Arts - Local artists featured at Carl Kroening - Local artists featured at Carl Kroening

Spring may seem months away but there is a place nature is always awake no matter what the season - the Carl Kroening Interpretive Center — just along the river on the eastside of I94 at 4900 Mississippi Ct. N.

     Nature inspired three local artists to pick up a camera or a canvas and create various works of art showcasing nature from the local area. These works of art warm the spirit and transport onlookers to the earthy forest floor or beg the spectator to bathe in the warmth of the river banks with a slender pair of blue herons. Viewers can soar with an eagle clutching its prey, or enjoy the four seasons of the mighty Mississippi.

    Local photographer Duane Atter, owner of The Warren-An Artists Habitat, 44th Ave. N. and Osseo Rd., invites viewers to visit a whole new world just by changing perspectives. His work portrays the fragile fungi of the forest, the beady black eyes of a slithering gardener snake, and a captured glimpse from under a safe green plant canopy of a monarch caterpillar on its transformational journey.

    Photographer Darryl Sodren’s work has been featured at local businesses and The Warren. He shares photos from the local area revealing the beauty we live with everyday in Minneapolis and along the edge of the Mississippi. The rushing waters of Shingle Creek as it races toward the Mississippi, the captured beauty of the seasonal vacation homes of avian neighbors high in the barren branches of trees along the Mississippi flyway. His photos capture rare moments in nature that will enchant spectators of all ages.

    Meandering further down the gallery wall, visitors find the enchanting paintings of local artist, Carisa Westbury. Her canvases literally are the Mississippi River. Using water from the Mississippi mingled with inspiration, Westbury seizes the shear essence and sparkle of the seasons in her works of the Mississippi River.

    Discover whole new worlds or discover old ones through the eyes and works of these talented local artists by taking an adventure at the Carl Kroening Interpretive Center. Open Monday-Saturday 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday noon-5 p.m. For info call 763-694-7693.