Today, Saturday April 9, a new art store and learning studio will be opening in Becker.

The store’s owner, Sandra Zylla-Rolf, is a long-time painter and teacher of art. She was inspired to her career by her late father, who was also an artist (and whose jigsaw puzzles will be available for purchase at the store.)

About the Shop

The Zylla-Rolf Studio will be located on Hancock St., in the old antiques building across from Charlie’s Bar. Zylla-Rolf will be displaying and selling a selection of her own paintings, with five dollars of each purchase being donated back to the community, her goal being to eventually raise $10,000. She will also be selling puzzles that were designed by her father, a portion of each of those sales being donated as well. Much of the work, by both artists, depicts landscapes and scenes from Minnesota, although some depict other areas visited by Zylla-Rolf’s father, Ken Zylla.

In addition to selling art, Zylla-Rolf plans to lead classes, such as classes for stay-at-home moms (with an area for kids to play), after school programs for students, and adult wine-and-paint classes, to name a few. Zylla-Rolf also indicated that her son, who is a talented graphic designer, may offer some classes to show students how to create art on a digital platform. All the materials for these classes will be provided in the cost of the class, so patrons won’t need to worry about purchasing expensive paints or other materials. 

About Sandra Zylla-Rolf

Zylla-Rolf, a graduate of Elk River and longtime resident of Becker, has been painting for 50 years, having started when she was just a little kid under her father’s guidance. She went on to run his gallery for 20 years during her adult life. Zylla-Rolf also worked at the Paramount Theater and at Hobby Lobby, teaching art classes, over the years.

When the pandemic hit, Zylla-Rolf was no longer able to continue teaching her art classes. However, with a deep love of teaching, she couldn’t stay idle for much longer, hence her decision to open up shop. 

Zylla-Rolf said her other motivator was to provide a place where members of the public can visit and find something to do. She hopes to have coffee and a reading nook available to anyone who just needs to get out of the house for a few hours. She believes it’s important for people’s mental health to be able to venture out into public, and have a place to go and do an activity. 

Her other goal is to support art amongst the student population. She hopes to sponsor a $1,000 scholarship for a Becker senior, as a surprise to the senior. She doesn’t have anyone in particular in mind yet, but she hopes to find a deserving young artist for whom the $1,000 will be a big help in pursuing their education. 

“There will be opportunities for everyone,” Zylla-Rolf said.

About Ken Zylla

Zylla-Rolf’s father, Ken Zylla, was a painter originally from the Foley area. He gave Zylla-Rolf his teacher’s heart, as he also led classes for many years. He was a talented and popular artist who often did shows in California, as many as 42 per year, and would come home sold out of paintings. He passed away in 2017.