A R T E - N E W S

News from the Normandale Art DepartmentA NASAD Accredited Art ProgramNormandale Community College, Bloomington, MN December 2017

Editors: David Luke and Sandi Quiñones Photographer: Dale BrownContributors: Martha Wittstruck, Karen Gustafson, Cindy Koopman, Dale Brown

Felicity Abby Jane Mathieu Scholarship for Fall 2018-Open to AFA in Art Majors-Application Deadline: Noon on Friday, March 3, 2018-Applications available on the Art and Art Major Bulletin Boards

Art courses offered in the Spring 2018ART 1103 Survey of Art History 2: 16th Century Europe to 1945 T/H 11:00 am – 12:20 pm Molly Skjei ART 1103 Survey of Art History 2: 16th Century Europe to 1945 M 6:00 pm – 8:50 pm Molly Skjei ART 1120 Three-Dimensional Design W 6:00 pm – 9:50 pm Sheryl McRobertsART 1128 Watercolor Painting T 12:00 pm – 3:50 pm Karen GustafsonART 1132 Mixed Media TH 1:00 pm – 4:50 pm Cindy KoopmanART 2204 Drawing 2 TH 6:00 pm – 9:50 pm Karen GustafsonART 2206 Glass Fusing 2 F 8:00 am – 11:50 am Martha WittstruckART 2207 Advanced Photography F 9:00 am – 12:50 pm Brian MackART 2210 AFA in Art Capstone: Exhibition F 10:00 am –11:50 am Kris Holmgren

Graphic Design for Fall 2018The Normandale Art Department will be offering an Introduction to Graphic Design. Keep an eye out of ART1116!

Important Announcements

The Normandale Art Department Faculty and Staff Show was held August 15 through September 19, 2017 in the Fine Arts Gallery. Participants in the show were Pam Bentzien, Dale Brown, Karen Gustafson, Kris Holmgren, Piia Huson, Carol Joslin, Yvonne Klocek, Cindy Koopman, David Luke, Brian Mack, Sheryl McRoberts, Lazare Rottach, and Martha Wittstruck.

Faculty Staff Exhibition

For the past few semesters, Art Instructor Cindy Koopman (Art 1101) and English for Academic Purposes Instructor Judith Benka (EAP 0760 and 0850) have collaborated to pair students’ writing with an art project. For example, non-native speakers in both reading and writing classes wrote poems which they illustrated using photo-grams. Last semester and this semester, the students created broadsides. They selected their favorite piece of journal writing and illustrated it with a criblé print made from an etching done on a sheet of Styrofoam with a ballpoint pen. The finished works were displayed in the Fine Arts Gallery. Afterwards, the students wrote about the experi-ence in their journals. One student wrote: “I felt amazed when you showed us our drawings. I wasn’t expecting that our drawings would be posted on the wall, and all the people would see them. Whoever organized the drawing is fantastic.” Another wrote: “After a week the teacher brought us down, and she showed us our writing. Everyone was happy, and they took a picture of it. I was more than happy because my name was on the wall.” Another wrote: “When they dried, a teacher exhibited them on the first floor of the art building. When I saw my work was there, I was so happy. I took some pictures and sent them to my parents. It gave me a good experience to work with art.”

Participants this semester:

Abdikadir Abdullahi Amisi Ali Axumawit Brhane Emely Chavez Solis Nimo Dayib Ajay Gupta Roda Ilmi Shahzoda Kholmamatova Quynh Mai Zakaria Mohamed Chau Nguyen Fatha Nour Kruti Patel Ammar Suleiman Hanna Tinsae Trang Tran Hana YusufOsamah AldoubalAisha BashirJohn CañeteKhasiba DayibAsia FarahMahamed GureBahja JamaKing Hei KwanTatiana MichelsonOmar MuhiyadinHau NguyenCabdiraxiin NuurMahmoud QutobAnushwa ThomasEmanuelJairo Villanueva

Broadside Project

The Art Department is pleased to announce that Lily Wenndt was selected to receive the Bryant Art Scholarship for 2018. She started at Normandale in the fall of 2016. Lily chose Normandale “to pursue a career in art and had heard wonderful things about the program. It has more than exceeded my expectations. The beautiful campus was a huge deciding factor for me. Being outdoors has always inspired my art, and it has really helped my creativity while on campus.”

