Jan. 8-Feb. 15, 2026
“The Intentional Gaze” is an ode to the act of seeing. This exhibition invites viewers to explore the world around us through deliberate observation. These artists offer both wide vistas and detailed portraits of the natural world. Through focused attention, the artists reveal a calming beauty, asking us to slow down and truly see the exquisite detail that often escapes the hurried eye. The artists' works, spanning pencil, pastel, acrylics, and oil, reveal beauty in color and emotion, inspiring viewers to appreciate the natural world. When we cease merely looking and begin the deliberate, focused work of observation, that’s when the greatest insights are often revealed.
Cost: Included with general daily admission, which is free for members and ages 15 and younger and $20-$25 for non-members ages 16 and older. Indigenous peoples receive waived general daily admission to the Arboretum when making a reservation by calling 612-301-6775.
Artist Meet & Greet
Sunday, Jan. 11 from 1-3 p.m. in the Cafe Gallery
Meet Angie Andresen and Megan Moore, the two featured artists from “The Intentional Gaze.” Each piece in this show is a testament to the artist's belief that what we choose to see — and how we choose to see it — fundamentally shapes our reality. Don’t miss this opportunity to discover how these two artists actively see the world around us.
Artist Statements
Angie Andresen
My work is inspired by nature—especially the landscapes, wildlife, rocks, lakes, and trees of Minnesota. Grounded in close observation and shaped by emotion, my art reflects an effort to translate the beauty I encounter in the world. Using pencil, pastel, and acrylics, I focus on capturing the colors and textures that evoke both feeling and a strong sense of place.
Birch trees appear throughout my work, whether seen from afar or studied in intimate detail. A symbol of renewal and new beginnings, they hold personal significance for me as someone who grew up in northern Minnesota.
I hope these pieces draw you in and offer some of the same meditative calm I experience while creating them.
Megan Moore
My paintings are accessible, calming, and meditative with recurrent themes of peace and sanctuary. I use my canvas to frame small vignettes of the natural world, creating balanced compositions with instinctive, but careful, use of color. I am inspired by natural forms, employing symbolism and presenting my own version of magic realism — elevating subject matter by using imagined, idealized and dreamlike arrangements. I paint primarily with oils, but also use watercolor, gouache, acrylic and drawing materials in developing concepts. Mural projects over the past five years have led to my use of latex acrylic in studio work.