Chicago artist to display work at next Saint Mary’s exhibit

WINONA, Minn. — Chicago artist Cherith Lundin will display her work in “An excess of ground,” the next Saint Mary’s University art show.

Lundin’s work will be on display at the Lillian Davis Hogan Galleries, located in the Toner Student Center. The exhibit is free and open to the public from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. An opening reception is scheduled for 4:30 to 5 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 28, at the galleries.

Lundin is a visual artist whose work ranges in media from drawing and painting to photography and installation. Her work examines the architectural contours of every day life and extracts moments of fluidity within familiar spaces, where apparent dichotomies such as inside and outside, figure and ground, proximity and distance mingle.

Lundin grew up in Germany and received an M.F.A. from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, and she has taught painting and drawing at colleges and universities throughout the United States.

Minnesota printmaker features new works in SMU art show March 13-April 6

'For Want of the Inferno' by Emily Gray Koehler

WINONA, Minn. — White Bear Lake printmaker Emily Gray Koehler will present 27 new works in “Burning the Old Growth” March 13 through April 6 at Saint Mary’s University.

Gray Koehler’s reduction woodblock prints are nature scenes informed by a childhood split between the farm and the forest. In this particular series, her work depicts the beauty of nature, depleted by man’s influence.

“Since its earliest beginnings, humanity has manipulated nature in the pursuit of prosperity,” she writes. “Without these alterations to the environment, our existence in this world would certainly be dubious. However, after millennia of digging, burning, harvesting, and draining we now find ourselves at a crossroads where all possible routes forward have significant obstacles and potent repercussions.”

The Lillian Davis Hogan Galleries, located in the Toner Student Center, are open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. All gallery shows are free and open to the public.

An opening reception is scheduled for 4:30 to 6 p.m. Thursday, March 13.

For more information about Gray Kohler’s work, go to www.studioegk.com.

Saint Mary’s seniors display work April 13-May 11

WINONA, Minn. — “Defining,” the Saint Mary’s University senior art show, will be on display April 13 through May 11 in the Lillian Davis Hogan Galleries, located in the Toner Student Center.

Students displaying work include Brianna Bloomquist, Jamie Cooper, Jennifer Daniels, Tommy Holme, De’Shanda Morley, Lisa-Marie Nihart, Amanda Rahman, Yuchen Ren, Jamie Stefely and Caroline Stringer.

An opening reception will be held 4:30 to 6 p.m. Saturday, April 13. The galleries — free and open to the public — are open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

Exhibit at Saint Mary’s to make statement about industrialism

WINONA, Minn. — Oklahoma artist Matt Boonstra will display his sculptures March 11 through April 6 at Saint Mary’s University’s Lillian Davis Hogan Galleries. His work is an investigation into how socioeconomic circumstances impact our natural environment.

 Ideas for “Running to Conclusions” are developed from research he has collected from interviewing generations of industrial workers, tours of factories, and visits to industrial wastelands. Boonstra is originally from the Detroit, Mich., area.

“My observations of the changing relationship between people, industry, and environment are then refocused and juxtaposed in order to motivate social change,” Boonstra said. For example, he explained that his recent piece “Have You Tried Walking?” captures the transformation of a human figure into a gasoline funnel and signifies the dizzying physical and psychological relationship with oil.

A reception for the show will be held 4:30 to 6 on Thursday, March 21. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, and the show is free and open to the public.

SMU presents Rockwell Kent prints Feb. 6-27 at Lillian Davis Hogan Galleries

WINONA, Minn. — Saint Mary’s University will partner with several local organizations to celebrate the 100th anniversary of artist Rockwell Kent’s stay in Winona. The week-long festival will take place Feb. 6-10 and feature exhibits of his works and other activities that illustrate his importance as an international artist.

A selection of Kent’s graphic works will be presented at Saint Mary’s University from Feb. 6-27. “Rockwell Kent Prints: Selections from the Ralf Nemec Collection” will be on display in the Lillian Davis Hogan Galleries, located in the Toner Student Center, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

Kent lived in Winona in 1912 while overseeing work on Briarcombe Farms, the historic Prentiss/Bell homes. The exhibit includes many of Kent’s best-known fine art prints including wood engravings, etchings and lithographs. Kent’s often-symbolic use of the figure is highlighted. The selection of prints in the Saint Mary’s exhibit is complemented by the concurrent Winona State University exhibition, also drawn from the Nemec Collection, as well as the Minnesota Marine Art Museum exhibition and the Rockwell Kent Centennial festival in February. Prints are on loan from the private collection of New York collector Ralf Nemec.

