This “Affiliations” page is intended as a show of fellowship and support for the entities — organizations and individuals — with whom Karl Unnasch has, or has had, a working relationship and/or fond professional respect.
While an effort is made to include all Affiliated Entities promptly, this page is a perpetual work-in-progress.
(If you are an Affiliation who is not yet included below, please do not hesitate to contact Karl.)
All entries are in alphabetical order within their respective categories.
All logo images are the property of their respective entities.
ALL PRO Powder Coating
- Waite Park, Minnesota
ALL PRO Powder Coating and Sandblasting, with their state-of-the-art equipment and high quality standards, has provided excellent service on various Unnasch projects including Bloodroot and Sunset Wave.
Americans for the Arts
- Washington, DC / New York, NY
Founded in 1960, Americans for the Arts is the nation's leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education. Their Public Art Network Year in Review program — the only national
program that specifically
recognizes public art projects — has three times honored Unnasch's work: for Ruminant (The Grand Masticator), Rustician (hunt and gather...seek and find), and Slumgullion (The Venerate Outpost).
Anoka-Ramsey Community College
- Coon Rapids, Minnesota
Located on the scenic banks of the Mississippi River in Coon Rapids and 40 miles north along the Rum River in Cambridge, Anoka-Ramsey Community College has served the citizens of both the Twin Cities’ northwest metropolitan region and East Central Minnesota since 1965.
The Coon Rapids campus became home to Unnasch's Three Sisters sculpture set in 2023.
Art in Motion on the Lake Wobegon Trail
- Holdingford, Minnesota
Art in Motion on the Lake Wobegon Trail hosts rotating exhibits in its art gallery, weekly music performances, an open art studio, community events, and a café featuring offerings from local providers. Outdoors, the expansive grounds offer space for walks, exploration, and reflection.
Unnasch's Burnt Matchstick sculpture was acquired by Art in Motion in October 2022 and is now permanently exhibited on their grounds along the Lake Wobegon Trail.
Art of the Rural
- Winona, Minnesota
Art of the Rural is a collaborative organization with a mission to advance rural culture and quality of life through relationships that connect communities, cultivate dialogue, and forward rural-urban exchange on a nation-wide level.
Unnasch connects deeply with Art of the Rural's mission and collaborated with this organization to create Husk in 2020. Future joint projects are also in the works.
Arts & Humanities Council of Montgomery County
- Montgomery County, Maryland
Unnasch was selected by Downtown Silver Spring and Peterson Companies, in partnership with the Arts & Humanities Council of Montgomery County, to bring a holiday "tree" installation to the Fountain Plaza in Downtown Silver Spring for the 2013 Holiday Season. In collaboration with various teams, he has continued to do so every year since. See the project page at Annual Holiday Trees for Downtown Silver Spring for more.
Arts Orange County
- Irvine, California
Arts Orange County, an independent nonprofit organization, is the officially-designated local arts agency of the County of Orange, California and its official state-local arts agency partner.
Arts Orange County collaborated with Unnasch on the temporary installation of his Burnt Matchstick sculpture at the Civic Center Park in Newport Beach, California.
Bruno Press
- St. Joseph, Minnesota
This letterpress shop was founded by Don Bruno, Professor of Art at the College of Saint Benedict and St. Cloud State University, and passed on to his daughter Mary in 2003, who now runs it as her own.
Unnasch holds deep collegial respect for this business, its owner and its staff.
Can Can Wonderland
- St. Paul, Minnesota
Housed in the historic American Can Factory building, Can Can Wonderland is one of the Twin Cities' most beloved all-age playgrounds and the first arts-based public benefit corporation in Minnesota. Offering indoor artist-designed mini-golf, classic arcade games and entertainment along with delicious food and adult beverages galore, it has quickly become a community hot-spot.
Unnasch was commissioned to create Just Jest Your Gesture for Can Can Wonderland in 2022.
CoBALT CONNECTS
- Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
CoBALT CONNECTS is a non-profit organization that develops innovative facilities, projects and partnerships for advancing and connecting the elements of the creative community in Hamilton, Ontario.
