Diverse mix of artists headline Visual Arts Series for 2018-19

Take well-known artists from New York City, California and Laos. Add a long-time faculty member and a beloved artist from the local community. Finally, complete the mix with two parts alumni artists and two parts student artists

What do you get?

The 2018-19 Visual Arts Series, a part of the Fine Arts Series (FAS) at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University. The balanced mix of artistic talent will explore themes of spirituality, culture, tradition, place and identity, and present opportunities for learning, reflection and community connection.

“More than ever before, I am pleased that the Visual Arts Series this season is engaged in collaborative programming with varied arts partners and is offering unique experiences for patrons. The CSB/SJU Galleries are proud to provide this type of layered learning for our students and the greater community,” said Jill Dubbeldee Kuhn, gallery manager for the two campuses.

Here are some highlights from the Visual Arts Series, which runs through fall 2019:

• New York City artist Laurie Wohl brings her exhibit, “Birds of Longing: Exile and Memory” from Aug. 27 to Oct. 28 at the Benedicta Arts Center’s Gorecki Gallery at CSB. The exhibit is in partnership with the Jay Phillips Center for Interfaith Learning.

Wohl’s fiber art pieces interweave Christian, Jewish and Muslim poetry and spiritual texts from medieval Spain and from contemporary Middle Eastern poets, particularly Palestinian, Syrian and Israeli.

“This will be a multi-disciplinary experience,” said Tanya Gertz, executive director of Fine Arts Programming. “Each piece has a beautiful visual representation through the weavings, a written word component in multiple languages and an auditory component with music composed specifically for each piece.”

iPods will be available at select times for viewers to interact with the music and spoken words.

Wohl’s artist reception is from 6-7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 5, at the Gorecki Gallery. It’s the same day the Jay Phillips Center hosts “Exile, Memory and Welcoming the Stranger,” which includes a presentation by Wohl and musical accompaniment by Voices of Sepharad, and a panel discussion featuring CSB President Mary Dana Hinton, Rabbi Marcia Zimmerman of Temple Israel in Minneapolis and Cawo Abdi, associate professor of sociology at the University of Minnesota.

Wohl will return to campus for a conversation on “Spirituality and Hope in Art Making” with choreographer Ronald K. Brown at 5 p.m. Oct. 27 in the Gorecki Gallery at CSB. The dance performance of Brown and Evidence Dance Company follows at 7:30 p.m. in Escher Auditorium, CSB.

• Californian James Hayward’s exhibit, “Stations/Variations” runs from Oct. 15-Dec. 7 at the Alice R. Rogers and Target Galleries, with an artist reception from 5-7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 20.

Hayward will display his abstract depictions of the 14 Stations of the Cross. This is the first time these contemplative hued paintings have been displayed in public.

“Hayward’s minimalist paintings are an excellent centerpiece to the backdrop of the Bauhaus architecture lining the Saint John’s campus,” Dubbeldee Kuhn said. “This display will be absolutely stunning.”

•  Seexing Lee is an artist who was raised in a refugee camp in northern Thailand, and came of age in Minneapolis. His exhibit, “Connected with Broken Threads of the Hmong Paj Ntaub” runs from Nov. 12-Dec. 14 at the Gorecki Gallery, with an artist reception and opening set for 5-7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 15, at the Gorecki Gallery.

His mixed media work reflects his journey from the land of the Mekong to the Mississippi. Lee’s exhibit captures his inspiration flowing from the meeting of two cultures and evolution of the Hmong Paj Ntaub (Hmong Story Cloth) through the mediums of painting, thread work and sculpture.

“I love this quote from Seexing Lee – ‘Some say living with a collusion of two cultures is a burden, but I find it a blessing in disguise,’ ‘’ Dubbeldee Kuhn said. “Through his art, he discovered the richness of his heritage and this fuels his desire to share, teach and preserve Hmong tradition.”

• Associate professor of art James Hendershot will have an exhibit of his paintings and drawings from Jan. 28-March 1. 2019, at the Alice R. Rogers and Target Galleries. His artist reception is from 5-7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 31, 2019.

This will be Hendershot’s final exhibit as a faculty member at CSB/SJU, where he has taught since 1971. Components of this exhibition will include retrospective, current explorative work and selected student works enrolled in his past courses.

“Earlier in his career, he would travel frequently to New York City with his portfolio on the weekend to meet with galleries and fly back in time to teach classes Monday morning. His dedication to his art led to national recognition, especially on the East Coast, and real life experiences to share with his students,” Dubbeldee Kuhn said.

• Local St. Joseph artist Mary Bruno displays her exhibit, “Carving Time,” from Jan. 14 to March 1, 2019, at the Gorecki Gallery and Lounge. Bruno’s style, self-described as “the new old school,” reflects her humor and love for everything printing. Her use of metal and wood handset type and linoleum block carving capture tradition made modern with simplistic beauty with an edge. 

Her artist reception is from 5-7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 24, 2019, at the Gorecki Gallery. “Ends of Times 3” - a collection of broadsides submitted by national and international artists, including work by Bruno, will be featured in the Gallery Lounge concurrently. Bruno Letterpress plans a closing panel discussion and workshops during this installation at CSB.

• CSB and SJU senior art students culminate the academic year with their annual Senior Art Thesis Exhibition on display April 1-May 11, 2019 at both the Gorecki Gallery and the Alice R. Rogers and Target Galleries. The students’ work will feature various mediums of study. Receptions and artist talks will be held on Saturday, April 13, from 1-3 p.m. at CSB and 2:30-4 p.m. at SJU.
• Alumni artists step to the forefront with compelling portraiture during summer 2019 exploring themes of identity and tradition.

CSB graduate Chloe Briggs ’11 will show her life-sized portraiture paintings, “Close,” from May 28-Oct. 6, 2019, at the Gorecki Gallery. Her artist reception is from 5-7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 12, 2019, at the Gorecki Gallery.

SJU graduate Michael Crouser ’85 will show his black and white award-winning photography, “Mountain Ranch: Traditional Images of Traditional Lives,” from June 17-Oct. 20, 2019, at the Alice R. Rogers and Target Galleries. His artist reception is from 5-7 p.m. Thursday, Sept.19, 2019, at the Alice R. Rogers and Target Galleries.

All exhibits are free and open to the public. The Alice R. Rogers and Target Galleries at the Saint John’s Art Center are open daily from noon to 6 p.m., and Thursdays from noon to 9 p.m. The Gorecki Gallery in the Benedicta Arts Center at CSB is open daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on Sundays from noon to 9 p.m. 

For more information about the art exhibits, contact Jill Dubbeldee Kuhn.