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Alexandria Today
By the People, for the People
Douglas County Library Hosts First 'Bad Art Night'
Locals gather to create intentionally amateurish artwork for a lighthearted competition.
Mar. 31, 2026 at 10:23am
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A playful celebration of the quirky, unconventional spirit of 'Bad Art Night' at the Douglas County Library.Alexandria TodayThe Douglas County Library in Alexandria, Minnesota, hosted its first 'Bad Art Night' event, where a dozen local residents gathered to create intentionally amateurish artwork using a variety of unconventional materials like canvas, tissue paper, googly eyes, and pipe cleaners. The event culminated in a competition to determine the 'Worst Artist', with Becky Nissen taking home the dubious honor.
Why it matters
The 'Bad Art Night' event provided a fun and creative outlet for community members to embrace their inner artist, even if their skills were less than polished. It encouraged people to let go of perfectionism and simply enjoy the process of making art, regardless of the final product. The event also brought the local community together around a shared appreciation for the absurd and unconventional.
The details
During the event, participants painted, glued, ripped, cut, hot-glued, and bent a variety of media, including canvas, tissue paper, googly eyes, and pipe cleaners, to create their 'bad art' pieces. Some of the notable creations included April Schmidt's work-in-progress goose, Tami Henning's 3D chicken, and Tracy Langendoerfer's piece that the reporter initially thought looked 'good' before the artist protested that it was not yet finished. The event culminated in a competition to determine the 'Worst Artist', with Becky Nissen taking home the top prize.
- The Douglas County Library hosted its first 'Bad Art Night' event on Thursday, March 26, 2026.
The players
Becky Nissen
The winner of the 'Worst Artist' award at the 'Bad Art Night' event.
April Schmidt
A participant who created a work-in-progress goose sculpture.
Tami Henning
A participant who created a 3D chicken sculpture.
Tracy Langendoerfer
A participant whose artwork the reporter initially thought looked 'good' before the artist protested that it was not yet finished.
Celeste Rapp
The event organizer who posed with the winner of the 'Bad Art Night' competition.
What they’re saying
“Wait until I add all this”
— Tami Henning, Participant
“It doesn't look bad; it looks good”
— Reporter
“I'm not done yet!”
— Marnie Cohen, Participant
“It doesn't look bad”
— Reporter
“Yet”
— Sarah Gray, Participant
The takeaway
The 'Bad Art Night' event at the Douglas County Library provided a fun and creative outlet for community members to embrace their inner artist, even if their skills were less than polished. By encouraging people to let go of perfectionism and simply enjoy the process of making art, the event fostered a shared appreciation for the absurd and unconventional, bringing the local community together around a lighthearted celebration of artistic expression.
