What are the opening hours?

Tuesday 10am - 5pm Wednesday 10am - 5pm Thursday 10am - 5pm Friday 10am - 5pm Saturday 10am - 4pm

The Crossing Arts

Home
United States
Brainerd, MN
The Crossing Arts

Located in the heART of downtown Brainerd, we work to cultivate community connections through education, exposure to, and experiences with the arts.
(1)

Art is for EVERYONE! All are welcome here. The Crossing Arts is a nonprofit arts organization working to cultivate community connections through education, exposure to, and experiences with the arts. Access to the arts is instrumental in creating a more vibrant community, culture, and economy. We believe art is for EVERYBODY and aim to inspire and enrich our community for those who create, want to learn about creating, and those who appreciate the arts.

09/01/2026

🎨 September Featured Artist: Lara Royer! 🌲

The Crossing Arts is excited to feature local artist Lara Royer this September!

Some of you may know Lara from the workshops she has led at the Pine River Library. Lara began her artistic journey in North Dakota, earning a bachelor’s degree in fine art from Minot State University. In 2013, she returned to Minnesota and built a tiny house in the woods north of Pine River - a landscape that continues to inspire her work.

Through painting, drawing, and printmaking, Lara explores the light, colors, patterns, layers, and textures of the northern forest as they change with the seasons.

“I keep working at capturing something of the subtle yet immeasurable beauty I see around me,” Lara says.

🌿 Stop by The Crossing Arts this month to see Lara’s original paintings, charcoal and pastel drawings, and prints! We’re excited to share her work with you.

08/31/2026

🎄 Kringle Market is on our minds here at The Crossing Arts! 🎄

Are you an artist or fine craft maker looking to share your work with holiday shoppers? We’d love to have you be part of Kringle Market, our festive holiday market featuring unique, handmade, and giftable creations.

Think ornaments, cards, winter paintings, jewelry, holiday décor, and more! ✨

Kringle Market runs throughout the holiday season, November 13 through the end of the year, giving shoppers plenty of time to find one-of-a-kind gifts while supporting local artists.

🎁 Interested in participating? Click the link below to apply!
https://form.jotform.com/232696789039172

08/29/2026

Thank you to everyone who has already turned in their completed 8x8s!
If you’re still working on yours, remember that the deadline to return your masterpiece to The Crossing Arts is Thursday, October 1st.

Our Annual 8x8 Auction & Fundraiser is our biggest fundraising event of the year, and we’re incredibly grateful to everyone who donates their time and talent to make it special. More details about the online auction will be shared soon, but for now… keep creating!

08/28/2026

New earrings have landed at The Crossing Arts!
Make sure to stop in soon to check out these unique, wood burned, and hand painted earrings. They are colorful, light weight, and just the right touch for any outfit.

The Crossing Arts is open Tuesday - Friday, 10am - 5pm and Saturday, 10am - 4pm. See you soon!

08/27/2026

It's After-School Art Camp time at The Crossing Arts Alliance!

Starting October 6th, we’ll be offering a weekly art camp for 2nd–4th graders, meeting Tuesdays from 3:30–5:00 PM. This four-week program (October 6th, October 13th, October 20th and October 27th) will introduce young artists to a variety of artistic techniques, including color mixing, perspective, pencil sketching, painting, and more!

Crossing Arts Members: $110
Non-Member Pricing: $120
🎨 Scholarships Available!
We believe every child should have access to the arts. Apply for a scholarship here: https://form.jotform.com/250705560491152

Don’t miss this exciting opportunity for kids to explore their creativity in a fun and supportive environment!

Register your young artist here: https://app.dvforms.net/api/dv/6690ql

08/26/2026

It is with mixed emotions that I share this Big Life Update: I have announced to the board my intention to resign my position as Executive Director of The Crossing Arts. It has truly been an honor and a privilege to serve our community, members, and artists in this role, and I will be forever grateful for the faith and trust you all placed in me over the past three years.

