Regional artist displays work at Empire Arts Center Regional artist Rando, a native of Moorhead, Minn., is currently displaying his art work at the Empire Art Center. The display will remain available for viewing through the First Night Greater Grand Forks event on New Year's Eve. Rando and his family moved to San Diego, Calif., when he was very young. Baseball, basketball, skateboarding and art were his biggest passions until he discovered surfing, which led him to the Hawaiian Islands. His paintings were never the same. The bright natural colors of the islands changed the way Rando looked at the subject of a painting. Bright, happy, colorful paintings just came naturally to him. He also loves the look of a large painting, he never paints small. "A painting that doesn't just sit on a wall, but comes to you; doesn't let you walk by without grabbing your imagination," is how Rando describes his work. In 2003 he had the opportunity to move to Phoenix, Ariz. He was working on paintings and sculpture for the first show of his life when he found himself in the hospital, a victim of a violent crime. He returned to Minnesota to recover from his injuries, moving to the Detroit Lakes area to stay at his father's lake home. His work started getting positive attention in the area so he moved to Fargo. Rando is now the featured artist at the Under Brush Gallery, Buerth Gallery, Rohfield Gallery in South Dakota and the Merchant Street Gallery in Virginia, on the campus of William and Mary University. The Empire gallery is open during events at the Empire Arts Center and by appointment. Call (701) 746-5500 to arrange a viewing or check the Empire web site at www.empireartscenter.com for event schedules.