Local Artist Pursues Dream
Nearly 20 years after leaving Granite Falls, Bradley (Brad) Hall decided to return to his hometown to pursue his dreams of becoming a full-time artist.
After high school, Brad moved to Chicago and worked in factories in the suburbs. Meanwhile, he was taking night classes at the American Academy of Art in downtown Chicago and sold artwork here and there when he had the chance. Brad was house hunting in the Chicago area when an opportunity arrived to purchase a unique property in Granite Falls. On a corner near downtown, an empty building that was originally a nineteenth century church and was later the town’s public library went up for sale. Brad jumped at the opportunity to purchase the property to use as an art studio and move back to Granite Falls.
After two years of renovating the studio, and just a few short weeks before the very first Meander Art Crawl, Brad moved into the space.
“I didn’t have much inventory that first show. I mostly had homework from art school to sell that first year. My art has matured along with the Meander Art Crawl,” Brad said.
After getting settled in his new space, Brad started showcasing his art at smaller, local summer art fairs before competing in some of the largest art shows in the Midwest.
Brad was the first featured artist for Meander Art Crawl in 2004, and he has co-created a calendar with Andy Kahmann, an artist from Montevideo, for Meander every year since 2008. Two of our staff Meandered through the Upper Minnesota River Valley this year and were excited to find “Snowy Trail,” for this year’s foundation holiday card. Brad’s inspiration for much of his art, including “Snowy Trail,” comes from right outside his home.
“I love the outdoors and the local landscape. The surrounding river valley has a limitless supply of inspiration for my landscape painting,” Brad said.
Brad enjoys sharing his talents, teaching printmaking classes across southwest Minnesota and even in Wisconsin. He’s looking forward to upcoming classes at the Milan Village Art School. After 20 years of art shows and working in printmaking, Brad plans to shift his focus to watercolors next season, as well as expanding his watercolor classes.
You can see more of Brad’s work on his website.
Southwest Initiative Foundation proudly supports Meander Art Crawl each year to promote the talented artists and vibrant communities in the Upper Minnesota River Valley of our region.