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Live Art at the Minnesota State Fair! Join Me at Studio:HERE on August 28
I have been invited to participate in a unique 12-hour artist residency at the Minnesota State Fair. On Friday, August 28, I'll be setting up a temporary workspace at Studio:HERE, located inside the Fine Arts Center gallery. This special exhibition provides a window into the working artist's studio. In addition to this residency, my "Green Heron" was officially juried into the 115th Annual Fine Arts Exhibition in the main gallery, and "American Mink" will be featured in the Studio:HERE exhibit for the duration of the fair.
Watch me bring a Purple Finch to life! Since these collages take months to create, I'm building the background layer of flowers and branches ahead of time. Fairgoers can look over my shoulder throughout the day to watch me cut and assemble the finch. In the evening, I'll fuse the finch to the background, giving visitors a unique opportunity to see the artwork evolve into a finished piece by closing time.
- Date: Friday, August 28
- Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
- Location: Studio:HERE Workspace
1265 Snelling Ave. N., St. Paul, MN 55108 (Fine Arts Center is located at Cosgrove St. & Randall Ave.) - Scheduled Artist Talks: 2:15 p.m. and 5:45 p.m.
Link to: Northern News Now Interview - Preparing for Studio:HERE
Urban Sanctuary: Fabric Narratives of Hearding Island
This short video shares the inspiration behind my ongoing series, Urban Sanctuary. Visible from my backyard on the bay side of Park Point, Hearding Island is a protected wildlife reserve. The clip features this unique landscape alongside close-ups of my fabric collage and hand-embroidery process. These stitched narratives capture the physical presence of this urban wilderness, preserving an intimate connection to the natural world for the future.
About Natalija Walbridge
Background
I am a Duluth-based fiber artist creating detailed fabric collages rooted in the landscape around me. I work from a 128-year-old cottage on Park Point, where my living space serves as my studio, with a direct view of Hearding Island. The presence of wildlife shapes both my daily rhythm and the work itself.
Before focusing fully on fiber art, I worked as a fashion designer in San Francisco. After returning to Duluth, I launched Dock 5, creating handcrafted canvas bags in my home studio. That experience continues to inform my work—bringing together design, craftsmanship, and a careful attention to materials—now expressed through a slower, more deliberate process.
Inspiration
Hearding Island is active with life—water birds, otters, beavers, turtles, foxes, and coyotes— all interacting with shifting weather patterns and seasonal change. This evolving landscape provides an ongoing source of imagery and structure, influencing both composition and atmosphere. The work is not just about the animals themselves, but the environment that sustains them. Ultimately, I want viewers to feel as though they have stepped into this place with me—to sense what it means to live alongside these animals in a landscape that’s both fragile and resilient.
Philosophy
In a time of speed and constant distraction, my work offers a quieter experience—one that invites you to slow down and spend time with it. The detail within each piece unfolds gradually, creating space for a deeper, more personal connection. I’m drawn to portraying animals within their habitats, emphasizing not just the individual, but the relationships that sustain the entire ecosystem. Each work is part of a larger, ongoing exploration—one that reflects my commitment to honoring the natural world. I think of this series as a lifelong body of work—a quiet record of this special place, created to hold its presence and meaning well beyond my own time.