NOTSTOCK 2025: Art, music, storytelling come to life

MINOT, N.D. – Minot State University’s signature arts event, NOTSTOCK, returns for its 18th year from Sept. 18-20.

The MSU campus will come alive with a vibrant mix of guest artists, musicians, performers, and hands-on activities that invite the community to dive into the creative process. All events are free and open to the public.

“This year’s NOTSTOCK is packed with creative energy,” said Laurie Geller, vice president for academic affairs and NOTSTOCK co-organizer. “From music and printmaking to ceramics, writing, storytelling, and theatre, our guest artists bring incredible talent and passion to every corner of campus. We’re excited for the community to engage with their work, learn from their process, and be inspired by their creativity.”

Singer, rapper, and writer Dessa has made a career of bucking genres and defying expectations. Her résumé includes performances at Lollapalooza and Glastonbury, collaborations with the Minnesota Orchestra, and contributions to the #1 album The Hamilton Mixtape. Her track, “Congratulations,” has garnered over 20 million streams, and she has been published in The New York Times and National Geographic Traveler. Dessa’s style is defined by ferocity, wit, tenderness, and candor.

Dessa is live on Thursday, Sept. 18, at 7:30 p.m. in Aleshire Theater in Hartnett Hall. Admission is free and doors will open at 7 p.m. She will also host workshops and a class visit with students during her visit.

Watch the magic of screen printing and letterpress come to life with Laura Baisden of Camp Nevernice and Stephanie Ellis of Field Sparrow Studio. They will be printing live in Hartnett Hall from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday, Sept. 18-19, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 20. Their work will also be on display and available for purchase.

Baisden, a Nashville, Tennessee-based letterpress veteran, has crafted gig posters for legends such as Willie Nelson and Gillian Welch, along with wallpaper and stationery that seamlessly blend art and utility. Ellis, an illustrator and printmaker from Michigan, draws on nature’s beauty to create gig posters for Wilco, The Avett Brothers, Remi Wolf, and more. Baisden and Ellis will each give a presentation about their work in Aleshire Theater, with Ellis at 12 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 18 and Baisden at 12 p.m. Friday, Sept. 19.

Minot State’s own artist-in-residence, Blaire Engel, will also provide ceramic demonstrations while helping visitors work with clay. She will present her work at 11 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 18, in Aleshire Theater.

Explore the intersection of nature and structure with Yve Holtzclaw, a Missoula, Montana-based artist and educator. Their ceramic portraits and installations evoke memory, ecology, and emotion through layered surfaces and reused materials. Holtzclaw will provide ceramics demonstrations outside Pioneer Hall throughout the event. Holtzclaw will present their work at 11 a.m. Friday, Sept. 18 in Aleshire Theater.

Unleash your inner performer with “Improv, Movement & Laughter” workshops at 10 a.m. on Thursday and Friday, Sept. 18-19, in Aleshire Theater. It’s a playful dive into theatre and imagination — no experience required!

Bring a T-shirt, hoodie, tote bag — or buy one at the event — and personalize it with screen-printed designs created by guest artists. Affordable artwork will also be available for purchase, so you can take a piece of NOTSTOCK home with you.

Step into a world of imagination with STORYSTOCK, featuring writers, historians, and storytellers sharing real-life and creative tales. Join us on the second floor of Hartnett Hall at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, Sept. 18-19, and again at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 20. Whether you’re a curious listener or a lover of stories, this is an experience you won’t want to miss.

Celebrate the work of Ellis, Baisden, and Holtzclaw at the NOTSTOCK exhibit reception on Friday, Sept. 19, from 7-9 p.m. at the Northwest Arts Center. Enjoy food, drinks, live music, and hear from the artists.

“Saturday is community day at NOTSTOCK,” said Geller. “It’s the perfect way for friends and family to spend time getting creative — print a shirt, sculpt some clay, hear live music from ‘The Chokecherries,’ meet the artists, check out their work, and leave with some art in hand… and maybe on your hands.”

Saturday’s community hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For a full schedule and details, visit NOTSTOCK’s WEBPAGE or follow @msunotstock on social media.