Groveland Gallery is pleased to present Invitations Answered, an exhibition of new paintings by Joshua Cunningham, opening December 6. A Minnesota native from rural Isanti County, Cunningham currently lives and works in St. Paul. He is a member of the Outdoor Painters of Minnesota, Oil Painters of America, and the American Impressionist Society. His work has garnered national attention from Plein Air Magazine and Informed Collector. He was commissioned to create numerous artworks including a major painting to commemorate the 125th Anniversary of The University of St Thomas and has been a frequent Artist in Residence at several art centers as well as the St Croix Watershed Research Station, part of the Science Museum of Minnesota. He has exhibited with the Science Museum of Minnesota, The Bell Museum of Natural History, and The Minnesota Marine Art Museum. In 2024, his work was archived as part of a cultural time capsule on the moon, in the Lunar Codex, aboard the Odysseus Lander.

 

Cunningham works primarily en plein air, the practice of painting outdoors. He likens finding a subject to being invited into a moment—to Cunningham, each new scene is an invitation to be present, grow his understanding of the place, and welcome human connection throughout the process. He explains,

 

“We are here, just for a time. The practice of painting on location deepens this understanding. It isn’t long before I find myself defending my work against mercurial skies and the constant march of the sun. Shadows move, and colors change, leaving me to paint from memory.

 

Painting is how I seek to understand what interests me, stirs my faith, and awakens memories. I paint what I see because representational painting offers a human expression of the world around us in a language we all share. My understanding and empathy for what can constitute a ‘subject’ continues to grow. If I have done right by my subject, the painting has a chance to stir you as the scene has stirred me.

 

The field studies are finished works in their own right. In the studio, these paintings return me to the scene, bringing back not only what I saw but also the sounds, smells, and stories shared by the passing stranger. It is all in the paint—along with dust from the fields and grit from the road. The work reflects the visual and visceral experiences of a vibrant and spontaneous exploration of our connection to the natural world.”

 

The artist will be present at the opening reception on Saturday, December 6 from 2-5 pm.