When International Falls native and alumnus Jason Hardwig first enrolled at Minnesota North College – Rainy River Campus, previously known as Rainy River Community College, he didn’t have his sights set on pursuing art. In fact, when Hardwig enrolled in 1990, his intention was to transfer to the University of Minnesota Duluth for a degree in biology. But it would be difficult to talk about Hardwig’s experiences at the Rainy River Campus without mentioning the mentors who helped shape and influence his future choices.
One such mentor was Lee Grim, the biology instructor at the Rainy River Campus who is regionally known as a research expert on bald eagles. Grim became a mentor for Hardwig during his time there- and continues to be one to this day.
“I painted his likeness in this show- holding a bald eagle, incidentally.”
“Also, Jim West was the art instructor while I was a student. He was a very skilled landscape watercolorist and a great teacher. He always had time for student questions, and he hung a lot of our work- mine and fellow art students’- in the halls to give us confidence.”
After earning his associate’s degree from the Rainy River Campus in 1993, Hardwig transferred to the University of Minnesota Duluth and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts.
“It was during my senior showcase exhibit in 1997 that former academic advisor from the Rainy River Campus, Carol Grim, happened to see my work. Carol noted that the four people in that original painting all had some kind of connection. And so she pursued a purchase of that painting for the campus.”
Fast-forward to last year, when Jason decided it was time to expand that original piece into a series.
“So the College has had that painting, and it’s just been hanging in the hallway for 30 years. I later thought, I really liked that painting- I thought it was successful. And I thought it might make an interesting series of these kinds of quadruple portraits of people who are either students, past or present, or people who have worked at Rainy River, past or present. I made it a series of Rainy River through the years.”
The portrait show features six separate paintings, each containing quadruple portraits of people who have a connection to Minnesota North College – Rainy River Campus.
A public reception was held earlier this month to celebrate the opening of the exhibit.
“A huge thanks to Andrea Gohl for getting this exhibition up. She is the current art instructor at Rainy River and is an inspiring artist. She was the point person on campus for the exhibition, helping to organize and do public outreach about the show at every step.”
Local artist Jason Hardwig’s exhibition, titled “Community Portraits, Four at a Time,” can be seen at Minnesota North College – Rainy River Campus through December 3.
Community Portraits, Four at a Time
Artist: Jason Hardwig
- Matt, Sam, Clint, Adam
Oil on solid oak slab, 1997 - Jazz, Michelle, Jessie, Cheyenne
Oil and acrylic on hollow oak slab door, 2024 - Emerald, Caleb, Jazz, Chase
Oil and acrylic on hollow oak slab door, 2025 - Ida, Carol, Lee, Shae
Oil and acrylic on hollow oak slab door, 2025 - Aidan, Jocelyn, Brandee, Bradley
Oil and acrylic on hollow oak slab door, 2025 - Anna, Dawnelle, Christina, Jairo
Oil and acrylic on hollow oak slab door, 2025
