Joshua Cunningham, “Fountain City Sunset,” oil on linen, 12 x 16 inches

Groveland Gallery in Minneapolis excitedly announced an upcoming spotlight exhibition this winter featuring a vibrant new body of work from this rural Isanti native.

The talented and accomplished outdoor painter Joshua Cunningham will soon be featuring his newest body of plein air works at Groveland Gallery. Cunningham is a pupil of Mark Balma and the Hurinenko & Paquet Studio in Saint Paul, and his skillful impressionist landscapes have earned the artist several awards as his profile continues to expand.

Joshua Cunningham, “Silvery Sunrise,” oil on linen, 8 x 10 inches

Opening December 2, “Driftless” is a representation of Cunningham’s exploration of the Driftless Area of southeastern Minnesota, southwestern Wisconsin, and parts of northeastern Iowa. “This is an older world, as it was before the glaciers ground down and filled in the landscape,” said Cunningham. “It is driftless, in every sense of the definition. It is without the soil and stone pushed along by the glaciers. It is a Midwestern time capsule. These paintings are not unlike the fossils I find along a creek bed. They are a record.

“As I wander the landscape, around every curve, around the next bend, or over a hill, there might be a painting waiting. Most days, I don’t know where I am going, but I do know I will get there, and once there, it feels right where I am supposed to be. When I wind through a valley and have my breath taken away by the view from a bluff top, it is an experience that takes me out of my busy life and holds all of my attention. I set up the easel, put out the paint, select a canvas, close my eyes to see what I remember, breathe deep, open them, and set to work.”

The exhibition continues through January 13, 2018. To learn more, visit Groveland Gallery.

This article was featured in PleinAir Today, a weekly e-newsletter from PleinAir magazine. To start receiving PleinAir Today for free, click here.


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