MSP Terminal 1, Gallery E8
September 2024 - October 2025
'Minnesota Waters' is a collaborative exhibition between painter Allison Johanson and poet Laura Rockhold, and is displayed concurrently with their complementary exhibition 'Minnesota Landscapes' on view in Gallery F10.
“The gift of these poems came from living in Minnesota, listening to its language, ancestors and poet forebears. The poems evoke the abundance of this place, its rhythms and wonders. They explore interconnectedness—between the personal, ecological, cultural, global and spiritual. As abstract impressionist Joan Mitchell often compared her paintings to poems and collaborated with poets of mutual affinities, Allison Johanson and I wanted to create an experience that illuminates intersections between poetry and visual art reminiscent of the place that inspired us.”–Laura Rockhold (poet)
"My abstracted paintings are rooted in the natural world, influenced by the northern Minnesota land and waterscapes of my youth. For this collaboration, my lyrical compositions include gestural brushstrokes and color to evoke the imagery and emotions of Laura Rockhold's poetry." –Allison Johanson (painter)
ABOUT ALLISON JOHANSON
Allison Johanson is a contemporary painter living in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Her abstracted artworks are rooted in the natural world, and are influenced by the northern Minnesota land and waterscapes of her youth.
Allison’s lyrical compositions explore movement, stillness, serenity, and joy through the interplay of colors and shapes. She works intuitively, responding to the language of each painting.
Allison values community and collaborating with other artists, and has initiated numerous creative collaborations with individuals and groups. Her mission is to create deeper connections and meaningful experiences for herself and others.
Paintings by Allison Johanson are widely collected. She creates and exhibits her artwork in her Northeast Minneapolis studio and gallery, located in the historic Northrup King Building.
Web: www.allisonjohanson.com
Instagram: @allisonjohansonart
ABOUT LAURA ROCKHOLD
Laura Rockhold is a poet, visual artist and inventor of the golden root poetic form. She is a recipient of the Bring Back The Prairies Award, Southern MN Poets Society Award, and several International Academy of Visual Arts and Hermes Creative Awards. Her work has been anthologized and is published in: Birdcoat Quarterly, Cider Press Review, Open Rivers, Pine Hills Review, RockPaperPoem, The Ekphrastic Review, The Fourth River, The Hopper, Waxwing, Yellow Arrow Journal and elsewhere.
Laura is currently seeking publication of her first collection of poems and working on a multidisciplinary art exhibition that explores the interconnectedness of environmental and social issues. Previously, she was an art gallery director at Veronique Wantz Gallery in Minneapolis.
Web: www.laurarockhold.com
Instagram: @laurarockhold_
