A R T E - N E W S News from the Normandale Art Department

A NASAD Accredited Art ProgramSeptember 2015

Congratulations to Nicole FairchildNicole relayed the good news of receiving TWO scholarship awards this fall. She received a very presti-gious scholarship from the Entertainment Software As-sociation Foundation and a second from the University of Wisconsin – Stout, Phi Theta Kappa transfer schol-arship. We could not be more proud and wish Nicole success in completing her four-year degree at Stout.

Glass Fusing 2 Exhibit The second annual Glass Fusing 2 Exhibit was held in the Fine Arts Gallery from June 2 to July 31, 2015. Fourteen Glass 2 students exhibited 12 to 14 pieces each.

Participating Students: Amber Adkins, Hannah Aveld-son, Katelyn Bloom, Andrea Bresnahan, Katrina Clynch, Danielle Diede, Ashley Griffin, Hajir Haroon, Mitsue Jacobson, Ashley Kooiman, Briggs Schertler, Angelina Telkova, Brenda Trafton, Taiwan Vortice

Young at Art

Dale Brown participated in a juried Art fair in Brainerd on July 5th with 150 other artists. He received a first place award for his fused glass, on the edge wire melt.

Dale Brown

The fourth annual Young at Art Exhibit was held in the Fine Arts Gallery from June 2 to July 31, 2015. Over twenty young artists exhibited drawings and photographs.

The Pottery Club will meet at 2pm on the first and third Friday of each month in F1293. The club gives access to the ceramics studio as well as community, social, and various learning opportunities to students that are cur-rently taking or have completed Ceramics I. The club will be providing workshops to inexperienced members throughout the semester. Follow NCC Pottery Club on Facebook for updates and information. Liz Kaltenhaus-er is the current president of the club. pottery.club@gmail.com

Pottery Club

Tommy Brown

Aleksi Huson

Niklas Huson

Normandale Fine Arts Gallery Schedule – Fall 2015

August 19 – September 15 - Raigo: Liz Miller / David HamlowArtist Talk/Reception on Tuesday, September 8th, 1:00-2:30pm

September 18 – October 15 - Justin Quinn: supernothing Image: Justin Quinn, Flat Earth Society, collage, 31½” x 28½”, 2015.

October 20 – November 17 - Steven Lang: Midway (Going Where the Lonely Go)Image: Steven Lang, Midway – Ironwood, digital photograph, 2015

November 20 – December 18 - Lisa Bergh: Three Stanzas Image: Lisa Bergh, unfurled (detail), from the multipanel series of flashe paint on paper, 2015.

Gallery Schedule

Fine Arts Gallery held its first exhibition of the fall 2015 season August 17 – September 16. Raigo featured Good Thunder, MN artists Liz Miller and David Hamlow. The artists created two unique installations within the gallery. Liz Miller’s piece, Amaranthine Lotus, incorporated stiffened felt and spray paint, suspended from the ceiling. David Hamlow’s piece, Rapid Decent, utilized conserved plastic assembled into ab-stracted figures descending from heights above. An artist discussion/reception was held on Sep-tember 8th.

Raigo

Steven Lang Lisa Bergh Justin Quinn

Art Instructor Karen Gustafson is currently exhibiting her work at Bemidji State University’s Talley Gallery, from Au-gust 27th – September 24th.

“Intersections” includes works from Gustafson’s Raw to Processed series, where she investigates pattern differences between foods in their natural and processed states. The exhibition also includes drawings of musical patterns, which result in compositions that strongly conjure a place and its surroundings.

In addition to the Bemidji exhibition, Gustafson participated in the 3% Conference, a movement to raise awareness and numbers of women in Creative Director positions in Advertising and Marketing, held in Minneapolis on September 9th.

October 2nd – November 10th Gustafson will be exhibiting her work at the University of Minnesota’s Architecture and Landscape Architecture Library in the exhibit entitled, “Joel Carter & Karen Gustafson: Art, Science, and the Natural World.” This is a companion exhibit to the Sustainable Acts: Mother Earth’s Embrace exhibitions devoted to the inter-section of Science and Art being held at the Institute on the Environment, Instinct Gallery, and the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education at the Minneapolis Convention Center.

Karen Gustafson

The First Annual Metro West Visual Arts Exhibition was held in the Fine Arts Gallery, May 12 to May 29, 2015. The Reception and Award Ceremony was held on May 31. During the reception, student artists, their teachers, families, and friends gathered in the Lorenz Fine Arts Auditorium. The juror, Normandale art instructor David Luke, spoke about the art work and presented the award winners. Sixty-two students exhibited works in various media including drawing, photography, painting, sculpture, mixed media, ceramics, digital photography, and watercolor. Alex Pliska, a student at Bloomington Jefferson, received the Normandale Award of Excellence for his wheel-thrown stoneware ceramic teapot and cups.

