Mendota Heights Artist Displays Barrel Top for WineFest

It’s a tough question for any artist.

What’s your favorite color?

“Red.”

He stops.

“…and blue…”

He pauses once more.

“Green and orange!”

Mendota Heights artist Jimmy Reagan, 17, held his first art exhibition April 28 at Sunfish Cellars. His artwork is on display as part of the University of Minnesota’s 16th annual WineFest fundraiser. WineFest is an event that benefits children’s health, research and education at the University of Minnesota. As part of WineFest, area artists decorate the tops of wine barrels. Jimmy Reagan is the first artist asked to participate in the barrel design who is also a patient at the University. Along with 30 other pieces of art, Reagan’s barrel top was shown at the event. 

Jimmy Reagan was diagnosed with autism in 1996, when he was three-years-old. While his verbal skills are limited, questions most often yielding one-word responses, his artwork explodes with complexity, detail and color.

Reagan began creating art in 2008 upon the guidance of his teacher, Krista Walsh. She gave him a simple, lined notebook and instructed him to draw. Though he wasn’t initially so keen on the idea, the passion grew. His mother, Peg Schneeman-Reagan, began giving him copies of National Geographic magazines for him to copy photos.

“It was amazing the things he would do and the ways he would interpret the pictures,” she said.

Since then, his passion has grown and he’s become prolific in his creations. He models much of his work upon the works by his favorite artists, Vincent Van Gogh and Rembrandt with finely etched tick marks, strong facial features and bright colors.

“In the beginning I was like, ‘Yeah, I think his work is really interesting’ and then people asked 'Hey, can I buy this?' and I was like ‘Sure, I guess,'” said Schneeman-Reagan.

Sometimes Jimmy draws as a way to calm himself, recreating his favorite works with quick, thickly etched lines. Sometimes he works to build his collection, often by visiting the Landscape Arboretum or Minneapolis Institute of Art for inspiration.

The showcase at Sunfish Cellars was packed, with an anticipated attendance of 150-200 people. Jimmy strolled throughout the crowd, pausing to shake hands with people who greeted him and, more often, stopping to look at his pieces.

“I think he gets a lot out of it. It’s really good for his self esteem,” said Jimmy’s dad, Brian Reagan.

His artwork will be on display at Sunfish Cellars for the next couple of weeks. His barrel top will be auctioned off at the black-tie optional WineFest dinner on Saturday, May 7 at The Depot in Minneapolis.