MEDIA RELEASEFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEAnn Benrud, Director of Communications Kerry Morgan, Director of Gallery and Exhibition Programsabenrud@mcad.edu, 612.874.3793 kmorgan@mcad.edu, 612.874.3667

Inside an Explorer’s Mind: Survival, Innovation, DesignA Will Steger Exhibition

Event Details: Exhibition dates: September 14–October 6, 2013 Artist talk: Thursday, September 19, 6:30 p.m., Auditorium 150 Artist reception: Friday, October 4, 6:00–8:00 p.m.

AUGUST 30, 2013—Minneapolis, MN—The Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD) is pleased to present a unique exhibition featuring the sustainable design work of world-renown polar explorer Will Steger. The first person to reach both Poles by dogsled, Steger is known by many titles—educator, photographer, and explorer. He has spent more than 50 years traveling through the Arctic and Ant-arctic regions, advocating for the Earth’s preservation and advising on permanent solutions to climate change.

This exhibition focuses on a lesser-known aspect of Steger’s vision: design and innovation. Over many decades Steger has designed or adapted clothing, equipment, and technology to withstand difficult Arctic conditions. While on one of his expeditions he sketched plans for a unique building and center that will offer people a transformative experience—the Steger Wilderness Center for Innovation and Leadership near Ely, Minnesota. Photographs, videos, drawings, clothing, woodwork, and other unusual items all based on Steger’s unique vision for and knowledge of the earth’s environment will be featured in this exhibition.

The exhibition opens on Saturday, September 14. Will Steger will discuss the genesis of the Steger Wil-derness Center for Innovation and Leadership in relation to his design strategies and commitment to engage people in solutions to climate change, during a public talk scheduled for Thursday, September 19 at 6:30 p.m. A closing reception will take place on Friday, October 4 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

An auxiliary exhibition will feature MCAD undergraduate and graduate students projects that have de-veloped out of the college’s Bachelor of Science course “Aesthetics of Sustainability” and the Master of Arts in Sustainable Design degree program. These course and program offerings allow students the opportunity to gain in-depth and actionable knowledge and experience—putting sustainable design theory into practice by developing fundamental problem-solving skills, collaborative innovation tech-niques and processes, and creative leadership experience.

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ABOUT WILL STEGER AND THE STEGER WILDERNESS CENTER FOR INNOVATION AND LEADERSHIP

Will Steger, an influential voice calling for preservation of the Arctic and the Earth, is best known for his legendary polar explorations. For more than 50 years, he has traveled tens of thousands of miles by kayak and dogsled, leading some of the most significant polar expeditions in history, including the first confirmed dogsled journey to the North Pole without re-supply in 1986, the 1,600-mile south-north traverse of Greenland (the longest unsupported dogsled expedition in history) in 1988, and the first dogsled traverse of Antarctica (the historic seven month, 3,741-mile International Trans-Antarctica Expe-dition) in 1989–90.

Concerned with the rapid impacts of climate change over the last fifteen years, Steger established the Will Steger Foundation in 2006 to translate his concern for the issue into education and public policy and engage people in finding solutions to climate change. The Will Steger Foundation is part of his long-term legacy for addressing this critical issue. The Steger Wilderness Center for Innovation and Leadership is the next and final phase of his larger mission to keep the planet sustainable for future generations. Located in Minnesota’s north woods, on the edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, the Steger Wilderness Center for Innovation and Lead-ership will host leaders across disciplines. With an emphasis on the transformative power of the wil-derness, the Center will create the conditions that ignite break-through ideas and solutions to today’s pressing problems.

“I harbored a vision for most of my adult life to build a Center in the wilderness in order to draw small groups of key decision makers. On my expeditions I had experienced the power of the wilderness setting on group dynamics. I felt that I could make the biggest impact with my life if I could harness this same spirit and energy and direct it towards the betterment of society and the preservation of our environment. It was during the Trans-Antarctic Expedition that I conceived the designs for the Steger Wilderness Center.” —Will Steger

ABOUT THE MINNEAPOLIS COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGNRecognized nationally and internationally for its innovative and interdisciplinary approaches to visual arts education, the Minneapolis College of Art and Design is home to more than 700 students and offers professional certificates, bachelor of fine arts and bachelor of science degrees, and graduate degrees.

All exhibitions and related events are free and open to the public.

MCAD Gallery HoursMonday–Friday, 9:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m.Saturday, 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.Sunday, Noon–5:00 p.m.

mcad.edu

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Right. Steger Wilderness Center for Innovation and Lead-ership, near Ely, MN, photo by John Ratzloff

Below. Will Steger portrait, photo by John Ratzloff

IMAGES:Digital images available upon request.

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