The MonDak Heritage Center announces “Father & Son – The Beast Within Us”. This show is a unique blend of a father and son art pieces from Paul Noot and Dakota Noot and is presented through the North Dakota Art Gallery Association (NDAGA). The exhibition will be displayed through July 2, 2022 at the MonDak Heritage Center, 120 3rd Ave SE, Sidney.

Paul Noot received his BFA from the University of North Dakota and his MFA from Brooklyn College in New York. Noot grew up in the Valley City/Marion area of North Dakota. Paul has worked with the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC, and North Dakota Museum of Art in Grand Forks and is currently the head of the Visual Arts department at Bismarck High School. He also has taught classes for Sleepy Hollow Summer Arts, International Music Camp, Theo Art School, Bismarck Downtown Artist Cooperative and Continuing Education courses for the University of North Dakota. Noot is a founding member of the Bismarck Downtown Artist Cooperative where you can find his art and at Gallery 4 in Fargo.

Paul has exhibited in the region and is the recipient of several art awards. In 2002 he was awarded the Citation Award from Bismarck Art & Galleries Association, in 2004 the KXMB Spirit Award, and 2005-06 the Golden Apple Award, and in 2009 the BAGA Volunteer Award. He was a winner in the Millennium Art Trail Project in 2002, and the Lewis & Clark Banner contest in 2003. Recently he was awarded the 2017 ND Governor’s Award for the Arts in Art Education. His work can be found in public and private art collections. Mural projects have been done in Bismarck and Valley City. In the summer of 2021 he completed two additional murals on the edge of downtown Bismarck.
“The human spirit, wildlife and the ND landscape are the central subjects of my newest pieces. Symbolism is also a major component in my thoughts and the design of my art making. It is personal and universal at the same time. I use segments of nature, ornamental architecture and the human body to evoke a visceral response that leads to an emotion reaction. The more traditional pieces are like studies for the more surreal/abstract pieces and the use of color allows expression to take on a different mood.” Paul Noot

Dakota Noot is a Los Angeles based artist and curator. He uses drawings, paintings, and installations to create animal-human hybrids that explore rural yet fantastical, queer identities. Originally from Bismarck, ND, he continues to show in both North Dakota and Los Angeles, including solo and two-person shows at Highways Performance Space, MuzeuMM, and POST. His series of cutout drawing installations have been shown at LA Freewaves, Cerritos College Art Gallery, and Otis College.
Dakota graduated with a BFA in Visual Arts from the University of North Dakota (2015) and an MFA from Claremont Graduate University (2015). He is currently an Adjunct Professor at Oxnard College and Orange Coast College. He was the key artist for the 2018 Slamdance Film Festival and along with Christopher Velasco, he co-founded the nomadic curatorial project Scream Queen in 2019.

“There is nothing plain about the Great Plains. Rural life can be fantastical and vibrant, which I reflect with fluorescent and metallic colors. I specifically use farm animals, pets, and insects from my background in North Dakota. The animals, like the people, have distinct personalities and a sense of humor. Although I have moved away from North Dakota to Los Angeles, California, I continue to draw inspiration from where I came from. My work is always rooted in ND with contemporary tendencies. Birds, Bees, and butterflies frequent my work as I am environmentally conscious gardener. Mammals of western North Dakota play an important component in my art as I am constantly studying an observing their habits and how they have been changed or modified for the needs and wants of human activity. My work is about creating a dialogue between myself, the artwork, and to the viewer.” Dakota Noot .

The MonDak Heritage Center is funded in part by coal severance taxes paid based upon coal mined in Montana and deposited in Montana’s cultural and aesthetic projects trust fund.

The MonDak Heritage Center is open Tuesday-Friday from 10-4 and Saturday from 1-4. Admission is FREE. For more information call (406) 433-3500 or e-mail mdhc@richland.org. Visit us online at www.mondakheritagecenter.org