Faculty of Fine Arts - Annual Report 2004-05


Art/Art History
Chair: Mary Griep

Report on 2005 activities and accomplishments by the Department of Art and Art History:

There were 39 Studio, 8 Art History and 4 students were certified in Art Education graduating in 2005.

The department has begun a process of rethinking the foundation level courses and integrating a shared digital imagery resource. The department received funding from the College for important new equipment to expand our curriculum; including new safer kilns for the ceramics area, a new intaglio press, and new photographic and digital equipment.

Visiting speakers/artists/art historians included:

  • A gamelan and shadow puppet performance by the Indonesian Performing Arts Association of Minnesota in conjunction with the puppet master Widianto. This was a multi-day, multi-institutional event including the departments of Theater, Linguistics, Sociology and Anthropology, Dance and Asian Studies from both St Olaf and Hamline University.
  • Professor Harold Mok from Chinese University of Hong Kong.
  • Alumni Eugene Skibbe discussing the art he had donated to the college.
  • Scott Montgomery and Alice Bauer lectured on Pilgrimage to Santiago De Compostela, cosponsored with Religion Dept.

Flaten Museum presented five major exhibits including a joint post-leave show of work by Irve Dell and Mary Griep. Other shows included the Body Maps exhibit by South African Women living with HIV, and Teresa Church, Quilts and Poetry, which was part of an Africana Colloquium.

Activities included the third “Survivor” weekend during Interim Break.

Faculty and staff accomplishments:
  • Wendell Arneson exhibited in the National Oil Painting Exhibition.
  • Heather Brooks-Shirey was hired as Director of the Visual Resource Center. She also received a grant to travel to West Africa to collect new images for the African and African Diaspora Art course.
  • Jill Ewald exhibited in the American Drawing Biennial.
  • Ron Gallas’ work appeared in 500 Figures in Clay: Ceramic Artists Celebrate the Human Figure.
  • Mary Griep received a Faculty Development Grant.
  • Patrick Kelley showed work at the Daumenkino Exhibit Kunsthalle Dusseldorf, Germany.
  • Karil Kucera continued her leadership role with the IDEAS Project.
  • Meg Ojala received a McKnight Artist Fellowship.
  • Matthew Rohn published “History of Art Through the Ages” in Proceedings for the School of Visual Arts: Art and Story.
  • Nancy Thompson received a FACE grant for research in Florence, Italy.
  • Irve Dell received an grant from the Jim Henson Foundation for continuing development and touring of the Quicksilver Project.
Dance
Chair: Janice Roberts

The dance department had a full and exciting year. The department sent 16 students to the American College Dance Festival North Central Regional at Iowa State University in Ames, IA from March 12-16. St. Olaf College presented to works for adjudication. A solo from senior dance major, Berit Ahlgren titled Twenty-One and a Half, choreographed by Uri Sands, was selected for the gala concert. This is a wonderful honor for the student, the department and the college.

The dance department hosted guest artist KT Niehoff, from Seattle, to set a new work on Companydance. She also taught numerous master classes during her residency.

Anthony Roberts, received a grant from The Ella and Kaare Nygaard Foundation to supporting touring of Swing a Club: facing cancer. The work features both student and faculty performing artists. This ensemble toured to the following locations;

November 4-6, 2004 at 7:30 PM
Wagner/Bundgaard Studio One in Dittmann Center

March 18-19, 2005 at 7:30 PM
Bloomington Center for the Arts

March 24-25, 2005 at 8:00 PM
Scottsdale Community College Performing Arts Center

April 9, 2005 at 8:00 PM
University of Iowa

The dance department was also host to two University dance companies: University of Iowa and Carleton. The department looks forward to hosting other companies in the future. Other guest artists included Keith Johnson and Christian Adeti.

