You reached this page through the archive. Click here to return to the archive.

Note: This article is over a year old and information contained in it may no longer be accurate. Please use the contact information in the lower-left corner to verify any information in this article.

Senior student art showcased at renovated Dittmann Center

David Gonnerman '90
April 11, 2003

Paintings, photographs, drawings, prints and sculptures are now on display at the annual St. Olaf College senior art show, which spans two separate weeks: April 13-24 and April 27-May 8. Both shows are in Flaten Art Museum gallery and the Virginia and Jennifer C. Groot Student Gallery in the Dittmann Center.

Thirty-seven St. Olaf seniors are participating in this year?s show. The students introduce themselves and their work at 2:30 p.m. on the opening day of each show. Flaten Art Museum Director Jill Ewald is impressed with how creatively students have used materials for this year?s show. She commented on "incredibly beautiful" wood tables by Brian Slattery ?03, caste aluminum tree branches and a 15-foot-long caste-iron tree by Andy Ecklund ?03 and a series of five- to 10-second animated shorts by Ben Toht ?03. The animation will be seen on the gallery?s new LCD monitor.

Another creation involves 2,356 ceramic cups by Jenelle Steele ?03. The cups, of varied sizes and heights, create a wave pattern flowing out of a gallery window.

Art instructor John Sauer attributes the variety of this show to the art department?s foundations program, which requires art students to study media they might not normally experience.

"We as faculty use a wide range of materials," he says. "Exposure to us and our sensitivities opens doors to them. This program ensures that a sculptor, for example, has had plenty of drawing, color, theory and art history to help him or her ultimately come up with personally important concepts and the best way to express them."

According to Sauer, other schools typically don?t require this level of exposure.

This is the second senior show in Dittmann, the college?s art facility that opened in May 2002, and the students seem more in tune with their environment, Sauer says.

"They're taking advantage of the scale, height and light we have now," he explains. "Two years ago they couldn't have done some of the work they're displaying now."

Gallery hours are Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Saturday and Sunday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. The shows are free and open to the public.

Contact David Gonnerman at 507-786-3315 or gonnermd@stolaf.edu.