JOINT ARTIST RECEPTION: "Self-Portraiture- Reflections of the Self | Solo Exhibition-Dar Eckert" @ LRAC

Regional Juried Exhibition | 18 Artists | 27 Works September 28 – December 15, 2026 Lake Region Arts Council Main Gallery | Fergus Falls, MN The Lake Region Arts Council invites you to experience “Self-Portraiture: Reflections of the Self,” a regional juried exhibition exploring the many ways artists see, interpret, and express themselves. A self-portrait can be much more than a recognizable likeness. It can be intimate, symbolic, playful, conceptual, realistic, surreal, or completely imagined. Through painting, drawing, photography, printmaking, sculpture, mixed media, and more, 18 regional artists explore identity, memory, emotion, personal experience, place, and the stories that shape who we are. Who am I? How do I wish to be seen? What stories, emotions, or symbols shape my identity? What lies beneath the surface of a portrait? The exhibition features 27 works by 18 artists from communities throughout west central Minnesota: Trudy Pendergast • Jennifer Aranda • Joan Jarvis • Kary Janousek • Jodi Peterson • Rebecca Krueger • Thom Tammaro • Valerie Hanson • Pamela Magnuson • Sharon Scapple • Emma Strommen • Amy Schmidt • Anna Fremont • Les Skoropat • Kaylyn Ness • Felicia Curley • Maren Kostrzewski • Eric Santwire Solo Exhibition - Dar Eckert: Ceramic Works September 28 – December 15, 2026 Lake Region Arts Council Office Gallery | Fergus Falls, MN The Lake Region Arts Council is excited to welcome regional ceramic artist Dar Eckert to the LRAC Office Gallery for a solo exhibition of her distinctive ceramic vessels and sculptures. Known for her raku-fired ceramics, Dar’s work is inspired by nature, the environment, politics, relationships, and her lifelong love of working with her hands. Her pieces often explore environmental and social themes through black, unglazed clay and intricate textural forms. One of the defining elements of Dar’s practice is her open-weave ceramic “fabric,” representing the fabric of relationships, life, and the environment. Her delicate forms reflect the fragility of nature and the interconnectedness of the world around us. Dar has also recently begun creating larger sculptures from numerous individual ceramic pieces. These works explore how people, ideas, and organizations can come together to create something larger and stronger than the individual parts. The LRAC is excited to celebrate this exhibition with a joint opening reception featuring the 18 artists from the group exhibition in the Main Gallery and Dar Eckert’s solo ceramic exhibition in the LRAC Office Gallery. Tuesday, October 20, 2026 5:00–6:30 PM Artists Talk: 5:30 PM Meet the artists, explore the exhibition, and hear directly from artists about their creative processes, ideas, and experiences behind the work. Refreshments will be served. The reception is free and open to the public! Gallery Hours: Monday–Thursday | 9:00 AM–3:00 PM Closed Friday–Sunday We hope you’ll join us and discover the many ways artists answer the question: What does it mean to see—and be seen—as ourselves?