Burnsville Visual Arts Society
We believe the beauty, thought and peace the arts provide should be available to everyone.

Our Mission

Burnsville Visual Arts Society (BVAS), formerly known as Burnsville Area Society for the Arts (BASA) is a 29-year-old non-profit, visual arts organization. Our purpose is to organize and promote a variety of local creative visual arts events and activities. We also serve as a resource to the community to connect our member artists to organizations and events. BVAS' programs have enhanced our community's quality of life by encouraging an understanding of the arts. Our members include artists and arts advocates who participate in order to enrich their lives by learning from and supporting the arts. BVAS believes the beauty, thought, and peace the arts provide should be available to everyone.

Read More

Join Us!

Burnsville Visual Arts Society and its programs and exhibits are possible thanks to our volunteer board members and volunteers from the community. If you are interested in volunteering for a short term project, or wish to participate on a longer-term commitment on the BVAS board, please email us.

Learn How to Join

List of Member Discounts

News and Events

  • Thank you to all of the businesses who have supported BVAS by sponsoring Art Fête, providing space to hang BVAS members' artwork, and offering BVAS members a discount! See our THANK YOU ad HERE.
  • BVAS sponsored a community mural painting at the International Festival on Saturday, July 21. It was a wonderful project with great participation by all ages! Thank you to volunteers Alison Price, Leah Bedford and her daughter, and Jim and Martha Wittstruck! We will post a photo of the mural on the website soon.
  • Artist Opportunity! The 2010 Art and All that Jazz Festival is now accepting applications from all artists (18 years of age or older) interested in displaying and selling their artwork at the 2010 Art and All That Jazz Festival. The Festival is set to take place on Saturday, August 21, 2010 in Nicollet Commons Park in Burnsville, Minnesota. Application deadline July 12, 2010. Please visit www.burnsvilleartjazz.com to download the guidelines and application.
  • Music! Food! Fun! Check out the fun, family-friendly "Music in Kelley Park" series sponsored by Apple Valley Arts Foundation. Fridays from 6pm to 9pm, June 11 through August 13. Visit www.applevalleyarts.org for more information!
  • BVAS member Patty Schwartz is offering an assortment of youth and adult summer art classes in Burnsville! Check it out here: www.brushworksschoolofart.com.
  • The Dakota County Tribune published a story titled "Customers urged to buy local" in the May 27 issue. On the cover, under the headline, you will notice a photo of BVAS' Art Fete 2009 at the Burnsville Performing Arts Center. The article discusses www.keepitinburnsville.com, a website launching in June, which will aim to help publicize community events and encourage a buy-local message. Read the article here. What a great concept!
  • Non-partisan Productive Dialogue (NPD), is a civil discourse initiative which catalyzes innovative dialogues that transcend idealogies, engage shared ideals, and create critical, mutually productive change between numerous community sectors. NPD is looking for artists interested in assisting with or supporting their endeavors. Mary, an artist from The Buzz coffee shop,is looking at collaborating with artists for an NPD visual arts project. Artists interested in supporting the NPD logo/arts co-creation effort with studio space, materials, or promotion, should contact Andrea Grazzini Walstrom (grazzini@frontiernet.net). For more information about NPD, please visit www.nonpartisanproductivedialogue.wordpress.com.
  • Stay tuned for information about a fall BVAS member show!

BVAS-Member Studio Art Exhibit!

August 3 - August 30, 2010
Box Art Gallery, Thrivent Financial Building
625 Fourth Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55415
2nd Floor Hours: Monday - Friday 7:00 am - 5:00 pm
Free parking behind the building.

