[0:00] - It's a beautiful gallery, a great showcase [0:03] for local artists, so I'm very happy to be here. [0:06] - It's really fun. I wish we'd do it more often [0:08] because I think there is a lot of talent [0:10] that we don't know about. [0:12] - My name's Leon Erstad. [0:13] I live in Bloomington, [0:14] and for the last decade I've been doing art with rocks [0:18] and glass and tile. [0:20] - I'm Janet Adams. [0:22] I live in Bloomington in a senior cooperative. [0:26] I moved here in 2006. [0:29] - My name is Steve Sack. I'm a lifelong cartoonist. [0:32] I worked for 40 some years for the Star Tribune [0:36] doing editorial cartoons. [0:37] I retired about three years ago, [0:39] and now my hobby is creating 3D sculptures. [0:44] The work I have here is just things that I do for myself, [0:48] basically. It's humorous, whimsical figurines, [0:51] and I've always drawn cartoons [0:53] and that's kind of the way I see the world. [0:56] - I've always enjoyed looking at rocks and cutting into them [0:59] and seeing the beauty on the inside [1:01] and started out doing a little bit of jewelry, [1:03] but found that awfully limiting [1:05] because the patterns in many of the agates [1:08] or Jaspers are big and and nice. [1:11] And so I wanted to think of a way to display the beauty [1:15] of the rocks without needing to hang it [1:17] around somebody's neck. [1:19] - I've been experimenting with the idea [1:22] of what's the least you can do and still call it art. [1:26] So you'll see some of my pieces are very, very simple [1:28] and almost nothing is happening, [1:31] and yet they're kind of cool, [1:33] for me. [1:34] This particular exhibit, the range of the styles [1:37] and media that are there is just really remarkable. [1:41] And to see the talent of many of the artists [1:44] that are displaying there is fun and exhilarating [1:48] and inspirational, and it's motivating me to do more. [1:52] - I hope people come out and take a look. [1:54] Other artists have wonderful work there [1:56] and it's always fun to see people's expressions. [1:59] - It'll be fun. Yeah, there's such a variety among our works [2:02] and even among our individual works of one artist, [2:06] there's quite a lot of variety. [2:08] Artistry is a great gift to the community [2:10] and that it's so accessible is part of the gift. [2:13] I know when I moved here, I came, I saw and I joined, [2:18] and I've been part of it ever since. [2:21] I want all my friends to come.