Learn About Our Featured Artists and Their Works

The North Dakota Asian American Arts and Culture Initiative group sees art as a vehicle to explore dialogue about the Asian-American experience by dedication to greater representation, and opportunities to strengthen Asian-American artists and cultural groups. By promoting and serving Asian-American artists and organizations across all disciplines, we hope to increase visibility and build stronger communities.

Guy Otteson

About The Artist

Originally from Bismarck, Guy recently retired from his 42 year profession as an optometrist. His many hobbies, include: golf, in 2001 he was inducted into the North Dakota golf Hall of Fame; hunting deer & birds and woodworking of many forms. Most recently he has found joy in Woodturning. Some of his favorite woods are Russian Olive, Box Elder, Walnut and Maple. He is a member of the Dakota Wood Turners Association.

Guy’s Work

Thomas W. Wirtz

About The Artist

Thomas W. Wirtz is an amateur landscape and wildlife photographer from Bismarck, North Dakota. He first became involved in photography in 2010, just prior to the birth of he and his wife Lupe’s first of three grandchildren. His interest in landscape and wildlife photography has increased over the years as his grandchildren have become less and less willing to allow him to take their photos. He stated “My keeper rate is much higher with wild critters than it is with my grandkids”. He also enjoys “street photography” that showcases the people and cultures of our world.

Mr. Wirtz has won numerous state and international photography awards including four honorable mentions in both landscape and wildlife categories and one wildlife category winner in the North Dakota Governor’s Photo Contest from 2016 to 2019. He was the overall winner of the 2021 Watchable Wildlife Photo Contest hosted by the North Dakota Game and Fish Department and he was the People’s Choice winner in the “Birds of the World” category of the Pangolin Photo Safari 2021 international photo contest.

He recently was named a “Photographer of the Year” and received the “Golden Camera Award” by The Universe of Colour – an international digital photography magazine. His portrait of a Ruby-throated Hummingbird was included in their Hall of Fame book, Volume One, for 2022.

Now a days – Mr. Wirtz spends much of his free time traveling around the state, country and world, in search of cultural, landscape and wildlife photo opportunities. He hopes that his body of work will inspire others to appreciate, respect and advocate for cultural diversity and a healthy environment that will continue to sustain the incredible people and wildlife that inhabits our planet. His work can be found at flickr.com under “People” Thomas W. Wirtz.

Tom’s Work

Joan Klein

About The Artist

Joan was born and raised in the Philippines. She moved to the United States at the age of 14 because of her mother’s work relocation. She has an architectural background with a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from Woodbury University in Burbank, CA. She has worked in several architecture firms in Maine, North Carolina and North Dakota. She, her husband and son call Bismarck their home. She has a passion for architecture, photography, screen printing, drawing and several forms of paintings.