Information for artists :
Artwork drop off/pick up will take place at the Burnsville Performing Arts Center, 12600 Nicollet Ave., Burnsville, MN 55337
Artwork drop off: Friday, July 30, 10am-5pm
Artwork pick up: Tuesday, August 31, 10am-5pm

Art Fête 2010

The Burnsville Visual Arts Society (BVAS) held its 28th annual member art show Art Fête at the Burnsville Performing Arts Center (BPAC) from March 11 to May 1, 2010. The mission of Art Fête is to make the visual arts more accessible to our community, and to support local artists by providing them with the opportunity to exhibit and sell their artwork. This year's eclectic exhibit will feature the artwork of over 80 BVAS artist members and will include artwork of all mediums, including; acrylic, watercolor, pastel/drawing, 3D/sculpture, oil, and photography. The free opening reception and awards ceremony for Art Fête was held at the Burnsville Performing Art Center's beautiful 2,000 square-foot art gallery on Thursday, March 11, from 6 - 9 PM. Special Events Midwest Catering and BVAS provided complimentary appetizers and wine, Carolyn Axt, Eric Thurstin and Ann Merrick of the "Tre Corda Trio" delighted guests with live music, and Art Fête artists were on hand to discuss their work. Mayor Elizabeth Kautz presented awards to the artists. Awards for this exhibit are chosen by guest judges, and are sponsored by area businesses and BVAS in support of the visual arts in the community. Judges this year were; Robert Bowman - Artist and Exhibits Director at the Minnetonka Center for the Arts, Nick DeVries - Artist and Ceramics Instructor at Northern Clay Center and Edina Art Center, and Catherine Hearding - Artist and President of the Minnesota Watercolor Society. Read More

This activity funded, in part, by the Minnesota arts and cultural heritage fund as appropriated by the Minnesota State Legislature with money from the vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008.

FIRST NAME

LAST NAME

ARTWORK TITLE

ARTWORK MEDIUM

AWARD

Richard

Mittelstadt

"Rocky Coast"

Acrylic

Award of Excellence, Acrylic

Cida

Smith

"Ghost Singers"

Acrylic

Award of Merit, Acrylic

Sharon

Wagner

"Cat on a Blue Stairway"

Mixed Media

Award of Excellence, Mixed Media & Variety

Julie

Greenwood

"Minnesota Series: Wood Turtle"

Colored Pencil

Award of Merit, Mixed Media & Variety

Marie

Sokol

"Black Swans"

Oil

Award of Excellence, Oil

Jennifer

Horton

"Five Fine Swine Dine"

Oil

Award of Merit, Oil

Renee

Scholen

"The Red Shoes"

Oil on Linen Panel

Best of Show

Shannon

Henry Erickson

"Nature's Triumph"

Photograph

Award of Excellence, Photography

Shakun

Maheshwari

"Dare to Enter"

Digital Photograph

Award of Merit, Photography

Cole

Hartigan

"Tenacious Desperation"

Lost Wax Bronze Casting

Award of Excellence, 3-D

Chuck

Emerson-Henry

"Childhood Disenchantment"

Steel and Stone

Award of Merit, 3-D

Beth

Craswell

"Tiny Oak"

Watercolor

Award of Excellence, Watercolor

Lynn

O'Gorman

"Nestled"

Watercolor

Award of Merit, Watercolor

Pena

Alejandra

"The End of The Work Day"

Photograph

People's Choice

Links



BVAS Photos

BVAS Board Members

Alejandra Pelinka, President
Alison Price, Vice President
Rick Mittelstadt, Treasurer
Laura Henry, Secretary
Jean Fournier, Immediate Past Pres.
Marv Brown
Mark Freier
Jim Wittstruck
Martha Wittstruck

BVAS Volunteers

Carolyn Carlson
Jan McLandsborough
Linda Taylor
Annie Young
Jim Young

Contact Us

Burnsville Visual Arts Society
P.O. Box 1041
Burnsville, MN 55337

Email Us Here: burnsvillevas@gmail.com

BVAS MySpace Page

BVAS mnartists.org page

BVAS Members

Alejandra Pelinka

Alison Price

John Shier

Patty Schwartz

Jim Wittstruck

Mary Pearson

Alejandra Pena

Sharon Draeger

Shakun Maheshwari

Amy Cerny Vasterling

Christine Tierney

Bob Pollard

Annie Young

Gallery

Art Fete 2008
Art Fete 2008
Art Fete 2008
Art Fete 2008
Art Fete 2008
Art Fete 2008
Art Fete 2008