Among its many other projects, CoBALT CONNECTS also collaborates with Royal Botanical Gardens to facilitate the management of its International Sculpture Collection. In 2016, Unnasch was commissioned to create Bloodroot as a permanent centerpiece for RGB's Hendrie Park; it is the largest installation in the history of the collection.
Commonweal Theatre
- Lanesboro, Minnesota
The Commonweal Theatre Company, one of the leading rural professional theatre companies in America, commissioned Unnasch in 2007 to customize its new premises with extensive installations of unique art appropriate to its history and mission. See the Commonweal Stash project page for more.
Downtown Silver Spring
- Silver Spring, Maryland (Metro DC Area)
Downtown Silver Spring is a shopping, dining, and entertainment destination in the heart of downtown Silver Spring, Maryland.
Unnasch was selected by Downtown Silver Spring and Peterson Companies, in partnership with the Arts & Humanities Council of Montgomery County, to bring a holiday "tree" installation to the Fountain Plaza in Downtown Silver Spring for the 2013 Holiday Season. In collaboration with various teams, he has continued to do so every year since. See the project page at Annual Holiday Trees for Downtown Silver Spring for more.
Ed Hoy's International
- Warrenville, Illinois
Ed Hoy's International Art Glass and Supplies sells art glass to hundreds of artists, galleries, architects, and designers while also working to inspire them. Unnasch has worked with Ed Hoy as a supplier for close to two decades.
ENJOINERY
- Russia, New York
Karl collaborated with Jon Taylor’s ENJOINERY on multiple holiday tree projects for both Downtown Silver Spring, Maryland and the Indianapolis Museum of Art. See more on the project pages for these at Annual Holiday Trees for Downtown Silver Spring and Playtime in Indy.
F & M Community Bank
- Preston, Minnesota
F & M Community Bank commissioned Karl in 2014 to design and install a regionally-themed stained glass window in their front lobby. See more on the project page for this at Bluffland Highlights.
Farm Show Magazine
- Lakeville, Minnesota
This 44-year-old magazine presents stories about the latest farm equipment, new agriculture products, clever "made it myself" inventions, fun DIY farm projects, helpful time- and money-saving tips, hacks and ideas, all born in farm workshops and barns across the US & Canada. It has featured multiple Unnasch works including Ruminant (The Grand Masticator) (cover story) and Near-Mint Condition.
Fillmore Central High School
- Harmony, Minnesota
Fillmore Central High School in Harmony, Minnesota is home to Tessellated Mosaic, an expanding tile piece begun in 2009 and created with input from the school's students.
Henryetta Glassman
- Henryetta, Oklahoma
Henryetta Glassman produces stunning ornamental glass "rocks" using recycled glass.
Dubbed "tchonk" glass by Unnasch, this product was discovered by him during his extended stay in Tulsa in 2018. He has incorporated it into multiple public art installations since then, most notably Operant (An Oldowonk Cataract).
Indianapolis Museum of Art / Newfields
- Indianapolis, Indiana
The Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA) is an encyclopedic art museum located at Newfields, a 152-acre campus that also houses a historic mansion, an art and nature park, gardens, a beer garden, and more.
Unnasch's Playtime in Indy — a holiday "tree" made all of toys — has been featured on the grounds every holiday season since 2015.
IVP Public Art
- West Hollywood, California
An art advisory and full service consulting agency in West Hollywood, California, IVP Public Art worked with Unnasch to facilitate the installation of Sunset Wave in Huntington Beach.
John Marshall High School
- Rochester, Minnesota
John Marshall was the first and original high school in Rochester, Minnesota and serves approximately 1,730 students in grades 9 through 12.
It is home to two Unnasch stained glass works, Conservation of Energy and The Sun Touches All.
JROW Sculpture Park
- Minneapolis, Minnesota
The JROW Sculpture Park creates a completely unique artistic experience in the Holland neighborhood of the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District.
Unnasch was commissioned to create XOXO for the head of the JROW Sculpture Trail in 2021.
