Last fall, fourth and fifth graders from Ellen Hopkins Elementary School toured the Museum while studying the work of James Rosenquist. Taken with the idea that Rosenquist was once a billboard painter, they set to work with a plan to create a large-scale piece of their own. They used the National Art Education Association’s slogan “You gotta have ART,” and symbols representing North Dakota much like Rosenquist did for The North Dakota Mural.

The mural is comprised of 27 separate panels and, at about 18 feet long and eight feet high, it is the largest work currently hanging in the Museum aside from The North Dakota Mural. Each star was placed by a student who worked on the mural. It will hang on the south wall of the third floor during Sunday’s Youth Art Month reception.

An intriguing project is on display through the weekend in our Atrium – Architecture for the Birds: A Design Competition for Beginning Architecture Students. NDSU architecture students have taken the needs of a particular species of bird, then designed a house that fits their needs while calling upon the design philosophy of a well-known architect. Here’s a photo:

This is a home designed for an eastern bluebird designed around the philosophy of Swiss architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron, designers of the De Young Museum in San Francisco. The designer of the birdhouse writes that “a focus on the strong parallel lines used in the landscape, rooftop and interior spaces inspired my design.”

Another:

This is a home for a kestrel, a type of falcon. It’s designed around the work of modernist architect Richard Meier and based on his design for the Jubilee Church in Rome.

And one more:

This design is for the aptly named house wren inspired by the work of British architect Richard Rogers. As wrens typically build nests in tangles and thickets, Rogers’ functionalist idea that the inner workings of a building be made visible mirrors the needs of the wren.

So far, we’ve seen a sizable turnout of visitors to see the houses and our usual Thursday lunch crowd took a few curious moments to wander among them. Not only are they interesting on their own, but the display itself, overall, is a bit of eye candy:

Again, the birdhouses will only be up through the weekend, so come by and vote for your favorite. The winner of the vote will receive a “people’s choice” award. A professional jury will also award prizes. The Audobon Society will hold an auction of the birdhouses after their display in an effort to support the health and habitat of birds in our region. You can go to www.audobon.org for details.

(All photos by Britta Trygstad, Milestones Photography)

Visitors of all ages took in the School Spirit reception.

On Sunday, the Museum hosted a reception in observation of Youth Art Month, celebrating the work of hundreds of K-12 student artists from around the region. Over 700 students, parents, and observers attended, browsing some 300 art works representing 731 students. Many pieces were collaborations among large groups of students, while others represented individual selections made by the students’ teachers.

Youth Art Month was founded in 1961 (Wikipedia) by the Arts & Creative Materials Institute, Inc., (ACMI) in cooperation with the National Art Education Association (NAEA), as a way to stress the value of art education in the development of young people, to secure the commitment of the general public to the cause of art education, and to raise awareness of art education issues with government and community leaders. Further, Youth Art Month offers a perfect opportunity to celebrate the efforts of budding artists at the beginning of their artistic lives.

Two attendees watch a performance by the Fargo Moorhead Youth Symphony.

Back in 2003, the Museum began encouraging art educators in Fargo-Moorhead and neighboring communities to select student art for display during Youth Art Month. Since then, participation with the project and attendance at the reception have grown substantially each year; our first year, 150 people came to the reception. Over seven years, it has increased to 700 attendees.

Students and teachers both enjoyed the opportunity to have student work featured in the show. Hannah Juhnke, a 10^th grader from Hawley, Minn., gave credit to her teacher, Tara Hager, for finding this outlet for her students.

“There aren’t a lot of art museums around Hawley,” Juhnke said, with a laugh (You can see her graphite drawing “Tender Sympathy”, below). “Mrs. Hager is the one that seeks out different competitions and art museums where our work can be featured.” She plans on pursuing a career in the arts after high school. Paige Davis, a senior from Hawley, doesn’t want to make art for a living but she was still excited to be part of the exhibition.

Paige Davis, "Laugh Out Loud"

“I never thought my cow would make it here,” she said, referencing her print (right). “It’s pretty cool to come here and see everyone’s stuff.”

Hager and fellow teacher Hannah Meyer, a K-6 art teacher from Pelican Rapids, Minn., agreed that the exhibition was an important part of a larger effort to instill artistic skills at a crucial age. Although the decision of which pieces were to be included in the show rested in their hands, Meyer said that selecting the pieces was a good way to acknowledge deserving students.

“I have a school of 450 students and I could only choose four or five pieces,” Meyer said. “It was hard, but it wasn’t. You pick kids that really work hard and deserve it and would appreciate the opportunity to have their work hanging in a show like this.”

Ben-Haim was equally excited for the opportunities the students received as well as the opportunity for families to visit the exhibition together.

“Everybody is so thankful for the attention,” she said. “The students are proud, the parents are proud. It’s really nice.”

Hannah Juhnke, "Tender Sympathy"

The student work will remain on exhibit through March 28 on the 3^rd floor of the Museum. If you have any questions about the exhibition or about Youth Art Month, please call Sandy at 701.232.3821 ext. 109.