Her main interest is in drawing and illustration, and telling stories through art. After finishing her AFA in Art, she plans to pursue a career in illustration at a four year college somewhere in Minnesota. “Currently, I am not sure where I will be attending, but am excited about what the future holds.”

Lily was homeschooled through high school. “This was an incredible experience for me. Being homeschooled gave me the freedom to explore different media. I was able to focus more on my art while finishing my high school education. This gave me the confidence I needed to pursue a career in the fine arts.”

Art is important to Lily “because it allows you to express emotions and stories that cannot be expressed in just words. It allows you a freedom of expression and clarity of thought that is only found in the arts. I also love the process of art - the sitting down and being quiet and just letting creativity happen.”

Lily has some advice for anyone considering majoring in art. “If you are passion-ate about art, go for it. Do not let anyone tell you that you cannot do it, because you can. It is a profession, it is a viable career choice, and if you are willing to put the work in, it will be amazing. Do not doubt yourself - just keep going for it. Just keep making more art. Who cares what other people say! You will never regret pursuing something you love.”

Congratulations Lily!

Lily Wenndt: Bryant Art Scholarship Recipient

The Art 1129: Printmaking – Relief students created prints combining modern and traditional methods. The assignment, Text and Image Broadsides, was created using traditional wood cut and the laser engraver in the Normandale FabLab. Students formatted a short line of text for the laser engraver using the Inkscape program. The line of text was a famous quote, family quote, statement/phrase, definition, etc. The students then carved additional imagery onto the woodblock. The text and image is reversed on the block in order to print correctly on the paper. Engraved and carved blocks were printed on Japanese paper using block print ink and brayers.

Laser Engraving - The intersection of Art and Science

Lauren Schreck Osceola PopeMartin Stickney of the NCC FabLab assisting a student

Art Career PanelKaren Gustafson & Kris Holmgren hosted the third annual Career Panel for the Portfolio and Professional Prac-tices class on Friday, October 13th. Three panelists with diverse back-grounds discussed their careers, their education and previous experiences, gave words of advice, and answered student questions. The students found the panel incredibly helpful, giving them inspiration while introducing new possibilities to consider. The three panelists were:

Xavier TaveraAfter moving from Mexico City to the United States, Xavier Tavera learned what it felt like to be part of a subculture - the immigrant community. Subjected to alienation has transformed the focus of his photographs to share the lives of those who are marginal-ized. Images have offered insight into the diversity of numerous communities and given a voice to those who are often invisible. Tavera has shown his work extensively in the Twin Cities, nationally and internationally including Chile, Uruguay and China. Tavera’s AMVETS Post #5 exhibition is currently on display at the Minnesota Historical Society.

Jennifer Davis“Jennifer Davis is a Minneapolis-based artist known for her imaginative paintings of sur-real creatures and whimsical characters. She has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions at venues such as: The Minneapolis Institute of Arts (Minneapolis, MN); The DeVos Art Museum (Marquette, MI); Soo Visual Arts Center (Minneapolis, MN); Foster Museum (Eau Claire, WI); Bloomington Art Center (Bloomington, MN); and Turchin Center for the Visual Arts (Boone, NC), as well as several galleries in major cities across the United States. Davis is a recipient of the 2013 Next Step Fund Grant from the Minne-sota Regional Arts Council/McKnight Foundation. She holds a BFA from the University of Minnesota.” - Public Functionary

Mindy BoltonAs a Community Artist, Mindy’s inspiration comes from a blended collection of both medical and artistic certifications and experiences. Storytelling, poetry, expressive movement, visual art, and improvisational communication, utilized humorously and humbly, are tools that promote wellness and healing. Using these tools, Mindy of-fers intergenerational and multi-modal creativity coaching and sessions that celebrate individuals of all ages and abilities. Mindy Bolton is an alumna of Normandale’s Art Program.

