Examples of Public Participation

These are selected examples of people interacting with my work. I love inviting people to create artwork of their own, and I have been asking this question for decades: "Could you please draw me a horse?" I really love seeing horse drawings by people who don't identify as artists.

By permission of the subjects or their guardians, for publicity purposes, photos and videos are allowed to be reproduced, reposted, printed, and/or distributed.

Don't Doubt Your Horses interactive exhibition, 2020

My daughters explain the standard setup for inviting public interaction. They walk you through the transitional space where people begin to engage with the work.

Pearson Lakes Art Center, Okoboji, Iowa.

Don't Doubt Your Horses Prairie Walk, 2019

Both kids and adults normally participate in my work. Adults particularly liked this exhibition experience. This was the Don't Doubt Your Horses prototype that helped me figure out the basics.

Hinterland Art Crawl, southwest Minnesota.

Bird Spaces exhibition, 2016

I invited visitors to don a bird mask, climb up on a low sculpture stand, and be part of this exhibit.

Marshall Area Fine Arts Council (MAFAC), Marshall, Minnesota

Studio Marble Run, 2013-ongoing

The marble run at the entrance of my studio works as a psychological device leading visitors to accept my requests for drawings. Say yes once and you're more likely to say it again. The marble run is popular and fun.

Artist's studio, Walnut Grove, Minnesota
Bottom right: Juniper proudly shows her drawing. I added the floor-level marble run so wheelchair users and littles could have easier access.

Cave Horses exhibition, 2003

This was the first manifestation of what would become Don't Doubt Your Horses. The crayon drawings on the walls are mine, designed to encourage visitors to draw horses in the guest book.

The Coffee Hag, Mankato, Minnesota

Guest book cover

Drawing by gallery visitor Jeni Marks

Visitor drawing

Visitor drawing