About the Artist

I’m inspired by weathered surfaces that show a history of human touch and evidence of time passed. Using acrylic paint, collage, stencils, brush and palette knife, my paintings draw on a variety of subjects connected to visual culture and the natural world. My paintings use bold colors and textures to suggest energy, movement, the passage of time and personal memories that complement more traditional forms with an improvised, playful technique.

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  • Shari Zimmermann is a graphic designer and artist living in Delano, MN. She was a founding member of the Delano Artist Guild and Gallery Maple Plain Artist Co-op, and a member of the former Women’s Art Resources of Minnesota (W.A.R.M.), Shari is a current member and Director of the Buffalo Artist Guild, an advocate of Maple Grove Arts Center, and a member of Northeast Minneapolis Arts Association (NEMAA). She displays her work in local Delano and Buffalo, MN businesses and art festivals, Twin Cities area galleries, and her online gallery at sharizartanddesign.com.

    Shari has contributed to shows at Flow Art Space, The Paul Whitney Larson Gallery, The Show Gallery Lowertown, The Diana E. Murphy United States Courthouse, The Whitebear Center for the Arts, the Casket Arts and Northrup King buildings and Maple Grove Arts Center.

  • There is something intensely personal about completing a painting, especially a portrait – spending time with a form, whether it’s a person, a building or an animal, and investigating what’s unique about that form. By the time I have completed a piece, I have a feeling of knowing the subject more deeply than I would have otherwise, even if it’s a familiar subject, like a member of my family. Painting, which requires careful observation and attention to detail above all else, prompts me to be both curious and empathetic about my subjects. It connects who I am to who or what my subjects are.

    My most recent work, the Joy series, celebrates healing spaces.

    I create large-scale paintings that invite viewers into immersive, restorative environments. Each piece is built through rhythmic mark-making and layered textures, allowing me to engage physically with the canvas and intuitively with the process. The scale of my work encourages full-body movement, and the repetition of strokes becomes a meditative act—one that calms my mind and channels emotion into form.

    Inspired by the natural world and its ability to counterbalance the chaos of everyday life, I use color to evoke contemplative, tranquil, and joyful states—for myself and for the viewer. My compositions often extend to the edges of the canvas, with intentional framing or continued color that completes the visual experience. These works are designed to resonate in public spaces, celebrating the green spaces in and around Minneapolis and offering moments of reflection, calm, and sensory engagement to a wide audience.

    The intention of my art is to heighten the senses of the viewer, allowing them to get lost in the layers and connect with the energy of the work.

  • Ongoing: Buffalo Companion Animal Clinic, Buffalo, MN

    Ongoing: Mid Country Bank, Buffalo, MN

    Ongoing: OutDo Work, Buffalo, MN

    Ongoing: Stellis Health, Buffalo, MN

  • 2019 - 2020: Special Invitational Exhibition, Diana E. Murphy United States Courthouse, Minneapolis, MN

    6/22, 6/24: Delano Sculture Fest

    12/23 - 1/24: Retro Show, Maple Grove Arts Center, Maple Grove, MN

    1/24 - 3/27/24: All Seasons Show, Maple Grove Arts Center, Maple Grove, MN

    5/24: Art-A-Whirl, Flux Arts Building, Minneapolis, MN

    9/21-10/3/24: 71.60.3 Show, Gallery 332, Northrup King Building, Minneapolis, MN

    11/24: Flux Frost Fest, Flux Arts Building, Minneapolis, MN

    2/17 - 3/27/25: Northern Lights Show, White Bear Center for the Arts, White Bear Lake, MN

    5/1 - 5/31/25: Dot Dot Dot Show, Supercharged Printmakers, Casket Arts Building, Minneapolis, MN

  • 2019: Delano Area Council for Arts and Culture
    “Spark Art” public art project, featured artist

    2021, 2022, 2023: Delano Herald Journal
    Best of Delano Area Local Artist

    2021: Central MN Arts Board Artist Learning Grant

    2023: Springboard for the Arts Growth Fund for Artists

    2023: Maple Grove Arts Center Retro Show
    Award of Excellence

    2024: DEED PROMISE Act Grant Award Recipient

    2024: CMAB Artist Career Development Grant Recipient

  • Delano Artist Guild, Founding Member, 2005 - 2015

    Maple Plain Artist Co-op, Founding Member, 2007 - 2009

    W.A.R.M. 2012 - 2014, 2018 - 2020

    Buffalo Art Guild, Director, Member, 2022 - present

    Maple Grove Arts Center, Advocate, 2023 -present

    N.E.M.A.A., 2024 - present

Come visit me in Litchfield for some holiday shopping! I'll be in the Barka Building next to the lovely @sarahflicek booth. 9-3 today. #holidayshopping #makersmarket #buylocal #localartist
Joyful Cosmos (2025) 30" x 40" | Acrylic on canvas This piece began as pumpkins, but after a solid try, I decided I couldn't work with the idea, painted over them in black and started fresh. The original texture remains, adding depth with
✨ New in the studio! ✨ I’ve had a few requests for greeting cards, so I’m testing out these first four designs—printed on premium smooth white cardstock, blank inside, with the artwork title on the back, and paired with kraft paper
Joyful Muguet de Bois 30"w x 40"h x 1.5"d | Acrylic on canvas This piece is rooted in a sweet memory from the mid-60s—my mom’s Muguet de Bois splash, tucked in a green bottle on the edge of our pink-tiled bathroom. She&rs
Another piece added to what I’ve started calling my “Joy” series. As the world feels heavier, I’ve been leaning into color—bold, bright, and unapologetically cheerful. These swirling strokes and blooming shapes are less
Work in Progress — Inspired by Yayoi Kusama Our Buffalo Art Guild’s October challenge is to create a piece inspired by the legendary Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama. I admire her fearless use of saturated color and whimsical forms, so this