Management Organization) is a Minneapolis-based artist and botanist Sarah Nassif who creates experiences that slow people down and invite them to notice the water beneath their feet and the trees above their heads. With roots in field botany, urban forestry, and environmental education, her practice bridges science and art to make complex environmental issues feel personal and tangible.
Through socially engaged projects, she transforms public spaces into sites of shared making and shared meaning. Her ongoing project Weaving Water brings a working fiber studio to the edge of rivers and lakes, where participants dye cloth with local water, spin fiber into yarn, and weave their stories into a collective textile. In the rhythm of weaving, conversations emerge about care, interdependence, and the role creativity plays in sustaining our waterways and communities.
As Artist in Residence at the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization, she has embedded arts-engaged outreach into watershed education and co-founded the AWE (art + water + ecology) Network to connect artists and environmental professionals in shared learning. She also works with a variety of environmental organizations who want to build their capacity to engage the public through art and nature activations.
Amanda Hanlon is a painter and printmaker. She lives and works out of her home, located in a historic river town in Minnesota. Amanda has received an MFA in Painting from the University of Washington – Seattle and a BFA in Painting from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. She has taught classes in Painting, Drawing, and Printmaking in Savannah, Georgia. Her work has been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions in Minnesota, California, Georgia, Washington, and Wisconsin. She received a Creative Individuals Grant through the Minnesota State Arts Board to fund the creation of a body of work exploring the intersection of industry and nature in three towns in Minnesota. Having lived, worked, and visited many cities and states in her adult life, a sense of place and home has become an endless source of inspiration for Amanda.
Acknowledgments
Amanda Hanlon is a fiscal year 2025 recipient of a Creative Individuals grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
