The Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery is pleased to present "Days to Remember," its newest gallery exhibit featuring the work of Minnesota-based artists Kurt Schulzetenberg and Nelia Harper French. The exhibit opens on Friday, October 10 with an opening reception and will be on display through Sunday, November 2.

"Days to Remember" pairs two distinct yet complementary approaches to representational painting. Kurt Schulzetenberg, a St. Paul-based artist who studied with Frank Mason at The Art Students' League of New York, brings a personal, impressionistic style to his landscapes and interior scenes. Having returned to his art after a hiatus to raise his family, Schulzetenberg now paints almost exclusively en plein-air (french for “painting outdoors"), with a particular affection for the natural beauty of Minnesota's North Shore. 

Nelia Harper French, a representational artist from Grand Rapids, MN, works in a variety of media, including oil, egg tempera, and pastel. She received a Bachelor of Arts from St. Catherine University, after which she had a professional career before turning her focus to art. After years of landscape and studio painting, she refined her skills in the classical atelier method at the Great Lakes Academy of Fine Art under the instruction of master artist, Jeffrey T. Larson.  Her pieces focus on capturing the "essence of time, place, and space,” and include both naturalistic landscapes and compelling life-sized portraits, sharing her deep love for the outdoors. 

Together, the pieces in the JHP gallery exhibit "Days to Remember" aim to create a journey through time and memory, reflecting on moments both grand and small. The exhibit highlights the shared goal of both artists to connect with and express the beauty of the world around them, each in their unique way.

Event Details: “Days to Remember” Exhibit, featuring artists Kurt Schulzetenberg and Nelia Harper French 

Opening reception: Friday, October 10, 2025, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Art exhibit: Saturday, October 11, 2025-Sunday, November 2, 2025

Current gallery hours: Wednesday through Saturday, 10am - 4pm, Sunday, 1pm - 4pm. For the most up-to-date gallery hours, visit: cookcountyhistory.org/johnson-heritage-post-art-gallery

Nelia Harper French is a fiscal year 2025 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 from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

In addition to the upcoming gallery exhibit, JHP is currently participating in Art Along the Lake, the annual free, self-guided studio tour across Cook County, which begins September 26 through October 5, featuring over 35 local artists and five galleries. 

To celebrate, JHP will help set the “fall” mood by serving apple cider, along with  extending its hours to 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. throughout the event. The main gallery exhibit currently features work from the 2025 Plein Air Grand Marais Competition Class. Additionally, the newly donated (and source of mystery) original Anna Johnson painting, "Woman Hauling Sticks," will be on display only through October 5 before returning to the archives until a later date. Artwork by Mary Bebie, the September Local Artist of the Month, will be on display until September 30. The Local Artist of the Month for October will be announced soon. 

About the Cook County Historical Society

The Cook County Historical Society (CCHS), which is celebrating its centennial in 2025, is committed to the collection, preservation, and dissemination of Cook County history, connecting it to the state of Minnesota's narrative. CCHS manages five historical sites: the Cook County History Museum (1896 Lightkeeper's House), the Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery, St. Francis Xavier “Chippewa City” Church, the Bally Blacksmith Shop, and a 1930s fish house replica featuring the fishing tug Nee-Gee.