Second Annual Summer Artist Block Party

At Carden Custom Framing, we are passionate about serving our local art community. Our strong desire to give back to the artists who creatively contribute so much to our area led to the creation of our Summer Artist Block Party. On this day, artists took over our parking lot, filling the space with tents, artwork, and creative spirit. It was a time of forging connections, reaching new audiences, and sharing in one simple joy: our love of art.

A sidewalk sign for Carden Custom Framing advertising an 'Artist Block Party', decorated with colorful balloons in blue, pink, and red.
A view of a market with several pop-up tents in an outdoor setting, featuring vendors displaying various items, including art. The Dakota Building sign is visible in the background.

The Artists

We are so thankful to the twenty-two artists and art organizations that braved the questionable weather forecast to join us on what ended up being a windy, but beautiful day. Here is just a brief overview of what each artist brought to our second annual Summer Artist Block Party:

A man holding a brightly colored floral artwork at an outdoor market, with various vendor tents in the background and cloudy skies.
A man and a girl working at an outdoor table, with the man drawing on a sketchbook and the girl focused on sketching in her notebook.
A woman with a beige shirt and floral skirt is speaking while holding her hands up, with a woven bag on her shoulder. Another woman, wearing glasses and a white shirt, smiles while sitting at a table with art supplies and a partially completed drawing of a dog.
A woman with tattoos creates art at a table in an art supply store, surrounded by various art materials and finished artworks.
A person wearing a cowboy hat is sitting at a table in an outdoor market, focused on drawing or writing. Various items and artworks are displayed in the background, and several people can be seen engaging with booths under tents.
A vendor's booth at a market featuring a smiling man in a hat and a woman, with customers engaging in conversation. The booth displays pottery and flowers.
  • Butch Thunderhawk brought prints and cards of his famous ledger artwork, along with painted feathers and wood pieces featuring Native American motifs. His granddaughter, Olivia Thunderhawk, joined him, showcasing her own ledger art and animal artwork.
  • Aaron Siferd spent the day working on “Alkali,” a bumblebee drawing for BDAC’s “Art in Bloom” exhibit. Vistors discovered his detailed drawings featuring both realistic studies and imaginative illustrations. His daughter Addison Siferd joined him, bringing her block prints, jewelry, and nature journal-style illustrations.
  • Kristy Little continued to amaze with her ultra-realistic pastel art. We love seeing all the animals she created, especially the horse she worked on that day. We just wanted to “boop” its cute nose!
  • Lori Ivy cranked out three new original drawings on the day of the event, featuring her signature whimsical-styled animals. One favorite was a group of crows staring menacingly at the viewer titled “Attempted Murder.”
  • Ben Brick brought stickers, hats, and his picture book “To Be a Musketeer,” showcasing his impressive illustrative and designer background. When he wasn’t gladly chatting, he proved his fine art chops by working on a gouache painting featuring the eyes of a cowboy.
  • Juan Gelpi, who recently started up Lone Peak Studio, brought in his functional and beautiful pottery. We were shocked to learn he has only recently taken up the craft and has already proven himself an adept professional.
A young artist at an outdoor market booth, smiling and pointing while surrounded by art supplies and artwork, with another vendor in the background.
An artist painting at an outdoor fair, seated at a portable easel with framed artworks displayed behind him.
A local market scene featuring several people gathered under two tents, one red and one white, with various items displayed on tables. The background includes a sign for a dentist's office and greenery.
Two women smiling behind a display table at an event, showcasing pottery and crafts, with a banner reading 'Nodakian Studios' in the background.
An outdoor market scene featuring a vendor at a booth, interacting with customers under a canopy. The vendor is seated at a table filled with art supplies and displays, while two women browse the items on the table and in the background.
A group of children and an adult engaging in a craft activity at a table, with colorful paints and art supplies, in an outdoor setting.
  • Kyle Whipple, a colored pencil specialist, brought every color in and outside of the rainbow to work on a detailed landscape drawing. He also brought his completed bird artwork, displaying his ability to achieve incredible accuracy and texture.
  • Nevada Silha astounded us with his oil painting skills as he painted a horse and cowboy against the sunset throughout the event. His display of original paintings featuring primarily landscapes left all those who left his tent inspired.
  • Nicole Gagner melted down crayon pieces and gave them new life in fun, decorative molds. She also brought original art, magnets, and grab bags (which can be found in her Meadowlark Mercantile vending machines around town.)
  • Shelly Sayler, owner of Nodakian Studios, brought in cups that customers could customize with carvings, which she would later glaze and fire. She also had ready-made pottery featuring her beautiful designs and glazing techniques. Her partner for the day, Amy Duchsherer, brought in mugs featuring whimsical characters and holed lids which allow flowers to achieve the perfect bouquet shape.
  • Syndney Munns wowed us with her block prints, featuring ND fan favorite subjects, such as buffalo, the phrase “Uff Da,” walleye, and more. She brought many of her original blocks from which her collage-style landscapes are made.
  • Sienna Salo created a unique project for artists and customers called “Blob it Forward.” First, people created blobs with watercolor. Then, they drew lines on dried blobs to create characters. Finally, they got to take the blobs home! We also loved seeing all her whimsical prints, original artwork, and cards available for sale.
An artist painting at an outdoor market stall with blue and yellow canopies. The stall features various paintings displayed on the backdrop, while the artist works on a canvas on an easel.
A woman in a maroon shirt is browsing art and crafts at a market stall, while another woman assists her from behind the table adorned with colorful handcrafted items such as picture frames and paintings.
A person with long hair wearing a cap and black long-sleeve shirt is using scissors to cut a design on a wooden skateboard at a table. Various materials, including stickers and a paint can, are spread out on the table.
A chalkboard sign for 'Theo Art School' displaying colorful lettering and the phrase 'Face Paint' on a concrete pavement.
An artist in a green shirt and cap painting a colorful rose on an easel under a tent.
A collection of pamphlets for the 2026 Artist Block Party in Bismarck, featuring colorful covers in red, blue, green, and purple.
  • Emily Murphy brought the easel with for the day, painting a landscape featuring only one color: blue. She also brought in prints, cards, and miniature original paintings made special for the Summer Artist Block Party.
  • Shawna Andrea Fricke’s art showcased her distinct style of Native American people with blank faces, allowing for a wider window of viewer interpretation. Shawna also had jewelry, including hand-painted earrings on shell and rawhide.
  • Richard Lowen worked on custom skateboards at his table while also selling shirts featuring screenprints of his wonderful abstract art. He also delighted the crowd by bringing in his music setup, setting a fun and delightful ambiance for the day.
  • Theo Art School offered free-will facepainting, much to the delight of the children who attended, as well as a special craft where kids could design their own fan.
  • Paul Noot brought bright and bold art pieces featuring Midwest motifs, flowers, vegetables, and more. He also represented BDAC – the Bismarck Downtown Artist Cooperative – which gives artists at various stages of their careers an exhibition space.
  • Laura Allen, while not physically present, graced us with her artistic creations. Despite being sick, she produced over a 100 unique, handmade block prints to give out for free. Including Laura, eight artists carved special blocks for the print as a special memento for the 2026 Summer Artist Block Party.