The opening reception will be from 5-6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 6, and is part of Winona’s Progressive Reception and Opening Ceremony of the Rockwell Kent Festival. The reception and exhibition are free and open to the public.

The festival is sponsored by the City of Winona, the Minnesota Marine Art Museum, Winona County Historical Society, WSU, Saint Mary’s University and Theatre du Mississippi.

For more information on the festival and events, email info@rockwellkentwinona.org or to go www.rockwellkentwinona.org.

Saint Mary’s exhibit honors Russian artist

WINONA, Minn. — A new exhibit of 20 works — commemorating the 120th anniversary of Aleksander Rodchenko’s birth — will be on display at Saint Mary’s University Jan. 17 through Feb. 24.

Rodchenko, a Russian constructivist artist, worked during some of the most turbulent eras of the early 20th century in Russia. His groundbreaking philosophy and methodology in painting, photography and graphic design make him on of the most innovative artists of the early modern avant-garde.

Twenty contemporary Russian graphic designers created these posters as an homage to Rodchenko’s work and life. The vast range of styles exhibited is a testament to Rodchenko’s ability to break open new vistas for artists and designers who came after him.

This exhibit — located in the Lillian Davis Hogan Galleries of the Toner Student Center — is one of several worldwide dedicated to the memory of Rodchenko’s life. Thirty cities across the globe including New York, Chicago, Paris, Prague, Mexico City, Melbourne, Taipei and Kiev are included in this poster exhibition.

The public is invited to view the exhibition free of charge during normal gallery hours, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

The Moscow Biennale of Graphic Design Golden Bee partnered in this exhibit.

SMU All-Campus Student Art Exhibit runs Nov. 17-Dec. 15

WINONA, Minn. — Saint Mary’s University students will display their artwork in the show “Clarity” Nov. 17 through Dec. 15 in the Lillian Davis Hogan Galleries.

The 2012 All-Campus Student Art Exhibit will feature senior art exhibitions by Nikki Farmer and Marie Fidler.

An opening reception is scheduled for 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17, in the galleries, located in the Toner Student Center.

The galleries — free and open to the public — will be open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

Faculty to display diverse art Jan. 19-March 18 at Saint Mary’s

WINONA, Minn. — Seven faculty members from Saint Mary’s University’s Department of Art & Design will exhibit their work Jan. 19 through March 18 at SMU’s Lillian Davis Hogan Galleries.

The show, “Verisimilitude,” includes work by Tony Calabrese, Charlie Campbell, Preston Lawing, Rob McColl, Brother Roderick Robertson, Lisa Truax and John Whelan.

An opening reception will be held 4:30 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 19, at the galleries, located in the Toner Student Center.

The exhibit — free and open to the public — will be open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

Saint Mary’s students to display art Nov. 19-Dec. 14

By Brianna Nelson

WINONA, Minn. — Saint Mary’s University students will display a variety of art in “Ideas that Spark,” the all-campus student art exhibit on display Nov. 19 through Dec. 14 in the Lillian Davis Hogan Galleries.

The show features 2011 SMU December art graduates Danielle Cossetta, Sarah Kraft, Brianna Nelson and Charlie Williams. An opening reception for the artists will be held 4:30 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19, at the galleries.

The Lillian Davis Hogan Galleries — located in the Toner Student Center — are open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily and are free and open to the public.

Saint Mary’s galleries display show, ‘These Things Happen’

WINONA, Minn. — Unique paintings by Michigan artist Andrew Rieder depict human struggles in the upcoming art show “These Things Happen” — on display Oct. 13 through Nov. 13 at Saint Mary’s University.

An opening reception is scheduled for 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 13, at the Lillian Davis Hogan Galleries, located in the Toner Student Center.

Rieder, a stencil artist, describes his work as visual metaphors for ongoing human struggles.

