NorthStar Watermedia History

By BARBARA PARISIEN

Founded in 1975, Northstar Watercolor Society, now known at NorthStar Watermedia Society, celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2015. Several of its founders (pictured below) are still active and contributing members. The organization kicked off its anniversary year celebration by hosting its first annual national watermedia show at Hopkins Center for the Arts in September and October, 2015. Founding members will be honored at the holiday meeting/anniversary celebration on December 17, 2015. A timeline of major events in the history of NorthStar is also featured below. (Click on the photos to make them as large as your screen will allow!)

Photo left: Judy Blain called together a meeting in 1975 to organize a watercolor society. She served as NorthStar president 5 times: 1977-78, 1978-79, 1982-83,1995-96, 1996-97.

Photo right: Nels Femrite has been a member of NorthStar since the beginning years. He took the workshop with Zoltan Szabo in 1976.  Following the workshop, Szabo sent a painting that he had done in Stillwater. Nels won the painting which hangs in his home today. He was NorthStar president in 1993-94 and 1994-95.

Photo below left: Marion Wolters attended the first NorthStar workshop and joined the society the following year, 1976.  She was on the board from the mid 1980’s until 2010 and served in “every position except president.”  She was newsletter editor three times and hospitality chair for many years. She was one of the original planners of Art on a Line. Photo below: Barb Lundell was very active in the early years of NorthStar.    

Photo right: Frank Zeller was an early member of NorthStar and posed as the model for Zoltan Szabo’s painting in the 1976 workshop. Zeller was president of NorthStar in 1997-98 and 1998-99. He continues to be an active member of the group and handles the video projection at each meeting.

Photo above: Stuart Botten was the first president of NorthStar.

Photo right: Jon Arfstrom was an early active member of NorthStar.

Photo left: Plein air painting in the early days of NorthStar. If anyone can identify these people, please let us know!