“Upstairs Downtown”, 2019, mixed media
JAMESTOWN, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – The Jamestown Arts Center will be the temporary home to the works of Linda Roesch.
“Here Now” will be featured in the gallery beginning November 19th and run through January 23rd, 2021.
“For the last three years, I have had the honor of working through The Arts Center as Artist in Residence with the Jamestown elementary schools,” Roesch stated. “I’ve gotten to know the students on personal level, and I’ve been able to watch them grow and improve their skills year after year. Living and working in Jamestown has allowed me to pursue my own artistic projects; from starting a YouTube channel to painting murals across the state. The Arts Center has held true to its mission of serving the youth in our community while providing an environment for artists like me to thrive.”
Arts Center Executive Director Mindi Schmitz says they’re excited to welcome her works inside the center.
Schmitz says in the three years they’ve known Roesch, they have yet to feature her creations. Now, they’re excited to open their gallery to her.
Some of Roesch’s work will highlight her time in Jamestown.
“With this in mind, I wanted to recreate some of my sketches as larger works for this show. Most recreations are done with mixed media techniques, combining watercolor, gouache, acrylic paint and oil pastel. Some of the canvases that you’ll see are taken directly from my sketchbook, enlarged, and printed on canvas. The original sketches themselves will remain bound in my sketchbooks for all of time.”
Read more from Roesch below:
The Arts Center has served as a source of inspiration for my work, with each new gallery exhibit becoming my favorite. But probably the greatest unexpected joy that I’ve experienced during my time here, has been the happenin’ music scene in Jamestown! I’ve always dreamed of playing good music with a talented band, but until I moved to Jamestown there was no path to realize that dream. The public open mic nights that happen weekly at Babb’s and The Vets Club, along with the monthly jams at The Arts Center were my favorite local sketching spots. But I didn’t stay in the audience for long… within a few months I’d picked up my bass guitar for the first time in years! Soon I started playing with and learning from other local musicians, and now I spend most of every open mic on stage. I was asked to join a punk band in February, and my bandmates have become some of my best friends in the world.
I’ve spent a good portion of my life wishing I were somewhere else… loving and caring for family kept me in my hometown in South Dakota for around 20 years longer than I’d planned. Coming to live and work in Jamestown presented the perfect opportunity to remain close enough to “home” in case I needed to go there, but far enough away that I could finally feel like I’d advanced next level adulthood. I’ve been happy here, content, and even though there are times when I’ve wished I were with my friends in California; even though I’ve longed to see the ocean during the cold winter months… I’ve learned to be more present during my time here, and I’ve been so thankful that I could be here, now.
The artwork that you will see in the exhibit reflects the progress that I’ve made, the personal growth that I’ve experienced, and even the trials that I’ve overcome during my time here. All works on display were created during the past three years, and all have a Jamestown influence. The subjects and styles are wide ranging, but at the core of each piece lies a great appreciation for an experience and community that I’ve come to love being a part of. I am grateful for my time here.
You can find more from Linda and her artworks at sketchingspot.com. For more about the Jamestown Arts Center, visit jamestownarts.com.
Hear more from Arts Center Executive Director Mindi Schmitz below: