Artist Reception: Mni Wiconi (Water is Life)

John Kellen's solo exhibition 'Mni Wiconi' (Dakota for Water is Life) is on view at the Izaak Walton League's Les Kouba Gallery in Bloomington, Minnesota, featuring nature photography and video. An artist reception is scheduled for June 14 from 1 to 4 p.m. and will include a Dakota blessing ceremony by elder Dwayne Goodfaith from the Lower Brule Reservation and indigenous foods. Kellen, executive director of The Grand Center for the Arts in New Ulm, returned to Minnesota after a 30-year international career and is a largely self-taught photographer who shoots primarily with Nikon digital cameras. The show, which opened June 1, highlights water and its connection to the land, with images including fancy dancers at the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux powwow, a sunset over Foot Lake in Willmar and a waterfall at Cascade State Park.