Gunkelmans Interior Design Blog

Finding Minnesota born artists with astonishing talent always excites me. A few summers ago while at the lake for the weekend, I stopped in a coffee shop and remember being mesmerized by a great underwater painting. While asking the barista about the artist I was ecstatic to find out she was born in Minnesota. Fast forward a year or two while sitting at my desk, a colleague points out a piece of the coffee shop artists work, it’s Samantha French! We are currently working on this event again and Samantha has been gracious enough to donate a piece of art to our table setting. We are so excited about this event and will post pictures of our completed table but in the mean time check out some of her other works…

 Images: Samantha French, Young House Love, Co-Lab

Nothing like sprucing up a room with a bold and colorful rug.

 Tom Gunkelman/Gaylord Benson Merit Award

Recently MCAD, Minneapolis College of Art and Design, hosted their annual Partners in Scholarship Luncheon to recognize the people donating and the recipients of the various scholarships to MCAD. This also happens to be the 125th Anniversary of MCAD.

Tom Gunkelman believed strongly in contributing to the various arts, but also the importance of education in the arts. Allowing a student to attend an art school and making that possible through a scholarship contribution was a passion of his. He saw students in the various arts as a way to make the future of the art world remain significant.

This year, Hope Finley was the recipient of the Tom Gunkelman/Gaylord Benson Merit Award.  She is from North Dakota, and we know Tom would have loved that!   We wish Hope all the best in her future artistic endeavors.