National Debt
Vine Arts Center is pleased to present
National Debt,
a solo exhibition by Minnesota painter Laura Hanson.
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Opening - Saturday, January 10, 6 - 9pm
An opening reception will be held on Saturday, January 10 from 6-9 PM, featuring a live DJ, complimentary food and drinks and free entry for all visitors.
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National Debt will be on view
Saturdays January 17–31, 2026 from 11-5.
Created primarily in 2025, National Debt chronicles a turbulent, historic period - one the artist describes as “running on empty, simply trying to survive.” The exhibition reflects Hanson’s personal sense of psychological and emotional “debt” accumulated over a year marked by instability, upheaval, and the relentless pressure to endure.
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The works incorporate references to local realities, including climate change, worsening air quality, and social movements that shaped the region. Each piece serves as an immediate, visceral response to the world around her, capturing an atmosphere of exhaustion, resilience, and reckoning.​​
Minnesota painter Laura Hanson has been active in the local arts community since 2019, creating work grounded in observation, discomfort, and truth-telling.
Raised in Anoka, she approaches painting as a historical and emotional register - tracking the ways contemporary society mirrors earlier eras marked by propaganda, fear, and the consolidation of power.
Her work confronts these parallels with clarity and urgency, reflecting the world as she experiences it.
In the Member Gallery
Two Sisters Two Artists
“Two Sisters Two Artists” explores landscape and botanical elements in vivid color.​
Passages
Jo Ann Elig
Gunflint
Kathleen Davis
​Kathleen Davis and Jo Ann Elig grew up together as children, later growing together as artists, despite living far apart in adulthood.
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“I always felt the impulse to create, be it weaving, paper making, pottery, glass work and now painting,” Kathleen said.
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“I started working in figurative sculpture when I lived in Ohio. After moving to Rhode Island, it seemed like color exploded around me. I wanted to paint,” explained Jo Ann. “I joined a plein air group of painters and found a niche which I loved. In the winter I paint from still life setups and photos I have taken. Recently I began exploring gel printing. I use leaves and grasses. Kathleen also uses objects from nature in her works.”
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For both sisters, where they lived also influenced their artwork, especially since they have had a lifelong fascination with nature. ​
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Despite the many states separating them, the two sisters continue sharing their artwork via Facetime as they grow and learn new approaches and techniques.
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“We have always shared our experiences. The distance from Rhode Island and Minnesota is far, but we understand each other,” Jo Ann said. “Art is constant change, and just like our art, we both have evolved throughout our lives.”
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“There is a lot of joy in our work, and I hope we bring that joy to others,” added Kathleen.
Vine Arts Center is a non-profit, member-run organization supporting emerging and established artists, partnering with the community, and providing space and support for visiting shows and events.
Mission
