Parallel Practice

Featuring work by Michael Banning, Dan Bruggeman, Jessie Fisher, Michael Kareken, Carl Oltvedt, and Scott Seebart, the show presents these artists' ongoing commitment to observational drawing as both an individual practice and a shared discipline. The drawings, done in charcoal, pastel, pencil, and conte, will be installed salon-style and unframed.

The title, Parallel Practice, reflects the artists' distinct relationships and approaches to figure drawing. For some, it is central to their broader studio practice; for others, it operates alongside work of other subject matter or media. Working alongside one another encourages sustained dialogue, experimentation, and mutual learning, while the consistency of long-term collaboration with a core group of models has allowed for a shared visual language to develop over time. Meeting every two weeks for three-hour sessions, the six artists work from poses ranging from five minutes to one hour, embracing the varied tempo and opportunities for risk-taking.

The openness required by this shared practice fosters a deep mutual respect among the artists. For some, like Jessie Fisher, drawing is analytical; “a record of a long-term engagement with a complex subject” being built from the inside out. For Michael Kareken, “it is a way of reconnecting with the world, of engaging directly with a real subject occupying a real space.” Collectively, the group demonstrates how drawing can function as both an independent practice and a collaborative form of inquiry.

Jessie Fisher and Scott Seebart are co-owners of Case Edgerton Studios in East St. Paul. They will host a life-drawing event in October in conjunction with the exhibition. (Registration has closed for this event.) On Saturday, October 10 from 5-8PM Case Edgerton Studios will host an open house reception in conjuction with Parallel Practice. The party is open to all and free to attend.

The artists of Parallel Practice will participate in a panel discussion at the gallery on Saturday, September 19 at 4PM. Parallel Practice will be presented concurrently with SEE, an exhibition of paintings by Gary Bowling, on view September 12 - October 17, 2026.