Dale’s Photo Corner from Lake Marion

The Art Department is very pleased to announce that it has been granted full Membership by the National Associa-tion of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). The Art Department had been an Associate Member since 2011. The department recently completed a two-year Self-Study Report. In April of 2017, a NASAD accrediting team visited Normandale to evaluate the art program. The NASAD Commission reviewed the Self-Study and the Visitors Report in October 2017 and approved Membership. This is a great honor for the Art Department and a great benefit for art students.

The Normandale Art Department is part of an elite group of community/two year institutions nationwide that has been granted accredited membership by NASAD. Normandale is the only NASAD accredited community college in Minnesota.

NASAD is the national accrediting agency for art and design and art and design related disciplines. It was estab-lished in 1944 to improve educational practices and maintain high professional standards in art and design education. The granting of accreditation signifies that the Normandale Art Department has successfully demonstrated compli-ance with the procedures, standards, and guidelines of the Association. Accreditation is a stamp of approval, a sign that Normandale has an Art Program that ascribes to, believes in, and has met an external set of criteria and standards of academic strength and integrity. NASAD accreditation assures students and parents the quality of the Art Program.

Dean of Humanities, Dr. Jeff Judge commented, “This national accreditation by NASAD serves as the ultimate vali-dation of the Art Department’s commitment to educating our students, staff, and faculty. Thank you to the association for recognizing the amazing work we’ve always known was happening.”

NASAD

“I enjoy helping students reach their goals and improve their options through higher education.”

Kristen Cooper likes to give advice! Especially to students.

“Meet with an advisor or counselor and get help often. Do not let yourself stay stuck or confused or uncertain. Talk to lots of people and keep asking questions until you find the information you need. Form relationships on campus with teachers and staff who can help guide you on your journey and who can share their wisdom and experience. Get involved with other students. So much of what you can learn in college happens outside of the classroom through extra-curricular activities and through the variety of people you meet. Tap into your creative side either through classes or through hobbies. This is a great stress reliever and brings balance into your life both now as a student and later as an employee. In addition to keeping up my music hobby, I have taken Glass Fusing, Drawing, Literature and Art History.”

Kristen is good at giving advice to students in part because of her experience navigating her way through col-lege. When she began college she was uncertain of her major. She started out with Chemistry, considered Music and Sociology, then settled on Math because “I had to pick something”. It also allowed her enough electives to satisfy her interest in a wide variety of liberal arts subjects. Kristen considered being a math teacher. She con-sidered graduate school to study physical or occupational therapy.

The fall after she graduated with a B.A. in Mathematics at St. Olaf College she was hired at Normandale. She worked as a part-time math tutor for the TRIO programs. That turned into a full-time position as an Academic Coordinator for the TRIO Upward Bound high school outreach program. She later became the Assistant Direc-tor and, for a short time, the Director. Kristen found that she enjoyed helping students improve their options in life through education. She found that many students have barriers that make going to college more difficult. She felt she could help guide and counsel students through their college experience. She continued to work part-time at Normandale and returned to school to attain a Master’s Degree in Professional School Counseling from Minnesota State University-Mankato. Kristen completed her degree and after some part-time work she was hired as a full-time Normandale Counselor. One of her specialties is working with Art students but encourages all students to take advantage of the services offered through Advising and Counseling.

Kristen says that the best part of her job and where she can be the most effective is working directly with stu-dents. She helps students with issues such as choosing a major, where to transfer, how to complete a degree and career planning. She also does personal counseling with students to help them deal with life concerns, stress, and test anxiety. She teaches classes, attends meetings, and is involved in committee work.

Kristen has continued her love of music by playing her oboe. She plays at her church in Bloomington and in two community wind ensembles. She also had the opportunity to play with an organist in the Czech Republic at a music festival. That experience gave her the travel bug. She spent a year on sabbatical living in England learn-ing about how schools there provide academic, career, and personal counseling services. In addition to travel, she also enjoy a bit of running and bicycling as well as time outdoors, and she is active in her church and in Bible Study Fellowship.

