Exhibition Dates: November 14 - 29, 2026, visit Rosalux.com to find out more
Reception: Saturday, November 21st, 7-9 PM
This exhibition explores Minnesota’s glacial history through a series of diptych paintings. Each diptych pairs a current day landscape painted plein air, with an imagined version of the same location during a period of glaciation or glacial retreat. Together, the paintings create a visual dialogue narrating the region’s geologic history through the lens of visual cues, landscape transformation, and geologic remnants. The imagined landscapes are informed by research into Minnesota’s glacial history, geology, and the processes that shaped each location. By pairing direct observation with geologic reconstruction, the work considers how traces of the past, such as erratics, kettle lakes and potholes remain embedded in the landscapes we encounter today. The exhibition will be accompanied by a downloadable guide that provides additional context for each location, including its geographic setting, glacial history, and the processes that contributed to the formation of its present-day landscape.
I am deeply grateful to Dr. Laura Triplett and Dr. Andrew Wickert for sharing their expertise on Minnesota’s geologic history and their time generously spent in conversation with me.
Betsy Ruth Byers is a fiscal year 2026 recipient of a Creative Individuals grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation by the Minnesota State Legislature; and by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.
