Meet the 2026 Art-A-Whirl Artists at St. Clement
Join us for Art, Food, Music, Church Tours and Make it - Take it Art!
Thomas Labandz - Painter
The western landscapes of Thomas Labandz are fixtures in leading galleries in Aspen, Denver, Jackson and Cody. His paintings are infused with a passion for conservation and preservation. His work captures a balance of opposites with thunderous rapids running through the stillness of a pine forest. The affect is serenity, pure and simple as nature itself. Thomas earned a degree in Art History and Fine Arts from the University of Minnesota.
Bryan Bossman – Wood working
With the exception of custom orders, all of Bryan’s work is natural wood coloring with no stains or dyes – he lets the wood do the talking. Bryan of Bossman’s Boutique enjoys combining color and design to craft heirloom-quality pieces to be enjoyed for years. Whether you use his artwork functionally or just put it on display to be enjoyed, he is thrilled at the opportunity to remind you that something beautiful is worth slowing down for, taking in, and sharing. Bryan started his self-taught woodworking hobby in winter of 2019. During the COVID pandemic the passion for creating things with wood really ignited. He left his engineering career in the summer of 2022 to pursue Bossman’s Boutique full-time on a venture of a more fulfilling career.
More info of my business online.
https://nemaa.org/artists/bossmans-boutique/
https://www.bossmansboutique.com/
John Rajtar - Iconography
Minneapolis based Folk Artist, Pisankarz, Iconographer, John Rajtar, has been celebrating his Polish ancestry through his work. It is through Polish Folk Art such as Pisanki (egg decorating) Iconography, Polish Folk ornaments and pajaki (straw chandeliers) that he gives voice to history, culture, tradition and to his soul.
Rajtar is a Fine Arts graduate of Winona State University, and has studied abroad in Lublin and Krakow Poland. He is a student of the Prosopon School of Iconology under the direction of Vladislav Andrejev, leader of Minneapolis Iconography study group, teacher at the Duluth and Ely Folk Schools and a member of NEEMA.
Rajtar was awarded the Spirit of Powderhorn Art Fair in 2016. In 2016 also he took part in the juried Polish Folk Art show- Jarmark Jagiellonski – Lublin Poland. 2018 International Podcast- Discover Slavic Culture- Polish traditions ( presented in Polish and English).
Mary Hahn - Holy Face Gifts
Mary Hahn is a Saint Paul-based artist who creates handcrafted sacramental gifts that include chaplets, rosaries, jewelry, and other accessories specializing in the devotion of the Holy Face of Jesus.
Her creations feature a wide array of high-quality gemstones sourced from around the world, each piece exuding a unique blend of beauty and sanctity . Through her art, Mary aims to offer “ARTillery” — sacred items to help others equip themselves for spiritual combat.
“I’ve seen countless images of Jesus, however there is no sight more beautiful in my eyes than the true effigy of the Holy Face of Jesus, as revealed on Veronica’s veil,” Mary shares. “One glance at His face fills my heart with peace and awe. This holy effigy is a gift to mankind, and its devotion holds the answer to the strife we face in these uncertain times.”
Jenny Keller
Jenny Keller is an artist making and selling functional ceramics in St. Paul, MN. She has a passion for handmade pots that elevate our daily routines and believes sharing food in beautiful and functional pots makes every meal taste better. She is excited to return to Art A Whirl for her fourth year, and can't wait to say hi.
Ann Marie Cosgrove
Artist Ann Marie Cosgrove, is a native Northeaster with 5 generations walking the floors of the Lemke family home on 27th Ave NE. St. Clement Church is her family parish, where she received her sacraments. Today she volunteers as a sacristan, and volunteers her photography gift and talents for special Masses and occasions. She is a photographer/digital abstract artist. She was drawn to photography at an early age. She received her first camera when she was 11 years old in 1969 for Christmas. The first photo she took was a black and white selfie, which she still has. She became a serious photographer in 2019, when she bought her first interchangeable lens camera, a Sony a7riii. She felt she needed a camera that would challenge her, and boy did she get it! In February of 2022, she discovered the digital design program, “Procreate”. Abstract artwork brings a different dimension to her portfolio. You can find her artwork at www.cosannmphotography.com (http://www.cosannmphotography.com/)
Papa's Woodworks by Stan and Tony Wolyniec
Our Father, Jim Wolyniec, taught us as children to create wooden items for the local Holy Cross Annual Festival. We have continued donating our time and wooden art products as prizes throughout the years. We joined Art-A-Whirl to participate in the larger art festival community. Making and sharing the wooden art is a great way to stay in touch with the community we grew up in. Now we continue to make wooden art from locally sourced wood obtained from friends and neighbors we often cut and dry ourselves
Lauren Bakke
My name is Lauren Bakke and I am the founder and artisan behind Sanctity Craft, a collection of handcrafted rosaries. My journey into rosary-making began in 2021 when I joined a group that met weekly to pray the Rosary, an experience that profoundly enriched my spiritual life. By 2023, this practice inspired me to explore the art of crafting rosaries. A simple social media post led me to a Rosary-making kit, and as I assembled my first pieces, I gifted them to friends and family, sharing the grace and beauty of these items. The positive feedback from loved ones sparked the idea to offer custom rosaries to others, and soon after, a fellow prayer group member commissioned me to create special pieces, including traditional and Seven Sorrows versions. This encouragement laid the foundation for Sanctity Craft, where each rosary is crafted with love, devotion, and prayer. At Sanctity Craft, I try to blend artistry with faith, creating rosaries designed to enhance people's prayer journey. Each piece is lovingly handmade, reflecting a commitment to both beauty and devotion. I also aim to give back, donating 7% of each to meaningful causes that align with Sanctity Crafts values.
John Wegner
John Wegner is a Minnesota artist who specializes in portraiture and has a deep appreciation for the stories told in the faces he paints. He has studied at a variety of schools including the Florence Academy of Art in Florence, Italy and with teachers such as Thomas Fluharty and Joseph Paquet. He incorporates many different artistic influences into his work with a particular love for the works of Bouguereau and Rembrandt. John resides in Northeast Minneapolis with his wife and is currently studying under Jim Robinson at the Art Academy in St. Paul
Cella Mahoney
Passionate about children’s book illustration, graphic novels, and web comics, Cella is a whimsical watercolorist that brings emotions to life with color and character. While her love of story-telling guided her to receiving her BFA in Illustration, her prayer life led her to the religious art she creates today.
Dissatisfied with the religious greeting cards she'd find in stores, she first began her journey into religious artwork by creating a line of Catholic greeting cards in 2018. Later on, she began transforming those illustrations into her own unique iconography.
When she isn't drawing, Cella loves to Lindy Hop, talk about linguistics, and watch anime.
Iconosancta Studios
We are Iconosancta Studios, a sacred art collective creating both original work and faithful reproductions of classical iconography.
We create a number of different items including classical Byzantine icons on live edge and reclaimed wood as well as printmaking, original acrylic painting, stencils, decoupage and more.
We currently have 2 full time artists in residence producing who work diligently to fulfill our mission of bringing handmade, spiritually edifying sacred art objects to the faithful.
Follow us on Instagram @Iconosancta.
Visit https://nemaa.org/sites/st-clement/ to access the Artist Directory.