Month: February 2021

It’s our 50th year of hosting a student exhibition, and there is a lot to celebrate! Because a lot of students are learning remotely this year, we don’t have physical works to showcase. We are adapting and hosting a virtual exhibition through Art Spaces that will allow you to move around a virtual gallery setting to experience the works. We will also host a digital, flippable catalog that will feature works by the students and highlight award winners. 

This year, 52 Drake students submitted 150 works. Our juror, Nikki Renee Anderson, selected 67 works by 35 Drake students to be included in the exhibition. Nikki Renee Anderson, a Drake Alum and Chicago-based artist and educator, had a tough job and seriously considered all the entries. She said, “The work in this show represents a collection of ideas that have impact and resonance within the context of Drake and the larger society.” We can’t wait for you to see it!

At 2pm on Sunday, March 7, 2021, we live-streamed the virtual opening. President Martin provided some opening remarks. We will also had the opportunity to hear from our juror, Nikki, and Provost Mattison and Dean Gerhard presented over $1500 in awards generously donated by family and friends of Thad Archie. Click on the button below to watch as we unveiled our virtual exhibition and announced student award winners.

Click the buttons below to view the virtual exhibition and flip through the digital catalog. These amazing resources are up through the end of April 2021. Participate as many times as you like! Thanks for joining us and helping us celebrate Drake’s long tradition of showcasing student works!

AWARDS:

Juror Nikki Renee Anderson selected these works for special recognition:

• Honorable Mention in Drawing = Alanna Wuensch for “Breaking Through”
• Honorable Mention in Sculpture = Chloe Laizure for “Lump Hollow”
• Honorable Mention in Printmaking = Katie Segler for “Untitled”
• Honorable Mention in Painting = Hannah Cohen for “Melting Pot”
• Honorable Mention in Graphic Design = Amelia Sims for “Cooper Hewitt Postcards”
• Honorable Mention in Interactive Media = Alison Kuttler
• Second Prize = Hedera Belmond for “History of Shapes”
• First Prize/Best in Show = Lasha Stewart for “Black Out Portrait 2”

The Department of Art + Design selected Kaili Miller’s “Three Piece Letter Press Series” for the prestigious Provost Purchase Award! Congratulations to all the award winners and to those who had the courage to submit and share their works!

And don’t forget to follow us on social media where we will be sharing the works of each of the 35 participating students from March 8 – April 16, 2021. Learn more about these talented Drake students and see details of their works.

We are saddened to learn of the passing of Sigurd Anderson. He, along with his wife Ann, established the Anderson Gallery at Drake University in 1996. We celebrate his life as we recognize his legacy and impact. We send our sympathies to his cherished family and friends.

Sigurd Einar Anderson, 88, was born January 26, 1933 in Des Moines, Iowa, the son of Clarence and Gladys (Jones) Anderson. He passed away peacefully surrounded by his loving family Saturday, February 13, 2021. Sigurd is survived by his wife, Ann Green Anderson; daughter, Mertze Anderson Johnson; grandchildren, Ian (Amy) Johnson, Sigurd Anderson IV and Sean Anderson; other loving relatives and many dear friends. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his son, Sigurd Anderson III and his son-in-law, Wade B. Johnson. Cremation has occurred and per Sigurd’s wishes, there will be no services at this time. His ashes will be distributed with those of his family in the summertime. Memorial contributions may be directed to the Des Moines Art Center in loving memory of Sigurd.

From Hamilton Funeral Home on 2.20.21

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PAGES FROM THE BOOK OF THE UNKNOWN EXPLORER – A Virtual Performance Lecture

Join us online on Wednesday, March 10, 2021 at 7pm for Judit Hersko’s virtual performance lecture followed by questions from the audience. This event is designed for the entire Drake community, and students and faculty in all disciplines are encouraged to attend. We will live-stream Judit’s performance, “Pages from the Book of the Unknown Explorer,” on the Anderson Gallery’s YouTube Channel.

Judit Hersko is an installation artist who works in the intersection of art and science. She collaborates with scientists on visualizing climate change science through art and narrative. Her work is rooted in extensive research as well as in a playful exploration of materials and phenomena of light, shadow and transparency. Her current practice involves story telling through performances that incorporate the objects she makes.

Judit Hersko is the recipient of the 2020 Myron “Mike” Marty Arts + Humanities Lectureship awarded by the Center for the Humanities through a generous donation from the Ralph & Sylvia G. Green Charitable Foundation. 

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IMAGINING THE FUTURE: HOW STORIES WE TELL SHAPE THE PLANET – A Collage Workshop

Drake students, please join us in person for a safe and socially distanced collage workshop in the Anderson Gallery on Friday, March 26, 2021 from 1-4pm. This is limited to 16 students from any discipline. Learn more about climate change as Judit leads the group through brainstorming sessions and short demonstrations to create books made with found materials. Individual workstations and art kits are free and available to those who participate. Click the button below to register.

Workshop details: In this interactive workshop, we will explore how humans have come to dominate the planet earth by the fictions they create and live by. We will investigate how nature and culture might be telling a different story about who we are and where we come from. We will also look at alternative narratives of the future, and participants will be able to work on their own vision. The outcomes will range from lists of words, free writing, brief stories, to artist book pages.

Workshop Leader: Judit Hersko’s work has received national as well as international recognition. In 1997 she represented her native Hungary at the Venice Biennale, and in 2007 her work was featured in Weather Report: Art and Climate Change, curated by Lucy Lippard for the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art. In 2008 she received the National Science Foundation Antarctic Artists and Writers Grant and spent six weeks in Antarctica working with scientists. She has presented extensively on this work at universities, research institutions, conferences, and symposia around the world, and she has published several articles and book chapters. Hersko is a Professor in the Department of Art, Media, and Design at California State University San Marcos, where she initiated the Art and Science Project.

Should you have any questions or need more information, please contact the andersongallery@drake.edu. Or, take a look at more of our Gallery’s resources and opportunities. We look forward to your participation in these events!