Normandale Counselor Kristen Cooper

Kristen Cooper

The Normandale Art Department is fortunate to have two amazing College Lab Assistants (CLAs). On October 26th the Art Department celebrated their ser-vice by surprising them with an Art CLA Appreciation Day. It was hard to sur-prise Piia and Dale since they know everything that happens in the department, but when they arrived in the morning they were greeted by a large celebration banner created by Karen Gustafson. Wanted Posters, Happy Face Stickers, the unveiling of two photo mosaic murals and a reception highlighted the day. Piia and Dale are instrumental in keeping the Art Department running smoothly and our art instructors depend on their expertise every day. Piia HusonPiia came to Normandale in 1999 as a student. Her first class was Sculpture with Sheryl McRoberts. After she graduated with an Associate’s degree in 2001, she was hired as a part-time CLA to maintain the Ceramics and Sculpture studio. Since then her job has expanded. As a full-time CLA she is responsible for maintaining the various art studios, firing the ceramic and glass kilns, order-ing supplies, assisting faculty and working with students. In addition, she has coordinated several special tile mural projects, created glass works in support student scholarships and presented workshops at High School Art Day. Piia also decided to further her education by attaining the AFA in Art degree in 2006. Piia says that Normandale is a great place to work. She enjoys meeting a lot of people across campus. “It’s very welcom-ing and we have many awesome people working here.” One of the most interesting and rewarding parts of her job is “see-ing all of the pieces the students make and see how creative they are.” Outside of work she enjoys creating art, traveling, working out and watching her three boys play hockey. Piia is originally from Finland. In school she studied five different languages: Finnish, English, Swedish, German and Span-ish. She is fluent in Finnish and English. Piia enjoys working in the Normandale Art Department because it is a great place to study art. Her message to students is: “We have excellent art faculty. If you take it seriously you’ll learn a lot and you’ll be rewarded for the time you put in. Do your best – always.” Piia sees art as part of a well-rounded education. “You need to take time for yourself. I think studying art will give you that and also another perspective to your everyday life. It is not always black and white. The more different classes you take the more well-rounded you’ll be.”

Dale BrownDale was hired in August of 2003 as a part-time CLA Photographer. Since then his job and responsibilities have grown. As a full-time CLA he maintains the photography dark room, the MAC computer lab, hires and manages student workers, maintains equipment, orders supplies and does all the photography for the department and works with instructors and students in various subjects including fused glass, printmaking and mixed media. Dale received his B.S. in Photographic Science & Instrumentation at St. Cloud State Uni-versity and an M.S. in Environmental Science (water quality) at Mankato State University. He chose Normandale as a place to work because he thought that it would be “fun to work in the darkroom and to help students learn about photography.”

Art CLAs: Piia Huson and Dale Brown

Piia Huson

Dale Brown

Dale says he loves everything about Normandale and his job. He enjoys the wide variety of things that he gets to work on such as: Assisting faculty, staff and students in various projects such as photographing student artwork, High School Art Day and the tile murals. He also does a lot of photography for campus events, the Japanese Garden Committee and has his photographs displayed in the Biology Lab. Dale is always ready for a new challenge. He had an idea about a touch screen display for the latest tile mural in the ac-tivities building and worked with Chandler Chapman to create the interactive display: A first for Normandale! Photography, camping and Scouting are among Dale’s interests. For the past year or so he has been learning about night photography. He recently took a nighttime photography class and has made several trips to northern Minnesota to photo-graph the Northern Lights and night skies. Prior to starting work at Normandale, the only Art class that Dale had taken was a required semester of high school Art. Since working at Normandale he has delved into various art media including photography, printmaking and fused glass. He took a glass class several years ago and that lead him to purchase a kiln He opened up a studio in his house and now sells his work at Art Fairs and Art centers, and also teaches fused glass classes.Dale highly recommends the art program at Normandale. “We have an awesome accredited Art Program, great teachers and of course great staff!” Dale say that the study of art helps “you think creatively and will help you in whatever career path you choose.” Piia and Dale are an integral part of the Art Department. Their duties are many and varied and they perform them with expertise. Their support of the art program benefits the students and faculty and contributes to the excellence of the art experience at Normandale.

Art CLAs: Piia Huson and Dale Brown (continued)

photo mosaic mural