Ryan Pedersen, an art teacher at Bloomington Jefferson, was the high school coordinator for the exhibition. He commented on the high quality of the art in the show and was very pleased at the large turnout for the reception.

Participating high schools:Benilde-St.Margaret’sBloomington Jefferson Bloomington KennedyChanhassenChaskaRichfieldRobbinsdale CooperSt. Louis Park

Metro West Visual Arts Exhibition

Ever since Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm began collecting and editing the Children’s and Household Tales two centuries ago, the route and the landscape it passes through have become increasingly infused with the magic of these tales that UNESCO has included in its World Heritage registry since 2005. Romantic in every sense of that word, the German Fairy Tale Route, founded in 1975, wends its way through the landscape of the Brothers Grimm from Hanau, their birthplace, on to Bremerhaven and Bremen, the destination of one of their most famous fairy tales, The Town Musicians of Bremen.

This new English language volume takes the reader to each of the 53 towns and cities of the German Fairy Tale Route plus Berlin and Göttingen, included in this volume because of the important role they played in the life and work of the Brothers Grimm. With hundreds of pictures, historical descriptions of each site plus informative sidebars, sightseeing tips and connections to the location’s fairy tales and legends, the more than 400 pages of this book include twelve of the most favorite Grimm fairy tales along with a wide selection of important legends and sagas. The idea is that this volume will help the reader discover this remarkable landscape with its beautiful rivers, hills and castle-covered hilltops amidst small towns and ancient cities �lled with half-timbered houses, cathedrals, beautiful town halls, ancient ruins, famous spas, unusual museums, caves, mines, harbors and as many other things as the lively imagination needs to make the tales come to life. They do come to life many times each year in festivals and performances in the remarkable towns and cities of this magical landscape.

Sit back and enjoy your trip through the wonders of the German Fairy Tale Landscape.

Welcome to the remarkable

German Fairy Tale Landscape

ISBN 978-3-8271-9139-7

E. Michael Iba / Thomas L. Johnson

The GermanFairy Tale Landscape

The storied world of the Brothers Grimm

German Fairy Tale Route

Fairy Tale Landscape

The German Fairytale Landscape was recently published in Germany as a travel book for tourists to use in order to explore the inspirational locations the Grimms brothers used for their fairy tales. Over 20 photographs of Sheryl’s are published documenting the locations covered in the book. The book was researched and writ-ten by Michael Iba (German version) and Thomas Johnson (English version) who is the husband of Sheryl McRoberts.

Sheryl McRoberts

Alex Pliska

ERIN ARMSTRONG

I chose an AFA because I wanted to work with creative people who are exploring their options like I am. I wanted to work in a welcom-ing and professional setting that let me express myself while also giving me the help I needed to make my artwork better. I have to say my favorite medium is ink, specifically split fountain or micron pen. I like to use ink right away instead of pencil because I love finding forms in the lines and leaving the imperfections. In the future there is potential that I will go to another school to achieve my bachelors degree in Fine Arts and explore my art further.

KAITLYN MOE

I came to Normandale specifically seeking an AFA in Art degree. I’ve known for a long time now that I’m interested in pursuing an art-related career. Beginning my education with an accredited, very affordable art program seemed like a good idea.In like a wide variety of media. I particularly like drawing with graphite or ink. With painting, I prefer to use digital software (such as Adobe Photoshop), although I’ve become more comfortable with oil paints over the course of my education here at Normandale. Sculp-ture is also something that I’ve become more familiar with, and I’ve actually found that I really enjoy modeling in clay. My preferences in media probably reflect my tendencies with art-making in general. I usually like to keep my work technically tight, so media that allow for more precision such as graphite and ink—as opposed to media like charcoal or chalk—suit my needs well. In my two-dimensional artwork, I’ve found that I have a tendency towards emphasizing form and depth instead of flat shapes, so it makes sense that I would enjoy working with clay sculpture since it literally allows me to work with three-dimensional form.

Regarding the purpose of my work, I am unsure. I have yet to truly find my own voice with my work, though I feel the classes I’ve taken here have certainly helped me get closer. I hope my work at least shows that I’m committed to striving towards quality artwork.

I hope to continue my education at CalArts or another institution (Ringling, SCAD, etc.). Wherever I go, my end goal is to work in the animation industry.

AFA ExhibitionEight AFA in Art students exhibited their work in the 2015 Student AFA in Art Exhibition held in the Fine Arts Gallery from April 27 to May 8, 2015. This exhibit is the culminating activity for the AFA in Art degree stu-dents. The AFA in Art Coordinator, Lazare Rottach and Gallery Director, Kris Holmgren coordinated the show and were very pleased at the excellent quality of the work on exhibit.