Kokomo Opalescent Glass
- Kokomo, Indiana
Kokomo Opalescent Glass Company is one of the nation's premier manufacturers of glass for the stained glass industry, and one of Unnasch's preferred suppliers.
Kolman & Pryor Gallery
- Minneapolis, Minnesota
The Kolman & Pryor Gallery (formerly the Anita Sue Kolman Gallery) exhibits contemporary work by Minnesota artists.
Unnasch was represented at the Kolman & Pryor Gallery from its opening in 2010 until mid-2015, when public art began pulling his career in a new direction. He maintains a fond and respectful relationship with the Gallery.
Lanesboro Arts
- Lanesboro, Minnesota
Lanesboro Arts serves as a regional catalyst for artistic excellence and educational development in providing diverse art experiences for people of all ages in one of the nation's best-known "small art towns".
Under the directorship of John Davis, Lanesboro Arts collaborated with Unnasch on various city-wide public art projects.
MAP — Montevideo Arts Project
- Montevideo, Minnesota
MAP, or the Montevideo Arts Project, is a volunteer, community-based organization that aims to increase the use of public art in the community of Montevideo, Minnesota.
For its third project, MAP collaborated with UMVRDC and the City of Montevideo to commission Unnasch for the creation of the stained glass tractor, Rustician (hunt and gather...seek and find), which went on to receive national recognition.
Municipality of Anchorage, 1% for Art Program
- Anchorage, Alaska
The 1% for Art program of the Municipality of Anchorage coordinated and facilitated the installation of Unnasch's 2019 See Us Now stained glass installation for Turnagain Elementary.
NE Sculpture | Gallery Factory
- Minneapolis, Minnesota
NE Sculpture's mission is to support artists in the cultivation and enrichment of their community through art, public art, exhibitions and transformative place-making, while striving to be a leader in exhibiting and placing public art within the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District and other communities around the country.
Unnasch was invited to hold a solo show at NE Sculpture | Gallery Factory in 2021.
Northeast Minneapolis Arts District
- Minneapolis, Minnesota
The Northeast Minneapolis Arts District (NE-AD) was officially designated an arts district in 2003 by the City of Minneapolis. Its mission is to catalyze the innovative spirit of artists through generative community arts development.
Unnasch was commissioned to create XOXO for the head of the JROW Sculpture Trail in the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District in 2021.
NRB Metals
- St. Charles, Minnesota
NRB Metals is an iron and steel foundry specializing in short run, quick turn around, quality castings.
Unnasch has had a very positive working relationship with NRB Metals since the mid-1990s and is deeply appreciative toward the Beyerstedt family for all of their expertise and support over the years.
Olbrich Botanical Gardens
- Madison, Wisconsin
Voted one of the top ten most inspiring gardens in North America by Horticulture Magazine, Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison, Wisconsin hosts an annual exhibit titled GLEAM, Art in a New Light; Unnasch showed his Florid and Droll series at this event in 2015.
Paramount Center for the Arts
- St. Cloud, Minnesota
A multidisciplinary community arts facility located in Historic Downtown St. Cloud, Minnesota, the Paramount Center for the Arts is owned by the City of St. Cloud and operated by the Paramount Center for the Arts (a 501c3 non-profit organization). On the occasion of the Paramount's 100th anniversary in 2021, Unnasch was commissioned with the creation of Write On, an 8-ft.-tall fabricated steel and backlit opalescent glass sculpture in the form of a pencil nub.
Philbrook Museum of Art
- Tulsa, Oklahoma
Philbrook Museum of Art is an art museum with expansive formal gardens located in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Unnasch was commissioned by Philbrook to create Slumgullion (The Venerate Outpost), a reclaimed antique log cabin installation on the outer grounds featuring stained glass, art glass, resin-bonded textiles, and more. Slumgullion went on to receive national recognition.
Phipps Center for the Arts
- Hudson, Wisconsin
For over two decades, the Phipps Center for the Arts has been enhancing the quality of life in the St. Croix Valley by partnering with artists, patrons and contributors to provide outstanding regional arts programs and services.
Unnasch’s relationship with the Phipps dates back to his 2011 solo exhibition there.
