“Three Women: A Watermedia Exhibit” at Rourke Art Gallery
The Rourke Art Gallery + Museum is pleased to announce Three Women: A Watermedia Exhibit, which features watercolors, acrylic paintings, and other watermedia artworks by Carmen Bruhn, Ellen Jean Diederich, and Elizabeth Schwankl. The exclusive Member Preview for the exhibit is on Friday 25 February from 6:30 to 8 p.m. and the Public Opening is on Sunday 27 February from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. with an artists gallery talk at 2 p.m. The last day to view the exhibit is Sunday 3 April.
Carmen Bruhn was born and raised in the Republic of Panama. She began her studies in art and received her license in Architecture at Panama National University. After moving to Fargo, Bruhn became involved in the Red River Watercolor Society and the Plains School of Abstract Painters. She has received two Gold Medals in the Red River Watercolor Society National Juried Watermedia Exhibition and her work is included in many private and public collections including: Sanford Medical Center, Fargo; West Acres Development; Essentia Health, Detroit Lakes; and the Holmes Theatre. Carmen currently lives and maintains her studio in Detroit Lakes.
Ellen Jean Diederich is a national award winning watercolor and acrylic painter from Fargo. Painting professionally since 1985, her rural and city backgrounds play a significant role in her choice of subject matter. Diederich graduated from Minnesota State University Moorhead with a B.F.A. in Fine Art and B.A. in Art Education. She is a signature member in four watercolor societies, among the founders of the Red River Watercolor Society, and charter chair of their National Juried Watermedia Exhibition. As an author, Diederich has written and illustrated two children’s books—both winning Gold Medals—“Where’s Petunia?” and “Samson’s Gift”, plus her art instruction book “Progressive Painting – Your Creative Journey” which focuses on working through the painting process.
Elizabeh Schwankl was born and raised in Minnesota and has lived all of her adult life in Fargo. She has been a professional artist since 1989. Schwankl owns and operates the ARTrends Gallery, creates in her home studio, and meets with clients at her office in Fargo. Her work has garnered numerous awards in regional and national art exhibitions. She is a signature member and past board member of the Red River Watercolor Society and a member of the FM Visual Artists and regular participant in their annual Studio Crawl. Schwankl served on the Core Building and Liturgical Devotional Committees for the buildings of Sts. Anne and Joachim Catholic Church in Fargo, where she painted a mural for the church’s Grief Shrine and has restored many of the church’s older statues and painted its new statues.
