Edina's Fall into the Arts Festival returns to Centennial Lakes Park on September 9–10, 2023, with more than 225 artists and proceeds benefiting the Edina Crime Prevention Fund, the Edina Chamber of Commerce, the Edina Art Center, and Centennial Lakes Park. Among the full roster, three artists stand out for the depth of their practice and the stories behind their work.
Julia Bernadsky — Untamed Hearts
Julia Bernadsky was born in Kyiv and moved to New York City in 1989, bringing a background in fashion, design, and merchandising to her jewelry company, Untamed Hearts. The brand is built around a specific philosophy: "Untamed Heart was born to communicate a consciousness of peace and bring out certain energies." Her Circuitry Necklace is designed to empower wearers at significant moments — a piece meant to be worn to events where presence matters. Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Bernadsky created Support Ukraine and Protect Ukraine necklaces and bracelets, donating all proceeds toward supplies for soldiers. At the 2023 festival, she is an Award of Merit winner.
Mary Beth Horn — Blue Sky Pottery
Mary Beth Horn spent 15 years building her ceramic practice through courses at Northern Clay Center, Edina Art Center, and Artistry in Bloomington before establishing Blue Sky Pottery. Her work draws deliberately from Cubism and modern art — circles, dots, and flowing motifs that give each functional piece a visual vocabulary distinct from conventional studio ceramics. Horn describes her philosophy as "everything, everywhere, all at once," adding with characteristic directness that she puts the "fun" in functionality. The result is tableware and vessels you want to look at before you use them.
Matthew Rucker — Balance Series
Matthew Rucker's "Balance series" operates at the far edge of reduction — hyperminimalism that narrows each composition to a single focal element. His animals are modeled after friends and family, giving the work an intimacy that survives the austere framing. Rucker is colorblind, a characteristic he says enhances rather than limits his practice: he reports that he "can see both gradation and detail better than people with normal color vision." He is the 2023 Fall into the Arts Best of Show winner.
The full festival runs September 9–10 at Centennial Lakes Park in Edina. Artist and exhibitor details are available at edinafallintothearts.com.