Carolyn Olson

With our return to public life, post 2020, its been a slow and careful process for me. Through this series I want to highlight local small businesses and places where shop owners and community have made it enjoyable and “safe” for me to visit.

“Family Outing” (Lizzard’s Gallery); “Coffee and Croissants” (Duluth’s Best Bread); “Lake Ave and Superior St./Lake Superior Fountain and Park”, Lake Superior Fountain by Ben Effinger; and “The Hair Cut” (Deep Cuts). All are 21″ x 29”, pastel on paper

“Delivering Seedlings to Elders” 24″ x 40″ pastel on paper

Inspired by Fond du Lac Reservation’s Garden program, Gitigaan, supports food  sovereignty efforts and is rebuilding local food stores through community gardens and supporting band members with education, tools, equipment and labor to grow food.

Originally this pastel was drawn for the story “Pearl’s Garden”. As the storyline changed image remained relevant to me. The importance of growing our own food, supporting local growers and helping family will always be the best way to sustain our communities.

I am forever changed by this group discussion by essential workers who worked through the early days (and continue to work) of the Covid-19 pandemic, not knowing what it would do to the body, to families and our community. Their first hand stories aren’t easy to hear but necessary to keep us on top of the many problems facing workers everywhere. It’s not over and won’t be for awhile.

We must continue to raise our voices to advocate for everyone’s health as well as worker’s rights. A strong union is our best voice for the worker (wages, working conditions, health care). Covid-19 (and all its variations) is real and precautions must be taken to protect ourselves.

Get vaccinated, wear masks and distance ourselves. Protect each other. Be kind.

The East Side Freedom Library exhibits ESSENTIAL WORKERS, an exhibit of visual art honoring Minnesota’s working people by Carolyn Olson with online artist conversation between Carolyn Olson and Keith Christensen.

“The pandemic has provided an opportunity to reconsider our culture’s awareness—and our personal awareness—of the workers who provide the services and goods which we depend upon to make our lives sustainable. Some workers, long disregarded, have been labeled “essential” and have been given new attention. Some have even received hazard pay (for a time) and new respect. But some have also spoken out about feeling “sacrificial,” and some have protested and even struck over their working conditions.

New awareness does not emerge spontaneously. Carolyn Sue Olson’s work opens our hearts and our minds through our eyes. Her work has been informed by a lifetime of painting and teaching art, a lifetime of building connections to community, and her care for her own children. Her daughter has worked in a grocery store during the pandemic, and her son has been a teacher. “Essential workers,” they have felt that complex combination of fear, on the one hand, and new recognition, on the other. These contradictory dynamics infuse the representations of workers in Carolyn’s portraits with both dignity and vulnerability. Looking at her paintings we can feel the energy.”

Entire series of 100 “Essential Worker Portraits” (giclée) will be exhibited and available to purchase at PROVE collective, Duluth. Books of the collection will be available.

Opens September 23/Closes November 18.

10% of all sales will go to H.O.T.D.I.S.H. Militia in support of women’s healthcare.

Discounted price on art work created in last few years-including Essential Worker Portrait pastels and giclees, Swedish Princess Cake gouache, large murals and assorted smaller works in all media. Older oil on canvas as well!! Masks and vaccinations required.

236 W. Winona St. Duluth, MN
https://carolynolson.net

Pleased to be included in the upcoming exhibition ART speaks at the Minnesota History Center. Opening February 26, 2022, the exhibition features approximately 175 works of art from the permanent collection by over 100 artists. More than 50 of those artists are currently working and/or living in Minnesota today (see list).

A recording of the virtual gallery talk can be found here: https://youtu.be/rz8k4-Gfuy0

The exhibition continues through July 31, 2022. History Center hours are posted on our website: 
www.mnhs.org

Due to COVID-19, no public events for this exhibition are planned at this time. We hope that a public event can be organized in the spring/summer toward the conclusion of the exhibition.

For information about the exhibition and the Minnesota History Center, please visit:
https://www.mnhs.org/historycenter/activities/museum/art-speaks