Today we’d like to introduce you to Ginger Juel.
Hi Ginger, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Voyageur Magazine – Hidden Gems Feature (Updated with Family Creativity)
I was born in Rochester, Minnesota and raised in Superior, Wisconsin. Creativity runs deep in my family—my mom (who was born in Canada), my dad, and my grandmother Ginger exposed me to art from my anishinaabe heritage —she is who I’m named after—we are all creative in our own ways. My aunt Becky can draw beautifully. And my younger siblings, Alek and Olivia, are both wildly creative too. We didn’t grow up with money, but we grew up with imagination. While my parents worked constantly to keep us afloat, we entertained ourselves by making things—art was how we created moments of “awe”. In high school, I spent lunch hours in the ceramics studio instead of the cafeteria. One of my earliest mind-blowing art experiences were the musical stairs at the Science Museum of Minnesota—the way sound, science, and strangers’ footsteps created music together. It shaped how I see art: not as something distant, but something interactive, shared, and joyful.
My path since has been full of experimentation and self-teaching. I studied anatomy in my yoga, massage schooling, which gave me an understanding of how bodies are built and move—something that informs how people physically engage with my work, and how I teach them to create work, honoring the body. I took business classes for artists, i create “awe” inspiring kinetic commercial products with my designs, and worked on political campaigns to understand systems, people, and power.
Traditional galleries often felt closed off—I have been turned away from many major galleries, long waiting lists, slow timelines—so I started creating my own exhibitions in public spaces like City Hall, where anyone could participate. Along the way, my work has been supported with grants from the Minnesota State Arts Board (MSAB), Arrowhead Regional Arts Council (ARAC), and the Center for Health, Environment & Justice (CHEJ).
Today, I create interactive installations—musical slime, water- and touch-sensitive pieces, kinetic art—all centered around one goal: joy. I teach specialty art classes and use my yoga background to create spaces that are both creative and healing.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Has it been a smooth road to becoming an artist? Not even close—and thank goodness for that. The truth is, every bump and curve has shaped the view. I’ve followed instincts that made no logical sense on paper, but somehow led me exactly where I was meant to go.
There have been moments when I almost gave up—too tired, too sore, too unsure. But then I’d stumble on something that pulled me right back in: light hitting a wall just right, a color that made my heart skip, or the feeling that something larger than me wanted to come through. Those little sparks of awe have always been my compass.
It takes a certain audacity to keep choosing art. To keep saying, yes, this matters, even when it doesn’t come with a roadmap or a steady paycheck. But that audacity—mixed with curiosity, stubbornness, and a bit of magic—has opened doors I never even knew existed.
So no, it hasn’t been smooth. It’s been unpredictable, sacred, and a little ridiculous at times. But it’s real. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that following your dreams doesn’t guarantee ease—it guarantees aliveness. And that’s worth every twist in the road.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I create work that makes people stop and look twice—product design, sourcing, architectural illustrations, renderings, mockups, and keepsake gifts that bring imagination to life. My background blends art, design, and public collaboration, so every project I take on connects people to place and meaning. What sets me apart is my desire to make beautiful things happen.
I specialize in visual storytelling turning plans, concepts, and blueprints into emotionally rich visuals that help clients, communities, and investors see what’s possible. I also design creative, high-quality corporate gifts and keepsakes that reject the beige status quo. Because the things we give, are selected for us, placed in our local stores, I want them to be special.
That’s my mission: to add moments of awe and color all around us. Why can’t we build our own little Disneyland in everyday life? I want to see more color, more motion, more kinetic joy in marketing, architecture, and public spaces—jaw-dropping, guerilla-style projects no one expected in the first place.
I’m proud of creating a business that blends art and strategy, beauty and practicality. What sets me apart is my refusal to make “safe” work. I bridge fine art, graphic design, architectural illustration, and experiential design, always chasing that spark that turns something functional into something unforgettable.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I love our natural landscape and its endless inspiration. What do I like least? That our community members suffer in the cold without homes, there’s no reason folks with resources cannot create a warm community with private rooms in vacant buildings. When I see someone asking for help with a cardboard sign it hurts my heart and fills my eyes with tears.
Pricing:
- Murals $2,000.00 per 10×10 (starting)
- Interactive musical slime event $1500.00
- Custom designs (base) $500
- Sourcing (inquire)
- Business Coaching for Artists sliding fee scale
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Gingerjuel.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ohgraet
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gingerjuelfineart