The department also spent time discussing ideas and future issues concerning the current GE attribute for PHA (Physical Activity Requirement)

Music
Chair: Dan Dressen

2004-05 saw the first year that all music major prospective students were required to audition to begin the major. Previously, only professional students (BM) were so required. Enrollment in first-year theory in the fall of 2004 capped off at approximately 80 students, which was a decrease of nearly 20 students from the previous year. Consequently, enrollment numbers in first semester theory were in a more manageable range of twenty students per section. Attrition between first and second semester theory courses improved. Registration for third semester theory is nearly identical to that of a few years ago when first semester enrollment was significantly higher. As a consequence, the department decided to reduce its first semester theory offerings from five to four sections. In a follow up to the NASM Self Study of a 2002-03, a faculty task force reviewed the chamber music component of the department and how faculty supervision of it might be increased. Most of the task force’s recommendations have been implemented for 2005-06. Performance highlights include three successful national tours by the touring ensembles, a visit by the St. Olaf Choir to the White House to sing in the East Room for the National Day of Prayer, and a hugely successful Norway tour in June by the three touring ensembles. Approximately 250 student musicians, 90+ adults in three adjunct study tours and a dozen staff traveled throughout much of the country, from Kristiansand to Snåsa. Web blogs from students and staff informed the St. Olaf community of the tour’s progress. Beside these tour performances, the Music Department sponsored nearly 200 performances (recitals, concerts, master classes, etc.) on and off campus during 2004-05. Changes in department personnel included the retirements and/or resignations of faculty members, Anne Adams, Donna Dixon, Keith McCutchen, Bob Scholz, Cynthia Stokes and Theo Wee and Music Organizations secretary, Mary Auge. New faces include, Christopher Atzinger, Assistant Professor in Piano, Christopher Aspaas, Assistant Professor in Choir and Voice, Andrew Hisey, Associate Professor in Piano, Laura Caviani, Instructor in Jazz Piano, Mark Calkins, Instructor in Voice, and Mary Tramby, Music Organizations Secretary.

Theatre
Chair: Karen Wilson

The St. Olaf Theatre department had an active and productive year. Student interest and participation in classes and the productions of the St. Olaf theatre were very strong. The core faculty and staff in the department were joined by numerous guest artists and speakers through the year which provided an increased depth and experience in both classes and performance activities. Throughout the year, the department has remained involved in the projects and needs of the Northfield area through assistance, student outreach projects, coaching, consulting, guest lectures, and staged readings. The theatre building opened as a newly renovated space nearly 30 years ago and several aspects of the facility and equipment have seen replacement and renovation over the past year.

Classes: Enrollments are high with waiting lists for the majority of course offerings. John Plumpis (Timon in Lion King touring production), Pam Paulson (Deputy Director, Perpich Center for Arts in Education), Raymond C. Offenheiser ( Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellow: Oxfam America President ) provided guest lectures in classes. Theatre artists Barbara Berlovitz, Barbe Marshall, Donald Preston, Matthew Howe, and Myron Johnson contributed their expertise and coaching in our performance-related courses.

“New Plays on Campus Collaboration”: St. Olaf College’s production of Perpetua marks the pilot program of a new collaboration with the MN Playwrights’ Center called “New Plays on Campus.” The collaboration received recognition in national publications, and the collaboration was presented at the Communication and Theatre Association of MN (CTAM) conference and at the July, 2005 Association for Theatre in Higher Education Conference in San Francisco. Karen P. Wilson initiated the program.

Performance Activities: The department produced five major productions and fifteen one act plays during the 2004-2005 school year. In addition, the theater co-sponsored several visiting artists during the year. In all, the department presented 30 performances with a total of 5,268 audience members. The department hosted the Artist Series performance of Kevin Kling in Kelsey Theatre, Saturday, December 11, 2004. Three professional artists contributed to our productions and teaching & learning experiences: Nayna Ramey : guest designer for Nickel and Dimed,Mary Ann Kelling: costume design for Moonchildren and Myron Johnson: choreography for Threepenny Opera.

Grants and Gifts: A sincere thank you to Deb Bonde for a gift to purchase electronic pianos for Kelsey and Haugen theatres in honor and remembrance of her daughter Anna Bonde. Karen P. Wilson wrote and received a Nygaard grant to work on preserving theater archival material.

NAST Update: A progress report was completed by Karen P. Wilson and submitted to NAST for approval of the following degree: Bachelor of Arts- 4 years: Theatre (Licensure in Dance and Theatre). At their March meeting, the Commission voted to accept the response and grant Plan Approval for this degree.

Facility Updates: The Theatre Building is in the process of renovations including new seating for Haugen Theater, new seating, carpeting and paint for Kelsey Theatre, (selected and designed by architect Steve Edwins), and capital equipment purchases of replacement sound equipment for both Kelsey Theater and Haugen Theatres.