Plains Art Museum
- Fargo, North Dakota
Alongside its permanent collection of approximately 3,000 works including national and regional contemporary art, traditional American Indian art, and traditional folk art, the Plains Art Museum offers approximately 12 special exhibitions along with smaller exhibitions each year, featuring art of the 20th and 21st centuries.
Unnasch created Husk for an exhibit at the Plains Art Museum in 2020.
Reedsburg ArtsLink
- Reedsburg, Wisconsin
Reedsburg ArtsLink is a multi-disciplinary arts non-profit using the arts as a platform to build community. Its first major initiative was the Ruminant/Harvest Park Project, which brought Unnasch's award-winning large-scale public art installation Ruminant (The Grand Masticator) to downtown Reedsburg and established it as the focal point for a new city park, Harvest Park, in 2015.
Rochester Art Center
- Rochester, Minnesota
Through world-class exhibitions and programs, the Rochester Art Center presents a welcoming, integrated, and diverse experience that encourages questioning, creativity, and critical thinking.
Unnasch served as Head Preparator / Facility Director for the Rochester Art Center from 2004 to 2006. He has since exhibited there and also taught at their Total Arts Day Camp.
In Spring 2015, Unnasch’s Burnt Matchstick sculpture debuted at the Rochester Art Center.
Rochester Community and Technical College
- Rochester, Minnesota
Rochester Community and Technical College is one of the nation's oldest original community colleges, offering programs in the areas of liberal arts, allied health, business, services and technical career pathways.
From a Percent for Art in Public Places pool of applicants, Unnasch was selected by RCTC to install an eclectic variety of medically themed art and stained glass its Medical Sciences Building in 2011. See RCTC Installations for more.
Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy
- Boston, Massachusetts
The Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy is the non-profit responsible for the management and care of the Rose Kennedy Greenway, a contemporary public park in the heart of Boston welcoming millions of visitors annually. Among its many projects, the Greenway Conservancy organizes public art exhibitions in the park; for the 2019 show, Unnasch created a monumental stained glass dump truck installation entitled Operant (An Oldowonk Cataract).
Royal Botanical Gardens
- Burlington, Ontario, Canada
Canada's largest botanical garden, Royal Botanical Garden is located at the western tip of Lake Ontario and is home to Unnasch's 2016 Bloodroot sculpture. At 25 feet high, Bloodroot is the largest sculpture in the collection and a focal point in Hendrie Park.
Sculpture Space
- Utica, New York
Sculpture Space is unique in North America for its support of sculptors. The organization selects 20 artists each year for two-month residencies and has helped to advance the careers of more than 500 national and international artists since 1976.
Unnasch was an Artist-in-Residence at Sculpture Space in 2009.
Soap Factory
- Minneapolis, Minnesota
In its time, the Soap Factory was the third largest contemporary art gallery in Minneapolis/St Paul, and one of the largest devoted to emergent practice in the USA.
Unnasch showcased the Near-Mint Condition stained glass tractor installation here in 2010, and the Guild-of-One Pub installation for THE CORPORATE WIZARD IN THE LAND OF LARP in 2011.
Soo Visual Arts Center (SooVAC)
- Minneapolis, Minnesota
Founded in 2001, Soo Visual Arts Center is a non-profit arts organization committed to exhibiting the work of exceptional artists and to creating opportunities that foster the understanding and creation of art.
Unnasch has collaborated with SooVAC on various projects since 2011 and holds deep collegial respect for its organizers and staff.
Springboard for the Arts
- St. Paul, Minnesota
Springboard for the Arts’ mission is to cultivate vibrant communities by connecting artists with the skills, information, and services they need to make a living and a life. In collaboration with mnartists.org, Springboard created the CSA (Community Supported Art) program as an endeavor to support local art, artists and collectors.
Unnasch was a contributing artist in CSA’s inaugural season and served as a program juror the following season.
Stained Glass Association of America
- Buffalo, New York
The Stained Glass Association of America is a professional trade association whose membership consists of the finest architectural stained and decorative art glass artists and studios in the United States and around the world. Unnasch's work was featured in SGAA's magazine Stained Glass Quarterly, after which he was invited to present at the 111th Annual SGAA Conference.
