Gallery Hop art features more than 40 artists

HIBBING—For one evening a year the Gallery Hop turns Howard Street businesses into a multi-location art gallery.

There are more than 40 artists signed up for the event taking place from 2 to 7 p.m. Thursday, June 27. There are 15 participating locations with balloons hung on the lampposts outside to help identify them.

A local couple, Eloise and John Michael Cook founded the Gallery Hop in 1993 as an outlet to bring art into the Hibbing Centennial celebration and have coordinated it ever since.

Eloise said she’s excited for this year’s event, adding “artists are bringing their A game and are truly phenomenal.”

“Water color, oils, acrylics, photography, literary arts, jewelry artists—it runs a gamut of everything, it’s hard to think of what we don’t have,” Eloise said. “It’s so exciting to see the variety. You’re not going to see just paintings, it’s unimaginable.”

“The most (artists) we’ve ever had was 50 for our 25th,” Eloise noted. “For a long time we would be in the 30s to 40s, but the past few years has been over 40.

“It’s become more well known amongst the art community and artists realize it’s really, really a good thing,” Eloise said. “They just have to sit there for five hours and get exposure for their art. Even if they don’t sell anything, it’s really fun to talk about art for five hours.”

That includes her husband, who is also a participant planning on displaying oil paintings and acrylics.

“He has quite a few large paintings—he really is a world class artist and his art is really good,” Eloise said.

John’s work can be found on the walls at Crescendo Orchestra Studio on Howard Street in Hibbing.

Karen Spotts, of Chisholm, one of the longtime participants is looking forward to this year’s show where she plans to showcase her woodburning and painting.

“(It’s) enjoyable to see other artists and their work, and just a pleasant time,” Spotts said of the event.

RosaLee Niemi, of Eveleth, is a longtime Gallery Hop participant and is displaying Rosemaling and oil paintings this year.

“It’s one of my favorite ones, because whether it’s sunny or rainy you have people come back every year and visit with you,” Niemi said.

Niemi said it’s common for people to stop by and purchase a painting they regretted not buying the year before.

“It’s one of my favorite places to buy artwork,” Niemi noted. Throughout the years she’s developed friendships with fellow artists.

Niemi said she finds Hibbing to be “positive”—one of her favorite cities.

“The people in Hibbing are so friendly to begin with,” Niemi added. “I look forward to seeing the artists and catching up with their lives.”

Niemi said she really appreciates Eloise and John Cook for all they do to make the Gallery Hop such a great show.

“They are wonderful,” she said.