MATT HINTZ

My work deals most often in bright colors, complex line work, and tight-nit strokes, while considering the overall composition of the work. I am inspired by cultures in art like tattooing, and graffiti. I also draw inspiration from artists like Leonardo DaVinci, Salvador Dali, M.C. Escher, Duchamp, & Basquiat. I work in a multitude of mediums and variety of pieces, because I do not believe that at this point in time that I need a set “style” of work. My work has evolved from the diversity in the media I work in, and a better understanding of what makes art.

I’ve never met a medium of art I did not like. My work tends to be in acrylic paint because of how forgiving it is; if you mess up, paint over it. It is also non-toxic being that it is water based. I work with an artist named Shane Anderson and together we create many large scale projects and murals, often with children, so it’s important to have a paint that’s safe for all ages.

Choosing the AFA degree was an easy decision for me; since middle school I’ve always taken as many art courses as I could. I wasn’t sure where it would lead to, but I knew art was what I wanted to do. All the faculty in the art department has been awesome, and had they not pushed me to take my art seriously I probably would not have met Shane. Working with Shane has far exceeded any expectations I had. We’ve recently even had the opportunity to take up an artist in resi-dency in Thailand, where we worked with children of a small village tribe to create a beautiful mural of the side of their school.

MARJORIE MOORE

I chose the AFA program at Normandale because art and the history of art has always interested me the most. I feel like my best when I’m creating something, the satisfaction I get from a finished piece can’t be compared to any other feeling. I love using mixed media in my art. Usually found objects such as an old discarded book I can carve and give a second life. I also find myself reaching for a pen when I’m drawing. I am most attracted to the works of Ralph Stead-man and Shel Silverstein who primarily used pen and ink. I tend to go more for a creepy, slightly abstract style and people have told me that my work is “Tim Burtonesque” which I take as a very flattering compliment. As for my plans for the future, I think I want to teach high school art, or art history. I would like to eventually sell some of my pieces and make enough to support a small studio to teach art. I’m going to take a short break after I graduate Normandale to work on some personal projects.

KIERSTEN MOE

I chose to get an AFA degree because it has been my dream for the longest time to be an animator. The AFA program has given me a lot of tools and pushed me in ways I hadn’t even considered when I first signed up for classes at Normandale. I am very thankful to have been able to study here and be supported by the art department. It has been an enriching experience.My favorite mediums lately are watercolor and ink. The free-flowing quality of these mediums is really quite beautiful and allows for a spontaneity that other mediums just don’t seem capable of. How-ever, I wouldn’t call myself a watercolor artist. I love a lot of medi-ums and often find myself jumping between them as one piece will often bring up issues that another medium would solve quite nicely. I become fascinated by these new solutions and take to different media quickly. The media I commonly enjoy using include acrylic paints, oil paints, chalk pastels, oil pastels, graphite, colored pencil, charcoal, digital software like Photoshop or Illustrator, and others.As I move forward with my art and my education I hope to find and strengthen my own voice. A lot of my career so far has been improv-ing my skills and learning from my instructors, but now that I am graduating I’m excited to see where I can take my art.The only certain plan I have right now is to take a couple of online courses over the summer. My long-term goal is to work for a major animation company such as Pixar. I’m just taking it one step at a time.

NAMMY LEE

It all started when I saw a little bird outside my window. My brother said, “It’s a Chickadee,” and I told him that I wanted it, but he laughed and said no. Instead, he sketched a picture of it and gave to me. As a kid, it was the greatest thing ever; capturing something and transferring it onto paper. Ever since then, I practiced to reach the realism my brother did and in doing so I learned more about art. I learned about the history of art and how it changed the world, by surveying the types of artworks. E.g. relics depicting past cultures, lifestyles, resources, and beliefs; paintings about historical figures or events; artists’ styles, their lives, emotions and thoughts. Most of all, I learned that art is not only in the medium, but everywhere outside of it. From the veins of the trees, colors of the sky, warmth of the sun, textures of the soil, feel of fabrics, movements and sounds of animals, to lines on streets, repetition of buildings, and to signs, direction and the understanding of these words. In all, I chose the AFA, because someone took the time to teach me a skill and I kept with that skill to learn more about the world around me. The medium I’m most comfortable with is graphite. And as for future plans, I simply don’t know, but I learned to improvise, ques-tion, to always learn, and live a little.

SHANNON O’CONNOR

As both a creative person and an analytical, structured person, I chose an Associate of Fine Arts in Art to compliment my Associ-ate of Science in Business, finding that the two degrees together will help build a unique and diverse set of skills and create in-teresting opportunities. In my artistic work, I’ve explored many mediums, though clay sculpture was my favorite to work with. My style represents what I see and experience, though I do enjoy fantasy themes, and I also experiment with geometric patterns and vivid color. My future goals include owning my own business where I can put my creative skills to use, and to continue using what I’ve learned as an artist in every aspect of my life and future endeavors. My path after Normandale is to pursue more education and work opportunities as I continue to develop my skills as an artist.

Dale’s Photo Corner