My daughter Luella’s portrait was the easiest to create. My body just acted on instinct. I felt like I hardly had to think about it at all, almost like it made itself on it’s own and I was just a conduit. But the meaning of this portrait was one of the last to reveal itself for me. It took me some time and some help from others to recognize the continuity of the theme of lightness and darkness within this portrait series and what that represents. I’ve come to realize that darkness represents exactly what you might expect. Despair, struggle, disconnect. 

This image is so fitting of her personality and her relationship to the darkness and the light in life. She is the youngest of 9 children, which means that she is the most tortured by her siblings and most excluded child in our house. When she’s tortured and teased, she calmly responds by asserting that she deserves to be respected. Being the youngest she’s used to standing up against her brothers who are twice her age and size. She has also faced struggles with reading in school and has had to be placed in special programming and been teased for lagging behind. In this portrait she is almost surrounded by darkness, but she wears an exuberant expression on her face. It’s not that she is unaware of the darkness that surrounds her, I think she just doesn’t see it as darkness. She’s incredibly confident and self assured. She doesn’t internalize the struggles she faces. And she will find the beauty, the joy, the light, where others would be weighed down by the negativity or blinded by fear. It's because she carries the light inside her, and she knows it.

Awards:

First Place in Fiber Arts: 27th Annual Arts North International Juried Exhibitio Awarded January 8th 2022

“Human Nature” Colors of Humanity International Exhibition, recognized as Noteworthy: Awarded April 2020

Fusion Art International “Colors” Exhibition Finalist Awarded March 2020

Art Room Gallery Online International Exhibition Finalist Awarded February 2020

Exhibitions:

“Identity” The Atrium at the Bloomington Art Center, Bloomington, MN U.S.A Sept 21- Nov 5, 2023

“Identity” The Edge Center, Big Fork, Minnesota U.S.A July 1 - July 31, 2023

“Identity” Hopkins Center for the Arts, Hopkins MN U.S.A. May 18 -June 17, 2023

“Identity” Great River Arts, Little Falls Minnesota U.S.A. Jan 1- March 1, 2023

“Identity” Duluth Art Institute, Duluth Minnesota, October 2020 - January 2021

“Identity” Northwest Art Center, Minot State University, Minot North Dakota U.S.A Nov 1-Dec. 1, 2022

“Boom” Focus Art Fair Invitational, Carrousel du Louvre, Paris France September 1-4. 2022

“Identity” The Whit Gallery, St. Cloud, Minnesota U.S.A March 25 - April 16, 2022

“27th Arts North International Juried Exhibition” Hopkins Center for the Arts, MN Jan.8-Feb. 12, 2022

”Identity” Macrostie Art Center, Grand Rapids, Minnesota U.S.A July 1-July 31, 2021

“Fantastic Fibers” International Juried Exhibition, Yeiser Art Center, Paducah Kentucky April 1-May 29, 2021

“Blair Treuer Textile Portraits” Marvelous Art Gallery Invitational Istanbul, Turkey January 1- March 2, 2021

“Identity”: Blair Treuer Portraits Duluth Art Institute, Duluth, Minnesota U.S.A Oct. 6, 2020 - January 2021

“Borders 2020” Venice International Art Fair, Venice Italy July 23 - Aug 21, 2020

“Free Choice” ArtisTTable International Online Exhibition April 2020

“Human Nature” Colors of Humanity International Exhibition Online, April 2020

Solo Exhibition “Portraits” Watermark Art Center, Bemidji Mn, January 10- Mary 28th, 2020

“Colors” Fusion Art International Online Exhibition March 2020

“Open Exhibition” Art Room Gallery Online February 17-March 17th, 2020

“All Women” Contemporary Art Gallery Online February 26- March 26th, 2020

“Portraits” Watermark Art Center, Bemidji, Minnesota USA January 10-March 28 2020.

Publications: The Raw Art Review: A Journal of Storm and Urge Winter 2020

SonderMidwest Issue V April 2020