A Creek Runs Through It: Where Art, Nature & Community Flow Together

What happens when you mix 12 passionate artists, a babbling creek full of beautiful creatures, and a sunny upstairs studio in downtown Stillwater?

You get a nature-themed art exhibit that’s as inspiring as it is breathtaking.

Local artist Victoria Bradford Styrbicki volunteers with her husband Tom Styrbicki for a beautiful rain garden along Pine Street.  Victoria has curated something truly special in her second-floor gallery space at the Brick and Linen Building (yep, that lovely old corner at Nelson and Main). This vibrant new art exhibit is sponsored by Brown’s Creek Watershed Management District.  It tenderly brings awareness to our shared natural world—and celebrates the often-overlooked species that call Brown’s Creek home.

Victoria has brought 12 local artists together; each artist selected from among 15 unique “denizens” of the creek—think stoneflies, rainbow darters, Blanding’s turtles, caddisflies, the elusive star-nosed mole, and even the melodic northern waterthrush. These creatures aren’t just cute or cool—they’re bioindicators, meaning their presence signals clean water and healthy ecosystems. That’s right: a little salamander might be telling us everything’s A-OK in our local watershed!d!

Earlier this week, a few of our own from Sustainable Stillwater MN stopped by to soak it all in. Rain Gardens project leader Ruth Alliband was joined by Meghan Lavelle, who is our Protect Our Waters project leader, and her two curious and enthusiastic kids, Lucy and Felix, on spring break. They explored the artwork, talked about aquatic insects, and probably learned more about frogs and fish than most Monday afternoons typically allow. Also in attendance was Louise Watson, one of our beloved SSMN co-founders and a guiding voice in Stillwater’s sustainability journey since 2014.

The visit was equal parts educational, delightful, and deeply grounding. It’s not every day you get to witness a tiger salamander immortalized in brush strokes or a rose-breasted grosbeak interpreted in vibrant color—and all tied together with the message that clean water matters and you can help protect it.

As Ruth pointed out,

Catch the Exhibit!

This stunning show is open Monday through Friday, 10am–3pm or by appointment through April 18. Can’t make it in time? Don’t worry—it’s coming back this summer during the ArtOpener (June 6 from 4–8 PM and June 7–8 from 10 AM–5 PM) and will enjoy a long run at the Washington County Historical Society in 2026.

Click here to view Victoria’s professional photo gallery of the exhibit!