The Ripple Effect

Joe Baltich is a self-taught professional fine artist with works permanently displayed in the Chisholm & Eveleth Public Libraries, Ely Liquor and the Fernberg Gallery at Northwind Lodge. He is also the founder and lead artist of the growing Ely Stone Stash, a free, fine art event on MEA weekend. Joe is also the lead artist of Into The Brush, a non-profit dedicated to art education & tourism.

Sam St. John is a mixed media Indigenous artist who is a firm believer that art is for everyone and a powerful tool to heal, connect and create community. Her art is rooted in the soul, grounded in the essence of storytelling, resilience, authenticity and vulnerability and serves the purpose of evoking emotions, fostering connections and building community.

Sam Zimmerman / Zhaawanoogiizhik celebrates his heritage by focusing on preserving shared oral histories that continue the Anishinaabe tradition of storytelling. He has completed public art pieces for the Grand Portage Tribal Nation, Chik Wauk Museum and Nature Center and Voyageur National Park amongst others, as a means to celebrate Ojibwe culture and language. His most recent bilingual coffee table book “Following My Spirit Home” was a silver finalist for a Midwest Book Award in 2023.

Sarah Johnson is a community engaged artist and licensed mental health professional who explores the intersection of health, art and community. In 2021, she founded The Joy Labs, LLC which has been working to build healthy, equitable and connected communities.

Jen Steinkopf has been a full-time artist since 2013 although her love for art and creativity began in early childhood. Her favorite and most inspirational project thus far has been “Be The Change” - a stained glass butterfly in St. Cloud. Jen continues to create art that evokes positive emotions within the community.

Amy Krause uses her art to connect with her Korean American heritage, explore social justice issues, advocate for mental health and cultivate belonging. She has a passion for creating more diverse and inclusive spaces so that others can feel seen and be known. Using her specialization in acrylic pain, watercolors, digital art, murals and art classes, Amy’s mission is to use art to build connections, foster growth and promote healing.

Blanche White uses her Mdewakanton Dakota of Prairie Island Indian Community, Ho-chunk, Ojibwe and Quechan ancestors’ beautiful artwork as inspiration for her own work. She currently works in many different mediums including drawing, painting, watercolor and beadwork.

Emily Anderson’s inspiration comes from two ever-present companions in her life – forests and bodies of water. Her love for the outdoors is a driving force behind her art, which she uses to capture the beauty of endangered areas and the decreasing sacred spaces within nature and hopes that her paintings can continue to tell a story that is bigger than us.

Lynda Grafito and Nico Mist are Minnesota-based, Colombian visual artists. Since 2022 they have collaborated on several Twin Cities-area murals including at Caydence Records & Coffee, Dual Citizen Brewing and Embrace North. Lynda currently works as printmaker, muralist, digital artist and teaching artist, while Nico is involved as a tattoo artist, digital artist, painter and muralist.

Taylor Berman’s work consists of both aesthetic and functional art forms – from printmaking and mural painting to knife making and fly tying. His work stems from his lifelong love of working with his hands and spending time outdoors and it reflects on many of the animals, plants and geology observed while exploring new places and various aspects of the natural world. Taylor’s murals can be viewed throughout the Twin Cities.