
Some information in this department has changed since the publication
of the St. Olaf College 1996-1997 Academic Catalog. Current information
can be found in print or online in The
Catalog Supplement for 1997-98.
The mission of the Art Department at St. Olaf College is to provide liberal arts students with opportunities to produce, view, and learn about visual images so they may better understand themselves, history, and the role of art-making in society. Our traditional commitment to foundation design, art history, and technical expertise is entwined with the challenge of creative, critical thinking, innovation, and the exploration of new ideas in new media.
An independent, national publication, Ruggs' Guide to Undergraduate Education, recently recognized the strength of the St. Olaf art program by naming it as one of the 30 most selective undergraduate art programs in the country of all schools, colleges and universities. Our graduates have moved into many professional fields across the country, e.g. museum and gallery administration, advertising, architecture, conservation, computer graphics, graphic design, illustration, film-making, teaching, and fine art, receiving national acclaim and recognition.
Students who have had considerable experience in studio art are encouraged to seek placement in Art 120, Honors Foundation Drawing. Admission is by portfolio and/or slide review only during orientation week. Time and place will be posted.
Prospective majors shall keep portfolio examples of all studio work and schedule a Junior Review with the department in the first semester of their junior year. These works will form part of their final senior exhibit.
Off-campus Study:
Many students arrange for part of their work in London, Florence, Rome, New York City, Washington, D.C., Chicago, or Minneapolis. With departmental permission, a qualified junior or senior can enroll in specialized studio courses within the normal 14-course maximum for a major in the following well-known independent art schools as part of their St. Olaf art major: Kansas City Art Institute, Minneapolis College of Art and Design, and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Opportunities are also available for internships in specialized fields of study that involve students in the work-a-day world of art professionals. A broad spectrum of opportunity for art history majors is available at the Minneapolis Art Institute, the Walker Art Center, and various galleries; and for studio majors, professional experience is available in graphic design, illustration, architecture, and other areas.
Interdisciplinary Studies:
Liberal arts students can explore the interrelationships of the arts in two special programs, a Fine Arts Major and an Elementary Education-Fine Arts program with a double major preparation for licensed elementary classroom teachers. In the latter, the fine arts major (with emphasis on dance, music, theater, and visual arts) is earned at St. Olaf; the elementary education major is earned at Augsburg College in Minneapolis. See the Interdisciplinary Studies section for more details.
Students interested in studio-related careers or study are strongly encouraged to complete extensive Level III coursework in the media/discipline of their choice to develop a strong portfolio. Also recommended is participation in special programs incorporating advanced work, such as internships or one-semester study at cooperating art schools. The department also offers a unique fifth year program of apprenticeship which provides studio space to a limited number of students wishing to spend an entire year concentrating on developing a strong portfolio in preparation for advanced study.
Art History:
The courses offered begin with two major surveys and continue with courses devoted to more specialized fields. The prospective graduate student, following the completion of one or two surveys, should take subsequent courses in their logical sequence. Art 395: Senior Studies is taught as a seminar with student presentations and discussions patterned on typical graduate school offerings.
The department reserves the right to retain student work for its file.
The following Paracollege seminars, open to general college students, will be offered in 1996-97:
Public Space and Public Art
African Art
Katherine Smith Abbott
Assistant Professor of Art, 1992-
B.A., St. Olaf; M.A., Ph.D. Indiana University
Art history
Irve Dell
Associate Professor of Art, Paracollege Tutor, 1989-
B.A., Williams; M.F.A., Minnesota
Sculpture, 3-D design, drawing
Steven Edwins
Assistant Professor of Art, 1987-
B.A., St. Olaf; M.Arch., Yale
Architectural drawing and design
Ron Gallas
Associate Professor of Art, 1987-
B.A., College of St. Thomas; M.F.A., Minnesota
Ceramics, design
A. Malcolm (Mac) Gimse
Professor of Art, Paracollege Tutor, 1970-
B.A., Macalester; M.A., M.F.A., Iowa
Art history
Mary Griep
Assistant Professor of Art, 1988-89; 1990-
B.A., Macalester; M.A., Hamline
Drawing, design, painting
Karen Helland
Curator/Director of the Steensland Art Museum, Assistant Professor, 1991-
B.A., Luther College; M.A., Minnesota (Duluth)
Kate Lenzmaier
Instructor in Art, 1992-
B.A., Kearny State College; M.A., Mankato State
Art education
Margaret Ojala
Associate Professor of Art, 1983-
B.A., Minnesota; M.F.A., Chicago Art Institute
Photography
Patricia Olson
Instructor in Art, 1993-
B.A, Macalester College
Graphic design
Matthew Rohn
Assistant Professor of Art, Paracollege Tutor, 1994-
B.A., George Washington; M.A., Ph.D., Michigan
Art history
John Saurer
Assistant Professor of Art, 1995-
B.F.A., Hope College; M.F.A, Colorado State
Sculpture, drawing
Jan Shoger
Associate Professor of Art, 1980-
B.A., M.A., Minnesota
Drawing, design, printmaking
Evelyn Sonnichson
Instructor in Art, 1994-
B.A., M.A., Ohio State
Art education
Marcella Taylor
Professor Emerita of English, 1975-
B.A., St. Benedict; M.F.A., Ph.D., Iowa
Film studies, creative writing
Judith Yourman
Assistant Professor of Art, Paracollege Tutor, 1993-
B.F.A., Pratt Institute; M.F.A., Minnesota
Computer-generated imagery and video