Ceramic artist Damien Wolf recommended the vivid plein air paintings of Colleen Cosgrove of St. Paul. Painting outdoors, Cosgrove takes on subjects both large and small, from tomatoes newly plucked from her garden to landscapes, using bold strokes and bright colors.

“I like her work because it makes me look at the world around me differently,” Wolf said. He recalls seeing Cosgrove paint during the Art Shanty project on Lake Harriet in Minneapolis: “She [was] standing outside in the freezing cold painting all the other exhibits in the Art Shanty, and her color choices actually brought warmth to the scene around her.”

Cosgrove’s work is on display at the gallery.com">Frameworks Gallery in St. Paul through October. It will be at the “Extremely Minnesota” exhibit at the Robbin Gallery in Robbinsdale Nov. 5 through Dec. 5.

20201028-art-hounds-pumper.jpeg"> Courtesy of Nicholas Pumper

Ella Moróne followed the work of Minneapolis artist Nicholas Pumper throughout college. Both graduated from the University of St. Thomas this year. Pumper’s acrylic paintings are inspired by his love of nature and his Catholic faith. He posts his work and his process regularly on Instagram, and Moróne appreciates his meditations about why seeking beauty and creating art matter.

Music educator Scott Kummrow of Fergus Falls enjoys the work of singer-songwriter David Stoddard, who has produced seven albums and has performed across the U.S. and Canada. Kummrow said he got to know Stoddard’s music when he performed on the open mic scene in western Minnesota, albeit “at a different level than everybody else.”

Stoddard sings and plays piano, guitar, and accordion; his songs range from introspective folk songs to humor. “He’s good at being funny and also creating good music at the same time,” says Kummrow, who recommends seeing Stoddard perform live. Next chance: a livestream concert on Nov. 2 with singer-songwriter Beth Wood.