Blueberry picking. Hunting. Fishing. Baking. Grain bins. Canned preserves. And, of course: Family. Long-rooted life on the land in northern Minnesota is the inspiration behind the artistry of potter Betsy Saurdiff (Grygla) and watercolorist Debbie Dahl Aune (Gatzke).
A collection of heartfelt memories from yesteryears and a celebration of time-honored practices that continue to bring people together, Rural Traditions engages all of the senses — recalling the smells of Grandma's kitchen to the heat while picking berries to the mouthwatering taste of fresh, home-cooked meals to the sound of crunching leaves underfoot in the crisp, fall months and seeing elevators and grain bins dotting the vast farmland.
Weaving stories from their lives, the artists invite gallery visitors to tell their own as they interact with this unique combination of two- and three-dimensional pieces designed to nourish both body and soul.
Gallery Hours: Experience Rural Traditions from May 27 to July 19, 2025. It is free to visit Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Artist Reception: The public is invited to a free reception celebrating the artists on Friday, June 27, 2025, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Browse the artwork, meet Betsy and Debbie, and socialize over light refreshments. More information>
DEBBIE DAHL AUNE
Using her Gramma Esther's leftover, oil paint-by-number set, Debbie Dahl Aune's first painting was on a piece of gray tagboard. Art soon became her favorite distraction turned passion. Born to teach, she made a living at it through education — her biggest joy is watching children and adults find their inner artist.
Debbie works predominantly in the medium of watercolor, but includes mixed media, soft sculpture, and welding into her plethora of art activities. Inspired by life in northern Minnesota, her latest collection of works, Blueberry Yoga, encompasses the longstanding tradition of the 'sacred,' seasonal event of blueberry picking in the Beltrami Forest.
She is also a recognized plein air artist (Impressionist painting "in the open air") and has helped bring the movement to the upper Midwest where she paints grain elevators and other iconic sites in area towns. Debbie has received a number of awards for these works and was honored to be featured in a 2022 segment of Prairie Public Television's Prairie Mosaic series.
Debbie completed her B.S. degree in art education at Bemidji State University and taught art full time in the Greenbush Middle River School District from 1994 until 2024, when she retired. During her tenure, she served as the Art Club advisor and secured several grants to further nurture the arts. Debbie has also coordinated many community art shows and beautification projects in the region. She continues to substitute teach and to present art classes for kids as well as adults.
When time permits, Debbie attends art workshops across the country and has studied painting and photography under various artists, a few include: painters Alvaro Castagnet, Andy Evansen, Joseph Zbukvic, Cheng-Khee Chee, Paul Jackson, and Herman Pekel and photographer Craig Blacklock.
Debbie has had five professional solo shows, two held in East Grand Forks, Minn., at the River Walk Art Gallery and her most recent at Northland College, Thief River Falls, Minn. She is the recipient of many regional awards, including best in shows, awards of merit, people's choice, and the 2023 Artist of the Year from the Northwest Minnesota Regional Arts Council.
Debbie was born and has lived in the Gatzke area since 1964. She resides on a farm with her husband, Elroy, helping with the grandkids, painting, and baking — blueberry pies are her specialty. Many of her works can be found at The Bead Gypsy in Roseau, MN, or on her website (djaune.wixsite.com/debbieaune).
BETSY SAURDIFF
Flowing, undulating patterns of blueberry vines, pine boughs, coneflowers, deer antlers, and vintage scrap quilts influence Betsy Saurdiff's pottery. She fell in love with the art form 40 years ago, and to this day, she is still amazed at the transformation of a simple ball of wet clay into a beautiful, hand-crafted vessel — always designed to be used: sipped from, served from, and enjoyed.
Raised on a dairy farm near Ponsford, Minnesota, Betsy works out of her garage studio near Grygla, Minnesota, where she hosts regular open studios for the community to gather, chat, and browse her works.
Betsy's artistic inspiration is the rural life in northern Minnesota. She often pays homage to her grandmothers and mother in her work, while also drawing from local plant and animal life. Her favorite medium is porcelain, and her techniques include altering wheel-thrown work, adding texture or brushwork, and sgraffito, a technique in which underglaze is scratched to show the clay underneath. She often sprays her glazes to create soft gradients.
Betsy has been a part of many Northwest Minnesota Arts Council (NWMAC) exhibitions and spring shows, Steven Hill's Journey Workshop final exhibits, Bemidji's Watermark Art Center It's Only Clay exhibitions, and the inaugural exhibit at Warroad RiverPlace. Her solo show, Celebrations (2022, Northland College, Thief River Falls, Minn.), included special pottery to help celebrate special occasions, a nod to getting together after the pandemic halted such celebrations. Betsy also has several pieces in the Margaret Harlow Collection, a permanent teaching collection at Bemidji State University.
Highlights of her career include two McKnight Fellowship Awards, two Merit Awards at a NWMAC exhibit, being named NWMAC's 2018 Art Advocate of the Year representing the seven-county region, and in 2024, receiving the NWMAC's Northstar Award, a lifetime achievement award.
Betsy studied ceramics at Bemidji State University and the University of Minnesota, where she studied under master potter Warren McKenzie. She takes workshops to continue her ceramic education.
She is now retired after a career of teaching visual art and German at the Grygla and Goodridge Schools, where she was named Teacher of the Year three times and was awarded numerous grants for her art and equipment. Betsy continues her love of teaching by sharing her knowledge with adults and students through community education classes and as a guest artist for students in area schools.
Betsy and her husband, Lee (aka General) — a great studio assistant in his retirement — have three adult children. Hannah and her husband, Kyle, have two sons, Henry and Lenny. Jake and his wife, Alyssa, are expecting their first child, a girl, in August. Sadie is Betsy’s full-time assistant at art festivals and also her much-needed tech support, credited as the developer of Betsy’s website (bettspottery.com). “I love them all and appreciate their support!” she says.