Folk Artist Eric Dowdle will unveil his folk style painting of Cottage Grove on Sept. 14, 2024, at 9 a.m. at Cottage Grove Middle School (9775 Indian Blvd., Cottage Grove, MN 55016).
The City of Cottage Grove commissioned the artwork to capture the past and present of the community in the puzzle. Both famous faces and places who shaped our community are featured in the painting. During the unveiling, select members of the community will put in pieces of the puzzle and share memories of what makes that piece special to them and the community.
Cottage Grove Mayor Myron Bailey stated, “The City of Cottage Grove is honored to have Eric Dowdle depict the City of Cottage Grove in his unique style to showcase and celebrate the community. We are excited for residents and puzzle enthusiasts to enjoy all the big and small details in the painting.”
Dowdle stated, “During the process of creating this painting, I have gained a deep appreciation for the history, places, and people of Cottage Grove. It was my goal to capture what makes it such a special place to live.”
Dowdle is the founder of Dowdle Folk Art where he turns his paintings into puzzles, selling more than 30 million puzzles based on 400 pieces of his artwork. He has hosted television and radio programs on the topic and won numerous awards for his work. His creative process has been documented in the popular series “Painting the Town with Eric Dowdle,” available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video and now rebranded as “The Piece Maker,” has recently been picked up by Magnolia Network and is currently premiering on Discovery+ and HBO Max.
To bring his art and depiction into the homes of the community, the painting has been made into a puzzle. Puzzles will be available to purchase in 500 or 1,000 pieces and will be for sale for $28 and $30 respectively. Puzzles will be available after the unveiling event until 11 a.m. at the Cottage Grove Middle School, at our booth at the Cottage Grove Food Truck Festival beginning at 11 a.m., and at Cottage Grove City Hall beginning on Monday morning following the weekend festivities.
Following the unveiling and meet & greet with Dowdle, attendees are welcome to walk over to the Cottage Grove Food Truck Festival at Kingston Park (9195 75th St. S., Cottage Grove, MN 55016).
As a part of the unveiling the city invited residents ages 5-11 to participate in a coloring contest. Dowdle will select five young artists who he will be recognized on stage at noon at the Cottage Grove Food Truck Festival.