Watermark Art Center

About

Watermark Art Center is a place where you can visit four
galleries and view contemporary and Indigenous artwork made by regional and
national artists. The Center provides gallery space for rotating exhibitions,
concerts, author readings, receptions, and workshops. Sign up for art classes
or stop in for fun. Visit our Shop 505 for high quality, fine art items made by
local and regional artists.

• The Marley & Sandy Kaul Gallery is Watermark’s largest gallery. Named after award-winning Bemidji painter Marley Kaul, a prominent arts leader in the region, and his wife Sandy. The gallery boasts nearly 2,000 square feet. Floor-to-ceiling windows on three exterior walls allow visitors a magnificent view of Lake Bemidji while providing nearby traffic a wide view inside the gallery, as well. The space is perfect for both 2-D and 3-D exhibits, often hosting a combination of multiple exhibits and/or mediums.
• Watermark’s Miikanan Gallery (Many Paths) is a permanent space to promote Indigenous art. It exhibits a variety of traditional and contemporary artwork created by Native American artists.
•  Bemidji State University showcases prints and ceramics from their teaching collections in the BSU Harlow | Kleven Gallery named after alumna who began the collection in the 1970s.
• The Lakeview Gallery, named in honor of William & Patricia Kelly, is the initial space guests see upon entering Watermark. The long, high-ceiling space creates a gateway leading to Watermark’s other galleries, culminating in a majestic view of Lake Bemidji, which can be seen from anywhere in the gallery.

Creativity and community-building move beyond the walls of
Watermark in the surrounding pollinator gardens, teeming with beauty and
biodiversity. The landscaping is designed to beautify downtown Bemidji, support
native pollinators and urban wildlife and serve as a demonstration area for
visitors to learn about gardening with Minnesota’s rich variety of native
plants, with the added bonus of acting as a retention pond for stormwater
runoff.

Every summer, Watermark hosts the "Watermark Art
Festival" on the third weekend in July. Previously known as “Art
in the Park” this juried fine art and craft fair has been a summer highlight
for Northern Minnesotan residents and tourists since 1967.

Vendors sell a wide variety of items including hand-crafted
wood items, ceramics, apparel, jewelry, photography, metalworking, greeting
cards, homemade preserves, soaps, stained glass, original paintings, garden art
and more! An activity area provides fun for visitors of all ages. Food and two
live music stages make the event a true festival.

The two-day festival draws thousands of visitors to Downtown
Bemidji. The festival area has been expanded to include the Watermark Art
Center grounds as well as the historic tree-lined Library Park across the
street.

Watermark Art Center is a non-profit, member-supported
organization dedicated to encouraging the growth and development of art in
Northern Minnesota. There is no charge to view the gardens, visit the festival,
view exhibits or shop retail items. Watermark Art Center is accessible,
non-profit, member-supported organization.