The Activities

The artists weren’t the only attractions of our Summer Artist Block Party (but we will admit they were the headliners). We also had fun activities. One was an art hide-and-seek. If you found a token with the Carden logo, you could redeem it in the store for a gift bag of free art and swag. There was a community canvas that anyone could paint, which was a fun evolution to witness throughout the day. And we also had a giveaway full of Carden swag, art supplies, and art from artists of the Block Party.

A young artist painting on a large blank canvas outdoors, with plastic sheeting on the ground and a cloudy sky in the background.
A group of children painting on a large canvas featuring a rainbow, while an adult stands nearby smiling and holding balloons.
A child painting on a large white canvas covered with colorful drawings, including flowers, a rainbow, and text, while using various paint colors.
An artist painting on a large canvas with vibrant colors, sitting on the ground amid paint containers and tools, with a plastic sheet backdrop.
An artist in a brown sweater and pink pants is painting a colorful artwork on a canvas set up on the ground, surrounded by paint supplies and a plastic sheet, with a cityscape in the background.
An artist painting a colorful abstract artwork on a canvas while surrounded by art supplies outdoors.
An artist painting on a large canvas outdoors, with bright colors and abstract designs, surrounded by various paint containers and brushes.
Group of four people engaged in an outdoor painting activity, standing around a colorful, abstract artwork on a board propped against a protective cover. Various paint cans and buckets are scattered around on the ground.

Ending Thoughts

Our hearts are so full, thinking of the artists who showed up and the attendees who came out to support our local art community. We loved everyone sharing their process and passions while also forging friendships and connections. Seeing the joy on attendees’ faces as they discovered a new artist, connected with a favorite creator, participated in projects, and explored all the things they never knew Carden offered was so fulfilling. And witnessing the validation these artists felt from the compliments, the support, the purchases, and the kindness of the attendees and fellow artists made it all worth it.

We are so inspired by the support, friendship, and creativity that these artists bring. We believe Bismarck-Mandan and the surrounding area is truly blessed with amazing talent, and we are honored to give these artists a space to show their stuff. We look forward to working with these artists in the future and we can’t wait to see where their art will lead them.

A group of diverse individuals poses together outdoors, smiling, with a colorful mural displayed in the background. The word 'Grateful!!!' is prominently featured.

With love, The Carden Family

Posted

in

by

cardencustomframing

Tags:

Comments

Leave a Reply

Discover more from Carden Custom Framing

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading