I may not know how to create art, but I do know how to appreciate it. That was the theme for Saturday as Ross and I joined others at Southwest Minnesota Arts Council’s annual meeting and celebration in Windom. The event started at 2 p.m. where people could go to three different venues to see artwork, see music and view a film from regional artists.

The first venue was the Cottonwood County Historical Center and the Remick Gallery (same spot). In the historical center, Anita Skow (pastel paintings), Mary Christenson (portrait paintings) and Marget Floyd (nature paintings) were creating artworks onsite. They’d work on their paintings, and then answer questions and visit with people. There were also works by other artists on display at the historical center. Haley Rothstein had her exhibit of multi-media works at the Remick Gallery. It was fun to see the variety of subjects each of the artists brought to the table. And they’re here in the southwest portion of the state. It’s not too far from Marshall to Windom, and if you’re looking for parks and such to explore, there’s a few of those along the way as well.

Our next stop was the Business, Art and Recreation Center in Windom. A film by Windom teen Ethan Clerc was being shown in the auditorium, while a group called the Unsung Songwriters was performing in another room. Fiber arts by Shelley Cords-Swanson and photography and paintings by Laura Nerness were on display as well. We meandered down the hallway, checking out other artwork on the wall. It was the first time I’ve been to the BARC, and it was great to see all the creativity.

We got sidetracked by a store, Nerds Comics and Games, as we were heading to David Strom’s home studio. It’s a small gaming shop on the corner in the downtown area.

It was close to 4 p.m. when we got to artist David Strom’s place. Even though the arts part of the day was scheduled from 2-4 p.m., there were still a few folks in Strom’s studio, listening to him talk about his technique and work.

Next was the dinner celebration itself at the River City Eatery. It’s a fun little restaurant with some vintage items for sale. The dinner was a pasta bar with something called “Sin Pie” for dessert. SMAC recognized its Prairie Disciple — Andy Kahmann of Montevideo, known for A to Z Letterpress, as well as retired executive director Greta Murray. Kindred Spirits, consisting of Darwin Dyce, Emily Hoffman and Pete Lothringer, performed music during dinner. It was fun to get together with friends and enjoy the arts from around the area.

On Sunday, Ross and I checked out the wildlife area by Southwest Minnesota State University. You would think that we would be cognizant of the mosquitoes by now, but we failed to put on bug spray. It was a nice area to hike, but being bitten every so often wasn’t pleasant. I ended up with a smear of mosquito and my blood on my left leg.

Even though there was a threat of rain and thunderstorms on Sunday afternoon, it held off. So we trekked out to Camden State Park. Ross led us off-trail, which took us through tall grass and bramble bushes. I was wearing shorts, so my legs got the brunt of the brambles. They would cut into my skin, and I’d let out a string of cuss words. Sure we remembered to spray ourselves for mosquitoes, but for me, this was worse.

Returning to the arts, the annual Meander — Upper Minnesota River Art Crawl is this weekend. It involves 45 area artists at more than 30 individual studios and venues, which includes Granite Falls, Dawson, Montevideo, Ortonville, Milan, Madison and Appleton. It’s a good time and a nice drive. For more information, go to www.artsmeander.com.