Art works are shown in Gallery St. Germain.
The show is a celebration of St. Cloud State’s sesquicentennial and displays the diverse inquiries into visual culture and the persistent assertion of curiosity that exemplifies St. Cloud State artists, said Curator Andrew Nordin ’95.
The exhibit name celebrates the common thread of St. Cloud State’s influence that is weaved through the alumni works creating a connecting path or continuum between former students — many who’ve never met, he said.
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An opening reception will be held 5-9 p.m. Oct. 19 at the Gallery St. Germain.
“Fabric” has three focuses — a survey of abstract paintings that is displayed at the Paramount, works from local and national printmakers and illustrators, and an exhibit of wildly disparate approaches and techniques at the Gallery St. Germain. In the gallery exhibit-goers will find ready-mades, sculpture, concept-based painting, new methods of photography and new media works such as video and performance.
The show features the work of more than 30 alumni and former faculty members whom Nordin invited to participate in the exhibit. Artists from New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, California, Minnesota and other states are represented.
An art installation is on display in “Fabric”.
Nordin drew on his experience as a student, faculty member and professional artist to find the show’s featured artists. After graduating St. Cloud State in 1995, Nordin went on to earn his Master of Fine Arts at San José University in California and now teaches art and curates galleries at Ridgewater Community College and teaches painting courses at the University of Minnesota Morris. Nordin taught at St. Cloud State as an adjunct professor from 2007-15.
“The artists were enthusiastic to give back to the community by exhibiting together,” he said. “… The exhibit could be created multiple times with different artists than the ones I chose. Rather than being definitive, it is definitely a show that is through the filter of one alumni’s, my own, experiences. Kiehle Hall was a vibrant place when I started there — and it still is.”
Other artists who were invited wanted to participate but couldn’t pause from their busy careers to make the commitment, he said.
“It’s not always apparent to the St. Cloud community, but there is really an amazing history of success and wild experimentation that has come from St. Cloud State,” he said.
Nordin encourages fellow alumni to stop by the exhibit both during homecoming and afterward. The collection includes works that call for multiple viewings, he said.
“Alumni can see faculty influences in almost all the work as the legacy of St. Cloud State faculty is one of the best in the region,” Nordin said. “When they view the work, their own perspective of when they studied at St. Cloud State will be found. I’m looking forward to hearing feedback about the connections that are made.”