I am now working with The Crossing’s board to begin the search to fill the Executive Director position, aiming for a strong community and arts advocate and nonprofit administrator who believes in The Crossing’s mission and can help us continue to build the path forward. Our goal is to fill this position by the spring or summer of 2027, giving us plenty of time for training and passing the reins to our new leader.

After nearly 20 years of full-time engagement and employment in the nonprofit sector, it is simply time for me to make space for other work. I want to write for myself again, as words have always been the organizer of my thoughts and fuel of my creative impulses. I also want to have more breathing room for gardening, cooking, reading, walking my dogs, exploring with my teenage daughter, and (most importantly) helping my potter-spouse build up DeVries Pottery into the creative force we believe it can be.

We all get to a point in life where the “now or never” feeling creeps into full view, and after 20 years of dreaming and scheming and devoting my career to nonprofit causes, that moment is nigh.

Looking ahead, my beloved life partner and I are determined to prove that life is art, and art is life and now, with decades of experience and infinite dedication, we hope to fully live in the middle of that Venn diagram.

We will not be strangers, and I hope you will not be either, because we are forever in this work of cultivating community connections through the arts, right alongside everyone else who loves The Crossing.

With infinite hope and gratitude,
Jennifer Jacquot-DeVries

08/25/2026

Ready for a puzzle? 🧩
just stocked us up with brand‑new 1000‑piece puzzles, and we couldn’t be more excited!

Sam’s artwork celebrates his Ojibwe heritage, his connection to the Grand Portage reservation, and the stories passed down through generations. His pieces highlight animal, bird, fish, and plant relatives - all woven into the natural beauty of Lake Superior’s North Shore.

Now you can bring that storytelling home in a whole new way. These puzzles featuring Sam’s artwork are absolutely stunning, and they won’t last long. Stop in soon to pick out your favorite!

cranesuperior

08/23/2026

Art tells the stories words often cannot. It helps us celebrate beauty, navigate hardship, and connect through shared human experiences. At The Crossing Arts, we're committed to ensuring our community has opportunities to experience and create art because creativity has the power to enrich lives, strengthen communities, and remind us of what connects us all.

08/20/2026

"You're Lucky You're Cute"
24x24" Encaustic Painting by Brenda Twedt

Did you know encaustic painting dates all the way back to ancient Greece and Egypt? Artists used molten wax to paint portraits, decorate ships, and create richly textured works that still survive today.

Encaustic art starts with heating beeswax until it becomes liquid, then mixing in pigments - powdered colors, pigmented wax, inks, or even oil paints. The molten wax is brushed (or tooled!) onto a surface like wood, and each layer is reheated to fuse with the one beneath it.

The result? A beautifully textured finish that can be polished glossy or left matte, depending on the artist’s vision.

Stop into The Crossing Arts soon to experience Brenda’s vibrant encaustic moose painting in person. It’s currently featured in the gift shop - super colorful and absolutely stunning up close!

08/19/2026

✨We still have spots available for the Intro to Drawing Hands workshop at The Pine River Public Library! ✨

Are you interested in learning more about fundamentals of drawing one of the more difficult subject matters for all artists - hands? Then join local artist, Molly Mae, at The Pine River Public Library for an evening of beginner friendly drawing techniques.

All supplies will be provided for this completely free workshop, just make sure to register in advance as space is limited.

Click the link for more registration information: https://app.dvforms.net/api/dv/2o6zw2

Address

711 Laurel Street
Brainerd, MN
56401

Opening Hours

Tuesday	10am - 5pm
Wednesday	10am - 5pm
Thursday	10am - 5pm
Friday	10am - 5pm
Saturday	10am - 4pm

Telephone

+12188330416

Website

http://www.crossingarts.org/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when The Crossing Arts posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to The Crossing Arts:

Want your organization to be the top-listed Non Profit Organization in Brainerd?