“My initial goal is to produce a pictorial space that contains a somewhat whimsical narrative, but is reflective of a current social condition,” he said. “Issues surrounding the socio-economic systems of contemporary society inspire me. This stems from my personal work history and a familial heritage of industrial and manual labor.”

Rieder was born and grew up in Raleigh, N.C., where he also attended and graduated from North Carolina State University’s College of Design. In 2004, he relocated to the Midwest to receive his B.F.A. in Painting and Drawing from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and M.F.A. in Painting from Michigan State University. He currently is an art instructor at Delta College in Michigan’s Saginaw Bay Region.

The Lillian Davis Hogan Galleries are open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily and are free and open to the public.

Saint Mary’s gallery displays work by woodblock printmakers in support of Japan

“Kamakura Omikuji” by Preston Lawing of Saint Mary’s University is one of the pieces in “Inspired by Japan,” now on display at Saint Mary’s Lillian Davis Hogan Galleries. When visiting a Shinto temple, you may receive a fortune (Omikuji). If it is bad (Kamakura), you can tie it on a rope outside the temple, and the priests will burn them at the end of the day, sending the smoke “back to heaven.” The written words are “earthquake” and “tsunami.” This print is saying, “We do not accept this disaster as our fate, and we continue to be strong.”

WINONA, Minn. — After the devastating earthquake and tsunami in March of this year, artists and printmakers from around the world gathered to produce a suite of prints titled “Inspired by Japan” to raise money for relief efforts. Their work — including a print by Preston Lawing, chair of the Saint Mary’s University Department of Art and Design — is now on display at SMU’s Lillian Davis Hogan Galleries.

This exhibition — which will run through Sunday, Oct. 2 — brings together 60 printmakers in a show that will run concurrent with several other venues including South Africa, Japan, Poland, Michigan and Oregon.

For several centuries, Japan has been famous for the Ukiyo-e style of woodcut printmaking. These 60 artists, who work in the relief form of printing (carving away parts of the woodblock, and printing the raised portion), produced limited-edition prints to be donated and sold to raise funds for disaster relief in Japan.

The Lillian Davis Hogan Galleries, located in the Toner Student Center, are open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and are free and open to the public.

Senior art shows to run April 2-May 14 at SMU

WINONA, Minn. — Saint Mary’s University senior art students will present their work in the upcoming exhibit, “Through the Lashes,” Saturday, April 2, through Saturday, May 14, at the Lillian Davis Hogan Galleries.

“Through the Lashes,” is a capstone experience for SMU Art Studio and Graphic Design majors. The name, chosen by the exhibiting seniors, comes from a reference Vincent Van Gogh made to his brother Theo in many letters. Van Gogh would say “Today, I painted through the lashes,” which meant he would squint his eyes to remove the middle grays and helped him focus on the strong contrasts of the objects he was looking at.

Artists displaying their work April 2 through April 24 will include Mike Berg, Quinten Castillo, Liz Daugherty, Rachel Elbert, Andrew Kilpatrick, Ellen Klug, Steven Mino, Rachel Sievers and Melisse Treptow. An opening reception for these students will be held 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday, April 2.

Artists displaying their work April 28 through May 14 will include Alexa Bergler, Stephanie Binot, Emily Cooper, Chelsea Deering, Jesse Fleming, Cody Harvey, Nicole Krystosek, Danielle Miller and Tania Trowbridge. An opening reception for the second showing will be held 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, April 28.

The galleries — free and open to the public — are open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily in the Toner Student Center.

Next SMU gallery show highlights ceramic, mixed media sculptures

WINONA, Minn. — A unique grouping of ceramic and mixed media sculptures by Lisa Schreiner Truax of Saint Mary’s Department of Art and Design will be on display at SMU Feb. 24 through March 27.

The show, “Synthetic Harmony,” is free and open to the public at the Lillian Davis Hogan Galleries, located in the Toner Student Center.

Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

An opening reception is scheduled for 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 24, at the galleries.

Saint Mary’s galleries feature the art of illustrator William A. Berry

WINONA, Minn. — “The Eye Behind the Eye, the Art of William A. Berry” is on display at Saint Mary’s University through Feb. 20.

