3:00pm-4:00pm during the academic year.
Closed in the summer.
Mission:
The aim of the Ron Gallas Cup Library is to make
handmade ceramic cups more accessible to the
St. Olaf community and build appreciation and
awareness of the tradition of handmade functional
pottery through tactile observation.
Who Can Participate?
All St. Olaf Students, Faculty, and Staff can check out a cup from the library for up to two weeks at a time. To browse the collection or make a reservation, use the Art Department Webcheckout page or simply stop by the cup library during open hours and work with a cup librarian to make a checkout. Cups may be checked out for up to two weeks at a time. Please note that damage or loss incurs a $50 fee to support replacement acquisitions.
next meeting or event on campus!
Where and When?
The Ron Gallas Cup Library is located on the main floor of the Center for Art and Dance, near the Link. Cup librarians are present for pickups or in-person checkouts during the semester: Monday through Wednesday, from 3:00PM-4:00PM.
Why Here?
Minnesota is home to a rich tradition and community of ceramic artists. To them, using handmade objects is an essential way to communicate and learn from one another. While this clay hot bed exists locally, citizens often overlook the global significance of this culture because they are unfamiliar with influential clay practices in the United States.
Ron Gallas, a student of Warren MacKenzie’s and himself a Minnesota native, has long been a link to the regional ceramic legacies and community. For Ron, cups are a form of currency. He has always expressed his appreciation, gratitudes, and regrets, by placing a cup he made into another’s hand. It is because of this generous quality he possesses that the cup library will be named after Ron. It will honor his legacy and commitment to ceramics at St. Olaf College.
Why now?
In an increasingly digital age, the St. Olaf art community finds it more important than ever to reinforce connections to quality handmade objects in daily life. Many students have never used a handmade cup and cannot remember the last time a cup enhanced their drinking experience or made them more attentive to what they consumed or how they did it. Many students are also unable to name a historically significant or contemporary ceramic artist. The cup library is a way for our community to practice these values and celebrate this group of artists and their handmade vessels.
Please feel free to email any questions to: cuplibrary@stolaf.edu.
View Cups in the Collection
Members of the St. Olaf community can browse cups in the collection by logging into the Ron Gallas Cup Library Database. Use your St. Olaf login and password to access the collection.
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