Yearly Art Exhibit Puts Spotlight on Student Accomplishments
by Noah Rohlfing
Every spring, Concordia art majors get the chance to showcase their best work and vie for a little scholarship money along the way.
At the end of each school year, the art faculty at Concordia judge work submitted from every single art major on campus. The best work is shown in Marxhausen Gallery of Art for the public to see during the last three weeks of school.
Professor of Art Dan Robson explained the process behind choosing pieces for the gallery.
“We start about a week before the reception/gallery opening. It’s a juried show, so all of the art professors go around and look over every piece. Professors can not judge pieces put in by students from their classes. We spend up to eight hours choosing the pieces,” Robson said.
He also mentioned that being a part of the gallery is a required event for art majors.
“First and second-year art majors must submit five works of any type of art. No more and no less. It’s seven for juniors and seniors,” Robson said.
Robson estimated that 120 pieces of art are on show in the gallery this year.
Monetary awards are possible as well for those who find their work awarded in the gallery. There are five endowments awarded in the Brommer, Lillich, Class of 1933, Leo Seek, and Marxhausen scholarships. Each scholarship represents a different donor or organization, and the winners are chosen based on criteria specific to each endowment.
Some of the winners this year were Grace Woodburn, who won the Brommer Award for being a leader in the art department, and Emmi Moll and Chelsea Wohlgemuth, who shared the Lillich endowment for graphic design. All three are juniors at Concordia.
There are numerous types of artwork on display, from cardboard creations to graphically designed movie posters and everything in between. Every piece has its own personality, and walking through the gallery, it’s hard not to be astonished by the talent on hand.
The gallery has a sense of joy to it, as it represents a celebration of the accomplishments of art students who have worked hard all year and get to show off their immense talents. It is a very prestigious honor that is held dearly by the art department as a sort of culmination of the year’s teachings.
The art gallery is always a success, Robson said with a smile.
“We have lots of pride in the work our students produce,” Robson said. “Everyone in this department is fully invested in the students, and we’re like a little family, and for me, that’s the department’s greatest strength. We spend a lot of time with the students and get to know them, and nurture what’s unique in each student.”
Jim Bockelman, the professor of art at Concordia and the director of Marxhausen, said that the Art Exhibition is a “spring ritual for the university’s art community.”
“It is a great opportunity to see a wide range of art expression from all levels of students,” Bockelman said.
This year, the art exhibit is open until May 3, every weekday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and weekends from 1-4 p.m at the Marxhausen Gallery of Art in Jesse Hall.