The show, free and open to the public, is on display at the Lillian Davis Hogan Galleries, located in the Toner Student Center. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

This retrospective exhibition celebrates the life and work of the internationally known artist, illustrator, author and teacher William A. Berry. This exhibit features a number of large colored pencil still life drawings — the medium for which he is perhaps best known. Also on display are portraits, the human form and architectural motifs, represented through a variety of media.

Berry’s rich professional career spanned nearly half a century. His book, “Drawing the Human Form: Methods, Sources, Concepts” is still a widely used textbook for illustration. Berry also worked as an illustrator for Newsweek, The Reporter, Opera News and Esquire. His work has appeared in more than 500 juried and solo exhibits.

A reception will be held Friday, Feb. 4, from 5 to 7 p.m. in the galleries. A presentation by Dr. John Whelan, SMU’s Department of Art and Design, and Valerie Wedel, Missouri Valley College, will take place at 6:15 p.m.

For more information, call (507) 457-1652.

MCA’s Galleria Valéncia grand opening is Jan. 6

WINONA, Minn. – The Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts announces the opening of Galleria Valéncia, Thursday, Jan. 6, at the Valéncia Arts Center, 1164 West 10th St.

Galleria Valéncia will host visual art works from Winona area schools beginning in January 2011. Each month, different schools will display works of their student artists. A variety of schools from the Winona Area Catholic Schools and Winona Area Public School system have reserved space this winter and spring at Galleria Valéncia.

Keeping true to our founder’s original vision of encompassing both performing and visual arts in one’s overall arts education, MCA is in the creation stage of developing a visual art division. “MCA is thrilled to bring the talents of local youth artists to Valéncia and start the first steps in launching our visual art division,” said Christine Martin, managing director. In addition to hosting the works in Galleria Valéncia, MCA hopes to be offering visual art class by January 2012.

Galleria Valencia’s grand opening will be during the MCA registration open house, Thursday, Jan. 6, from 4 to 7 p.m. The gallery will be open throughout the MCA Semester II and Spring session (January – May 2011), Mondays through Thursdays noon to 6:30 p.m., Fridays noon to 5:30 p.m., and Saturdays 9 a.m. to noon.

Development of the MCA visual art division and the opening of Galleria Valéncia is made possible in part by a grant provided by the Minnesota State Arts Board, through an appropriation by the Minnesota State Legislature from the Minnesota arts and cultural heritage fund with money from the vote of the people of Minnesota on Nov. 4, 2008.

For more information about Galleria Valéncia or other programming at the Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts’ Valencia Arts Center, visit www.mnconservatoryforthearts.org.

Next Saint Mary’s exhibit features pottery, drawings Oct. 8-Nov. 14

WINONA, Minn. — Two Midwestern artists will display work at Saint Mary’s University Oct. 8 through Nov. 14.

Pottery by Schwarz features work by Dean Schwarz, a ceramic artist, painter, writer and teacher who co-founded South Bear School, an innovative summer arts school in Highlandville, Iowa. Schwarz was born and raised in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The son of a welder, his initial interests were in athletics, but as an undergraduate student, he developed an interest in ceramics, painting and other visual arts, and abruptly changed his major. While serving in the U.S. Navy in the early 1960s, he used his shore leaves to visit the studios of world famous potters, notably Shoji Hamada in Japan, and Bauhaus-trained Master Potter Marguerite Wildenhain at Pond Farm near Guerneville, Calif. His work is represented in numerous private collections and in the holdings of museums and universities throughout the world.

Drawings by Whelan features work by John Whelan, an adjunct instructor in the SMU Department of Art and Design, who currently lives in La Crosse, Wis. Whelan was born and raised in the Old West End of Toledo, Ohio, less than a mile from the Toledo Museum of Art, which he visited often during his youth. He has taught studio art and art history throughout the Midwest, including 23 years at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. In 1998, he took a leave from teaching to attend the University of Iowa College of Medicine and was awarded the M.D. in 2002. Whelan’s exhibit centers around studies of flowers and the human figure.

The show, free and open to the public, will be on display at the Lillian Davis Hogan Galleries, located in the Toner Student Center. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

For more information, call (507) 457-1652.

