Member Art 2023
Click the information (i) link to learn more.
Meet the Artists
Kyle R. Kroll is an attorney at Winthrop & Weinstine, PA in Minneapolis, where he practices business litigation at both the trial and appellate levels.
Acrylic on canvas: I was inspired by artwork I saw at the Minnesota State Fair made out of string with an alternating pattern and circular breaks. What I love about abstract art like this is that it conveys different ideas to every viewer, and I’m always delighted by others’ interpretations. If you’d like to share your take on this piece, please send me an email.
Aaron Frederickson is the founder of MSP Compliance Solutions, which is based out of Minneapolis/St. Paul. He has nearly two decades of legal practice experience in the areas of workers’ compensation, personal injury, and Medicare/Medicaid compliance. His passions also include assisting low-income persons via pro bono legal representation.
Photography: Aaron is a big scuba diver and recently took up scuba diving. Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) Open Water and Advanced Open Water certifications.
Paul Onderick is a partner in the firm of DeWitt, and is a member of the Intellectual Property Group.
Paintings: "Path in the Snow" and "I See You"
I painted "Path in the Snow" this winter and used an image of it for a new year’s card. The eye painting entitled "I See You," was painted in January 2023. In addition to being a patent attorney, I am an eye doctor. It is not perfect but is pretty close to anatomically correct.
Stephanie Chen is an associate in the Robins Kaplan’s business litigation practice, with experience in complex civil litigation in the technology, financial, agriculture, and healthcare industries.
Painting: I’m inspired by the unique and like to create pieces that combine unexpected elements or elements that typically would not be expected to fit together. So, for example, for this piece, I sought to design something using very bold and mostly primary colors that usually clash—the basic reds, yellows, and blues that you’d find in kids’ crayon sets. I also wanted to explore some themes important to myself, namely my identity as a first generation Chinese American and how it fits into everyday life today in a Midwestern city. But I’d think this piece goes beyond that as just a snapshot of the broader question of what it means to find one’s place as a diverse person in today’s society (or even the legal field).
Casey Matthiesen is an associate at Robins Kaplan who practices in the areas of business litigation disputes, personal injury, and medical malpractice claims. She also serves as president of the Minnesota American Indian Bar Association.
Oil on Canvas, Inspired by Vincent Van Gogh’s painting, “Irises”
Matthew Forsgren is a partner in the firm Forsgren Fisher McCalmont DeMarea Tysver LLP. His practice includes litigation and internal investigations in complex civil, regulatory, and criminal matters.
Photograph: Lago Grey. This is a photo taken in 2013 during a two-week backpacking trip in Torres del Paine in Argentine Patagonia. The quality of the light there is sublime despite (or perhaps thanks to) often ominous weather. Grey Glacier is one of the largest and interesting glaciers I have seen, and I have been interested in hiking near glaciers since childhood. I was able to find a protected spot on a promontory toward the tail end of the hike to get this vantage point of the lake and the glacier that feeds it. The clouds and wind cooperated for a few moments.
Sarah Smith graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2020 and is now a 1L at the University of Minnesota Law school hoping to pursue a career in public interest or civil litigation. She learned pottery at a small studio in Chicago in between undergrad and law school, and it quickly became one of her favorite hobbies. She is looking to get more involved in the Minneapolis pottery scene this summer.
The pieces shown here encompass a wide array of the skills I picked up learning pottery. I love the idea of practical pottery and making things you can use in your day to day life. I am also really inspired by the colors of nature, so when I do use bright colors I like to do so sparingly. I try to challenge myself to create a wide variety of pieces instead of getting really good at one sort of thing, which has its pros and cons. I am especially proud of the matching mugs. I chose the color scheme to resemble the aurora borealis, which is on my bucket list to see up north. It is unbelievably hard to intentionally throw two pieces that look alike, so I don’t have much else like these two. For the most part, I stick to single objects or complimentary pairs, like the vases! The planter pictured is inspired by the insect trails that you can find carved into sticks discarded in the woods. This pot is my crowning achievement, and it is on proud display in my living room! Pottery is an amazing art form because you can combine it with almost any other medium. You can paint, carve, sculpt, and draw on the pieces and show off your personality through them. I am excited to continue growing as an artist in sync with learning to become a lawyer!
Meet the Writers
Brandie Burris graduated from the University of Minnesota in May 2022. She is currently a judicial law clerk at the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota.
Read her poem:
I Was Wrong, You See
Areti Georgopoulos is a published poet who represents employees and the occasional employer at Harmony Law Firm, which she founded in 2012. She focuses on unemployment insurance law, disability accommodations in the workplace, wrongful termination and discrimination claims pursuant to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Minnesota Human Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family Medical Leave Act, among others.
Read her short story and poetry:
Hump day and The Arc of Time
Aaron Thom is a Minneapolis Attorney specializing in criminal defense, civil litigation, property tax litigation, and internal investigations.
Read two of his poems.
Carolyn V. Wolski has practiced law for over 30 years, principally in the areas of business, land-use and environmental law. She graduated from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1988. Wolski enjoys writing, teaching and legal advising, as well as travel and bicycling.
Read her short story: The Reunion