Artist: Judith Yourman

Judith Yourman creates art that crosses media, from ceramic sculpture to multimedia installation, prints, video and animation. After the birth of her twin daughters, she began to shift her focus from electronic media to ceramics. She was looking for a more immediate and tactile medium, and was drawn to the physical properties of clay. Its ancient history and contemporary resonance enabled the artist to add layers of richness and depth to the work that she was creating, while exploring its 2D and 3D possibilities.

ceramic wall drawings is a loose response to the earliest drawings of Yourman's daughters, which inspired and moved her by their simplicity, humor and emotional honesty. In their drawings, the artist found a universe of timeless emotions, symbols and narratives, all vying to make sense of the world they inhabited. For her children, drawing was a form of play, a means of expression and a form of discovery. These childhood monsters and creatures have become the vessels and metaphors from which Yourman explores contemporary life.

The installation can be viewed at the Art Center during Open Studio Hours.

Artist: Michael Finch

Guardian 2 is a tiger, akin to commercial and popular culture depictions while relating back to eastern statues.

The simplified form is a representation for creativity and play. Adorned with black stripes coated in enamel chalkboard paint, it invites audiences of all ages to actively engage through transforming these 'mini canvases' with an array of chalk patterns and designs.

The deliberate scale of the piece is designed to be inviting as it welcomes the public to the Eden Prairie Art Center.

Artist: Kyle Fokken

Klompenboot is a sculpture paying homage to explorers, the artist's Dutch heritage and the notion that every journey begins within childhood dreams.

Inspired by Eugene Field's poem "Wynken, Blynken and Nod," which narrates the celestial adventures of three children aboard a wooden shoe-turned-boat, the artwork encapsulates the essence of a lullaby, gently ushering children off to sleep and into the land of dreams.

This sculpture was installed in Purgatory Creek Park in 2023.

Artist: Shruti Aiyar

Onesss... We the People is a canvas painting in the style of Warli art.

The Warli art form dates back to the 10th century from the tribal community based in Maharashtra, India, and is representative of togetherness. For this piece, artist Shruti Aiyar blended Warli motifs with contemporary elements as a representation of their modern-day community.

"Just like the different colors of the spectrum blend into each other while retaining the originality, we individuals must create a society of inclusion and embrace the uniqueness of every individual, while bring true to oneself," said Aiyar. "Let us build a community where being different equals being loved, being valued, being respected and being ourselves."

This painting is currently displayed in the City Center atrium.

Artist: Kimber Fiebiger

Eggcited was a Rotating Art Series installation at the Art Center in 2018.

Artist: Jerry Carlson

Elf House was inspired by Icelandic folklore and culture, where the elves are known as the Huldufólk.

The Huldufólk are rumored to grant wishes to humans who ask politely (leaving treats for them helps). Many Icelanders even build elaborate residences for any nearby elves. However, humans who tease the elves might find themselves the victim of a nasty trick, such as a troll booger in their bed.

Elf House moved to various locations throughout the community in 2022.

Artist: Cadex Herrera

First Person Plural (We) installation at Purgatory Creek Park

First Person Plural (We) was a project centered in recognizing the contributions and stories of immigrants from various parts of the world residing in Eden Prairie. It was installed at Purgatory Creek Park from 2020–2022.

The project was an effort to honor immigrant stories and journeys as they established a life for themselves and their families in the United States, and the impact they have had through their efforts and determination to overcome adversity and fulfill their dreams to be a part of Eden Prairie’s history.

The installation consisted of 8-by-8 foot photographic portraits actualized by using various black dots which represented community, mobility and representation on a white background.

Portrait Participants

(in order from front to back)

Artist: Kyle Fokken

High and Dry sculpture installed at the Art Center

High and Dry was a whimsical approach to the Beatles' "Yellow Submarine," coupled with personal imagery of the Dutch wooden shoe.

This piece was meant to look as though it has been “spit out” by some great beast from the ocean depths to land on top of a sharply pointed steeple.

This sculpture was installed at the Art Center in 2020.

Artist: Gail Katz-James

Mod Pod was a sculpture inspired by a vintage toy space capsule crossed with a straw dispenser and retro spinning top. Each level contained different suspended objects to discover. The different surface patterns were inspired by textiles from around the world. The colors were inspired by brightly colored vintage toy tops, as well as lighthouses.

This sculpture was installed at the Art Center in 2019.

Artist: Pa Na Lor

My Ancestral Landscape, no. 2 incorporated woodblock prints of abstract shapes, shades and gradients of colors printed on Okawara paper, stitched together with embroidered foliage and paj ntaub motifs. This piece was a metaphor for the artist, a landscape of her influences and interests. In creating this piece, Lor wanted to portray a sense of space through hues and shades of color. The long scroll format was an attribute to Chinese landscape paintings.

"I want my audience to feel like they are experiencing the mountains of Laos in the early morning, shrouded in mists," said Lor.

My Ancestral Landscape, no. 2 was on display at the Senior Center from 2022–2023. Lor additionally hosted an artist talk to share more about her work and process as part of the 2022 PeopleFest! A Community Celebration of Culture celebrations.

Artist: Kimber Olson

Reed, Root and Rhizome visually interpreted a wetland buffer zone, an ecosystem that serves many crucial roles in our natural environment such as mitigating floods, reducing water pollution and providing critical habitat to wildlife species.

The artist used the ancient textile tradition of wet-felting to create the piece. More than 40 pounds of sheep’s wool and 100 yards of hand-dyed silk went in the production of the installation’s grass reeds and root strands.

Reed, Root and Rhizome was installed at City Center from 2022–2023.