Saint Mary’s to display sculpture from Missouri artist

WINONA, Minn. — A unique exhibit of sculptures, some using found objects, that “exhume, analyze and challenge past and present issues,” will be on display Thursday, Feb. 25, through Friday, March 26, at Saint Mary’s University.

Chris Wubbena, assistant professor in the Department of Art at Southeast Missouri State University, will display “the de minimis series” (a term often used to reference trivial or unworthy matters) in the Lillian Davis Hogan Galleries.

Wubbena’s show will feature a group of three large-scale floor pieces, each constructed out of materials such as wood, steel, concrete, paper, clothing and found objects, as well as six slide-projection pieces, each projecting images onto masking tape adhered to bricks. “The de minimis series” also features thunderous sound projection sculptures and wall-mounted sculptures consisting of manipulated books.

An opening reception for the artist is scheduled for 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25, at the galleries, which are located in the Toner Student Center. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, and the exhibit is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Sister Margaret Mear at mmear@smumn.edu.

Saint Mary’s faculty art show highlights work of Sister Margaret Mear

Sister Margaret Mear's work will be featured in the upcoming faculty show at Saint Mary's University. Mear is retiring after 33 years with SMU's Department of Art and Design.

WINONA, Minn. — Seven Saint Mary’s University faculty members from the Department of Art and Design will display their work Thursday, Jan. 7, through Sunday, Feb. 14, in the Lillian Davis Hogan Galleries.

The show, “Seven Point Perspective,” will feature a retrospective of retiring faculty member Sister Margaret Mear’s work and honor her tireless contribution to the university for the past 33 years. Also displaying works are Brother Roderick Robertson, Preston Lawing, Rob McCall, John Whelan, Charlie Campbell and Kathy Greden Christenson.

An opening reception is scheduled for 4:30 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 7, at the galleries, which are located in the Toner Student Center. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, and the exhibit is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Mear at mmear@smumn.edu.

Student art on display through Dec. 11

This relief print by Brianna Nelson is one of several pieces on display for the 2009 Undergraduate Art Show at Saint Mary’s University. The show is not limited to art majors, but is open to any SMU art student. A variety of artwork is on display Thursday, Nov. 19, through Friday, Dec. 11, in the Lillian Davis Hogan Galleries, located in the Toner Student Center. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, and the exhibit is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Sister Margaret Mear at mmear@smumn.edu.


A True Fighter” by Mariana Sanchez is part of the 2009 Undergraduate Art Show at Saint Mary's University. The show, currently on display at the Lillian Davis Hogan Galleries, includes photographs, drawings, sculptures and prints. The exhibit will run through Dec. 11 and is free and open to the public. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. For more information, contact Sister Margaret Mear at mmear@smumn.edu.

Illustrations, sculpture on display Oct. 7 through Nov. 11 at Saint Mary’s

"Octopus" by Chris Ayers

"Genesis" by Maureen Costa

WINONA, Minn. — Chris Ayers, a Los Angeles character designer, and Maureen Costa, an Arizona sculptor, will display their work Oct. 7 through Nov. 11 at Saint Mary’s University’s Lillian Davis Hogan Galleries.

Ayers’ film credits for character design include “Star Trek XI,” “X-Men: The Last Stand,” “Fantastic Four,” “Iron Man,” “The Incredible Hulk,” and “Men in Black 2.” In the spring of 2005 Ayers was diagnosed with leukemia, a type of blood cancer. One year later, he started a sketchbook and drew one animal each day for a year to help with his healing process. His SMU show, “The Daily Zoo,” will include a variety of these sketches — now published in the book, “The Daily Zoo: Keeping the Doctor at Bay with a Drawing a Day.”

In “Contemplation,” Costa will display work that serves as a metaphor about the religious imagination, reincarnation and the changing states of consciousness. Her pieces, carved from basswood, have a bulbous shape, from which she is able to create a “moment of blissful liberation.” Costa says, in her view, that humanity is in a constant state of changing and metamorphosis, and she aspires to reflect that change in her work.

A closing reception will be held 4 to 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6, at the galleries, located in the Toner Student Center. Ayers will be present for the show’s closing to sign his book, which will be available for purchase. A portion of the proceeds from “The Daily Zoo” is used to support cancer-related charities and research.

Admission is free and open to the public, and gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. For more information, call (507) 457-1652.