Bemidji State University: Ceramic Works by Five McKnight Artists on Display at Bemidji State University

By Press release submission

Apr 12, 2022

Bemidji State University issued the following announcement on April 6.

A touring exhibit featuring work by ceramic artists who have won McKnight Foundation fellowships or residencies from the Minneapolis-based Northern Clay Center is now on display in Bemidji State University’s Talley Gallery.

The exhibition, Five McKnight Artists, which opened April 4 and runs through May 6, includes work by three artists who earned 2019 McKnight Residency Awards and two 2020 McKnight Fellows.

“This show will expose students to diverse ideas and creativity,” Laura Goliaszewski, BSU’s art galleries director, said. “It may also inspire art students to investigate new ideas and techniques in their progression as artists.” McKnight Clay Gallery

The fellowship winners are Andrea Leila Denecke of Scandia, Minnesota, and Brad Menninga of St. Paul, Minnesota, and the residency recipients are Pattie Chalmers of Carbondale, Illinois, Rebecca Chappell of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Marcelino Puig-Pastrana of San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The McKnight Artist Fellowships and Residencies for Ceramic Artists programs are designed to strengthen and enhance Minnesota’s artistic community. Fellowships help offset studio and living expenses, and allow artists to experiment with new materials and techniques and build upon ideas within their work. Residencies are granted to artists outside Minnesota for a three-month stay at the Northern Clay Center in Minneapolis.

Each year, the center develops an exhibit of fellowship and residency recipients which is then toured around Minnesota.

The ceramic pieces featured in the exhibit illustrate a unique story and background about each of the artists.

Clay face

Five McKnight Artists, and all activities at the Talley Gallery, are supported by Bemidji State’s student body through the Student Activity Feel Allocation Committee. Located in Bridgeman Hall room 140 on the campus of Bemidji State, the Talley Gallery is open at no charge to the public. The gallery is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Parking for gallery attendees is available along neighboring streets.

About the Talley Gallery

Bemidji State University’s Talley Gallery was dedicated to the memory of Ila Mae Talley on Sept. 27, 1975. Talley joined the Bemidji State Teachers College faculty in 1946 and taught at the college until her death in 1963. During her tenure, she organized the Bemidji Creative Arts Center and the Minnesota Art Education Exchange, now known as the Art Educators of Minnesota. At BSC, she taught a variety of students in elementary art, techniques of weaving, introduction to art and methods of teaching art.

The Talley Gallery’s exhibits, collections and programs have supplemented BSU art education and cultivated a greater understanding of and appreciation for creative expression in the Bemidji region. Each year, the gallery hosts six visiting professional artists and juries three BSU student shows – two senior art shows and one scholarship show. All Talley Gallery activities are supported by the Bemidji State student activity fee.

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