ABOVE: Local artists, Sydney Wren, Caroline Porter and Alexandra Hurney, pictured with pieces of their art behind them at the Red Rock Center for the Arts in Fairmont. They have a joint show, Spring Revival, on display now through May 10.

FAIRMONT– Alexandra Hurney, Caroline Porter and Sydney Wren, A trio of active artists in the Fairmont community, have their art on display now through May 10 at the Red Rock Center for the Arts in Fairmont. Each artist has their own style and their own story but they’ve found common ground, and friendship, through the emerging art scene in Fairmont.

“We’re trying to grow the art scene in Fairmont,” said Hurney.

None of the three are originally from the Fairmont area, but they all see potential in what’s here and have been working on growing it.

Hurney is originally from South Dakota and was involved in the Sioux Falls art scene before relocating to Fairmont a decade ago. She’s on the board at Imagine Martin and has painted many of the hogs in the Going Hog Wild project. She’s also well known for her commission pieces and has done murals at Marina Lodge and the Martin County Historical Society Pioneer Museum.

Porter grew up in the Twin Cities but moved around the midwest with her husband. They were most recently in Nebraska before moving to Fairmont just over a year ago. She had been teaching art classes on the side and has continued to teach art classes in a variety of places, including some art walks through Downtown Plaza this past fall. Porter has also painted a mural outside of Graffiti Corner in Fairmont.

Wren is from Nebraska but attended the Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design in Colorado. She was recently living in California but her husband’s job with Les Schwab Tires brought them to Fairmont. While she hasn’t been in Fairmont long, this will be Wren’s second time showing art work at the Red Rock Center.

Speaking to how the three met, Wren said she met Hurney at Fairmont Brewing Company.

“I was like, ‘oh you’re an artist?’ And I got her involved in LakeFest,” Hurney said.

At LakeFest, Wren painted some murals on the boat landing at Amber Lake Park last August.

“And then I met Caroline there (at the brewery) as well because she was teaching a class there,” Wren said.”It kind of blossomed from there.”

Hurney said they all serve on the committee for The Hive, a new art studio and gallery coming soon to the Downtown Fairmont area.

“In the future, having these different art organizations come together, the Opera House, the Hive, The Red Rock, not to be competitors, but to work together,” Hurney said.

Porter said she’d like to see Fairmont be the art mecca for southern Minnesota, similar to how Spirit Lake is for northern Iowa.

“It’s good to have a community of like-minded people that want the same type of thing,” Hurney said.

“And having the support to do that with each other,” added Wren.

Hurney said this art show in particular came about pretty quickly as Blake Potthoff, the new acting director of the Red Rock, didn’t have any galleries scheduled but wanted there to be art on display for some upcoming events at the Red Rock, including the annual Murder Mystery.

“Caroline and Sydney were able to bust out some new pieces. Mine are some older ones I brought for the show,” Hurney said.

Wren made 10 new pieces for the show in about two weeks. She works with resin and mixed media and some of her pieces can be pretty time consuming.

“I do all of the texture first, which kind of serves as a barrier because resin acts like water and moves where it wants. Then I have 45 minutes to work with it,” she said.

Porter’s pieces are watercolor. She brought in nearly 30 pieces, five of which were created new for the show.

Hurney herself brought in two big pieces, an oil painting and an acrylic painting.

“They pair together. They have different textures but they complement each other so well. The watercolor and the resin. The watercolor and the resin are liquid so they have that organic feel to it,” Hurney said. “Spring Revival is what we’re calling the show. There’s bright colors and textures.”

She said their goal is to make art accessible and exciting so that people will see it and want to get involved themselves.

“We want to bring our experience here and do this collaborative stuff because we want to turn it into other artists collaborating with us,” Hurney said.

There will be an artist reception, a meet and greet, with all three artists from 1 to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, April 14 following Noon Lunch with the Arts at the Red Rock Center.

While they’re excited for this show, the three are already planning a second show together in October which will have a darker theme.

Speaking once more about the current show and its theme, Porter said, “we picked Spring Revival because we also wanted to acknowledge the new life of the season and the new life that’s come to Red Rock.”