'Going at it out of my book': Emslander to put unique spin on 'Love Local' gallery

When area artist Bodie Emslander introduces his "Love Local" exhibition at the Pine Center For the Arts on Friday, Feb. 6, he'll do so with his own spin on the format.

"Everyone kind of has the stereotypical picture of an art gallery, but I'm going at it out of my book," said Emslander, who is the creative force behind 80 Grit Studios in Pine City.

After inquiring about restrictions for his gallery, Emslander remembers being met with "honestly, whatever" — a veritable blank check for his imagination to run wild.

"I was like, are you sure, because this is a scary amount of open-endedness," Emslander laughed. "So I've just been overthinking the hell out of it for weeks now, but it will be good."

Emslander's goal for the gallery is to curate an immersive experience.

"I want to approach it as if you're walking around in one of my sketchbooks," Emslander said.

Emslander said art has always been part of his life, but it was when he was in college that he started gathering attention from putting out his self-described doodles.

"I've always been drawing, but it started more aggressively and kind of with a purpose around college," Emslander said.

His first custom project came circa 2019, for a friend who started Unlimited Masonry in Pine City.

"At the time, I was starting to dabble with screen-printing, which was a good medium to share the artwork in a practical way," Emslander said.

He added that his style — "more or less, just like the wild, poppy, whatever grabs your attention, like comic book characters, or just anything that visually stands out in kind of a loud way" — brings a "guerrilla marketing" approach to helping promote local businesses.

Emslander works full-time as a carpenter, but finds himself thinking about 80 Grit projects and designs on the job "all the time."

"It just kept becoming a side thing, and then the side thing just kind of turned into another full-time thing," Emslander laughed.

80 Grit Studios is partially a homage to Emslander's carpentry, but also, on a level he admits is "nerdy and super hyper-specific," reflects the design potential of the shapes in the name.

The "Love Local" gallery will be Emslander's first formal exhibition of his artwork — but in the loosest of terms.

"It's not going to be formal, dude," Emslander laughed. "A whole gallery experience, I've never done it before, but it's definitely going to be cool," Emslander said.

Emslander also said the gallery gives him a chance to show off both his artwork and spotlight the people and businesses he's worked with over the years.

"If you don't show up for me, show up for them," he said.

The exhibition will open with a launch party from 4-6 p.m. on Feb. 6, with Pizza Pub pizza and beer from Three Twenty Brewing.

It will remain open through the month of February, with regular gallery hours from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays.

The gallery is free and open to the public.

Emslander's work is available on Facebook at 80 Grit Studios, and on Instagram @bodie.draws.