Sylvan Brewing
- Lanesboro, Minnesota
In preparing the historic granary in Lanesboro for its new calling as a craft brewery, Sylvan owners Karen and Andy Heimdahl called on long-time friend Unnasch. The result is a collection of Karl's touches within and without, dubbed Sylvan Spotlights.
The Traveling Museum
- Based out of New London, Minnesota
The Traveling Museum has featured the art of Karl Unnasch on multiple occasions. He holds deep collegial respect for its founders.
Turnagain Elementary
- Anchorage, Alaska
Turnagain Elementary is a Russian immersion pre-Kindergarten through 6th grade school in Anchorage. It is home to See Us Now, a work for which Unnasch was commissioned via the Municipality of Anchorage's "1% for Art" program.
University of Massachusetts—Dartmouth, College of Visual & Performing Arts: Artisanry Department
- Dartmouth, Massachusetts
CVPA, the College of Visual and Performing Arts, is a comprehensive arts college with Bachelor's and Master's programs that prepare students for careers in the arts. The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design, the national accrediting body for the visual arts.
Unnasch earned his Master in Fine Arts degree from this institution in 2003.
University of Wisconsin—La Crosse, Department of Art (Sculpture)
- La Crosse, Wisconsin
Unnasch was an Adjunct Professor in the Sculpture Division of the Art Department at UW-L during 2012 and 2013.
Upper Minnesota Valley Regional Development Commission
- Appleton, Minnesota
The Upper Minnesota Valley Regional Development Commission (UMVRDC) is a five-county development agency providing services to local units of government. UMVRDC collaborated with Montevideo Arts Project and the City of Montevideo to commission Unnasch for the creation of the stained glass tractor, Rustician (hunt and gather...seek and find), which went on to receive national recognition.
Walker Art Center
- Minneapolis, Minnesota
The Walker Art Center is recognized internationally as a singular model of a multidisciplinary arts organization and as a national leader for its innovative approaches to audience engagement.
Unnasch installed Le Bagatelle de Bagatelle at the Walker Art Center’s artist-designed mini-golf course in the Summer of 2013.
Weisman Art Museum
- Minneapolis, Minnesota
Since its origin in 1934, the Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum has been a teaching museum for the University of Minnesota. The museum presents and interprets works of art, offering exhibitions that place art within relevant cultural, social and historical contexts. Unnasch's Glassicles: Blue Ball piece was exhibited at the Weisman in 2014.
White Bear Lake Library
- White Bear Lake, Minnesota
White Bear Lake Public Library of the Ramsey County Library System commissioned Unnasch to create a set of stained glass panels for their children’s play corner. The work was installed in late Summer of 2015. See more on the project page at Seasonal Hide-and-Seek.
Wormfarm Institute
- Reedsburg, Wisconsin
The Wormfarm Institute is a 501(c)(3) non-profit working to "build a sustainable future for agriculture and the arts by fostering vital links between people and the land".
Among its many other projects, the Wormfarm Institute also organizes Reedsburg’s Fermentation Fest and its Farm/Art DTour, for which Unnasch prepared a monumental stained glass harvesting combine installation in 2013 entitled Ruminant (The Grand Masticator). Ruminant went on to become a permanent Reedsburg landmark thanks to the work of Reedsburg ArtsLink, and has won national recognition.
