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Painting the Place Between - Follow four acclaimed artists as they confront dicey weather conditions, time constraints, and internal struggles to paint significant MN landscapes.

Painting the Place Between is a feature length documentary following four contemporary artists as they discover and paint significant Minnesota landscapes. In this film the painters confront three levels of conflict; the unpredictable weather in Minnesota, the time demands of painting in our want-it-now culture and the internal struggles and doubts. All the things the audience doesn't see in a finished exhibition – the commitment necessary to establishing oneself in the professional artistic arena.

As a young artist under the executive direction of filmmakers, Judith Wechsler and Serge Lalou, I co-created and directed film shorts for the Louvre Museum. Working as a visual artist for twenty years and working with Wechsler taught me what truly looking at art can offer the viewer and I’ve sought to realize and promote those values in my work and as a college professor. Now I have the opportunity to create synergy among several chapters of my life as a visual artist through the creation of one large project as the executive producer and director.

I wanted to make this film for anyone interested in painting but not necessarily formally trained in art.

I have successfully funded over half the project to date and attracted the best talent for production and post-production. I have over sixty hours of footage. Working artists and interviews; on-location footage of artists working in the Boundary Waters, the flooded Canon River to farm fields and back again in studios. Interest in the film has been growing steadily. Minnesota Public television, the Minnesota Museum of American Art and my Alma Mater, Minneapolis College of Art and Design are all supporting this project by featuring clips of the film in progress this fall. These opportunities are perfectly timed as I am scheduled to be on teaching sabbatical from Gustavus College, 2013-14, and will use that time to culminate and promote this film project.

The USA Projects Campaign: The biggest post-production cost is editing the balance of the film. If you would like to be a part of making this documentary, please watch for the USA Projects link and you will also help me accomplish the biggest project of my artistic career.

Upcoming event dates, fall 2012:

MN Original airing on TPT, September 16th

Aitist in Residence, MCAD, Oct 23 and 24

Panel discussion and preview look at some raw footage, MCAD, 6:30 pm, Oct 23rd.

Opening exhibition of work by the four artists in the film and a sneak peak  from, Painting the Place Between, Minnesota Museum of American Art, St Paul, November 16 (a gala event will occur before the opening of the exhibition, date TBA soon on the MMAA website).

All my best,

Kristen Lowe

(images credits, screen shots from Painting the Place Between, Kristen Lowe, Linda Gammel, Brian Forrest, Patrick Pierson)