Phillip AHNEN
Rochester, MN
Ceramist
Chad ALDRIDGE
Lafayette, LA
Knife Artist
Lasse ANTONSEN
New Bedford, MA
Artist; Mentor
Lisa BERGH
New London, MN
Sculptor
Beth BOJARSKI
Milwaukee, WI
Painter
Richard BRESNAHAN
Collegeville, MN
Potter
Mary BRUNO
Saint Joseph, MN
Letter Press / Print Studio Owner and Artist
Jaime CARRERA
Minneapolis, MN
Performance-Based Artist
Tim CARROLL
Minneapolis, MN
Artist/Musician
Michael CIMINO
Mankato, MN
Ceramist/Sculptor/Muralist
Rob CLAPP
St. Paul, MN
CFO and Co-Founder at Can Can Wonderland
Michele COHEN
Washington, DC
Public Art Curator; Curator for the Architect of the Capitol
Lucas COWAN
Boston, MA
Curator of Public Art for Boston's Rose Kennedy Greenway
John DAVIS
Lanesboro, MN
International Speaker on Rural Arts Issues
Mark DION
Beach Lake, PA
Sculptor and Installation Artist; Mentor
Mark DIXON
United Kingdom
Archaeological / Cultural / Nature-Based Artwork
Kris DOUGLAS
Berlin, Germany
Curator/Artist
Andy DuCETT
Minneapolis, MN
Installation Artist
Aaron DYSART
Minneapolis, MN
Sculptor
Matthew FLUHARTY
Winona, MN
Artist and Executive Director: Art of the Rural
Kyle FOKKEN
Minneapolis, MN
Sculptor
Jeremy FREIBURGER
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Public Art Connector and Cultural Strategist
Brian FRINK
Mankato, MN
Painter
Josephine GEIGER
St. Paul, MN
Stained Glass Artisan
Felicia GLIDDEN
Friedrichshafen, Germany
Artist
Veronica GLIDDEN
Osseo, WI
Iron-Caster and Naturalist
Ben HEYWOOD
Bellevue, WA
Curator, Bellevue Arts Museum
Paul HIGHAM
Alfred, NY
Data Sculptor
Alison HILTNER
Minneapolis, MN
Artist
John HOCK
Minneapolis, MN
Arts Organization Founder & Artistic Director: NE Sculpture
Steve JACOBS
Fargo, ND
Curatorial & Operational Logistics
Gregory KONSOR
Holdingford, MN
Owner and Creator at Art in Motion
Coral LAMBERT
Alfred, NY
Sculptor/Iron-Caster
Chris LARSON
Minneapolis, MN
Artist
David LEFKOWITZ
Northfield, MN
Artist
Bobby MARINES
Rochester, MN
Artist
Dan MATHER
Minneapolis, MN
Glass Artisan
Peter MORALES
Minneapolis, MN
Sculptor
J.P. MORRISON LANS
Tulsa, OK
Artist
Donna NEUWIRTH
Reedsburg, WI
Rural Arts Activist
Andrew NORDIN
New London, MN
Artist
Irina PANASYUK
West Hollywood, CA
Public Art and Placemaking Consultancy
Carolyn PAYNE
Minneapolis, MN
Gallery Director and Curator
Terrence PAYNE
Minneapolis, MN
Artist
Chris PENNINGTON
St. Paul, MN
Founder and Co-Artistic Director at Arts and Rec.
Gene PITTMAN
Minneapolis, MN
Photographer
Dan PURDY
Rochester, MN
Sculptor
John READY
La Crescent, MN
Sculptor
Daniel SAATHOFF
Minneapolis, MN
Sculptor
Jay SALINAS
Reedsburg, WI
Rural Arts Activist
Sam SPICZKA
Sartell, MN
Sculptor
Scott STULEN
Tulsa, OK
Multi-Disciplinary Artist
John SULLIVAN
Austin, MN
Ceramist and Art Teacher
Andrew SUTHERS
Lexington, KY
Chef and Bourbon Aficionado
Audrey Hasen (Russell) TAYLOR
Russia, NY
Artist
Jon TAYLOR
Russia, NY
Artist
Cat THISIUS
Rochester, MN
Photographer
Erik ULLANDERSON
St. Paul, MN
Artist
Roberto VISANI
Brooklyn, NY
Artist
Joan VORDERBRUGGEN
Minneapolis, MN
National Speaker on Placemaking
Megan VOSSLER
St. Paul, MN
Artist
Margaret WALL-ROMANA
Minneapolis, MN
Painter
David WELLS
Madison, WI
Artist, Curator, Administrator, Teacher
Mark WINTER
Milwaukee, WI
Sculptor
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