Techniques for Ecstasy

About the Exhibition

Techniques for Ecstasy celebrates the exuberance of dancing together and the potential for revolutionary power that weaves through our bodies when we do. As a child of nightclub musicians, Minneapolis artist Alexandra Beaumont grew up witnessing the euphoric energy of social dancing. With deep respect for the space her parents created for friends, lovers, and strangers, Beaumont’s artistic practice explores the expressive power and possibility of dance through large-scale textile collages and exuberant parties.

Beaumont’s textile works collage sheer fabric, appliqué, beading, sequins, and hand embroidery to create depictions of figures in motion. Suspended from the ceiling, the figures flutter and wave in response to movement from passers-by, re-animated in the presence of others. Beaumont samples the gestures and postures from photographic documentation of dance parties she has hosted. First launched in 2023 at Public Functionary in Minneapolis, the artist’s gatherings have become cherished sites for celebratory expression, resistance, healing, and community. 

Programming 

Monday, February 10, 7-8pm 
Artist Talk: Alexandra Beaumont 
Viking Theater, Buntrock Commons 
Join Beaumont for an artist talk exploring her methods and artistic influences – from house music to parades, textile design to self-adornment. Presented in conjunction with Techniques for Ecstasy at the Flaten Art Museum, and with the St. Olaf Department of Art and Art History’s 2025 Flaten Artist Lecture Series.

Friday, February 14, TIME TBA 
Opening Reception and Dance Party 
Boogie down with friends this Valentine’s Day! Featuring student DJs and live video projection, curated by Alex Beaumont in conjunction with her Flaten Art Museum exhibition, Techniques for Ecstasy. 

About the Artist

Alexandra Beaumont is a textile artist and dancer. She was born and raised in South Carolina to a Jamaican father and American mother, both working musicians. She attended the residential South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities throughout high school, focusing on dance and visual arts, and went on to Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY where she studied fashion design. After working in New York City as a menswear designer, she returned to a fine arts practice, embracing  her love for fabrics and hand sewing. She now lives in Minneapolis, MN, where she makes work centering themes of personal reconstruction, community, and celebratory display. Her first solo exhibition “Version” was presented at Ridgewater College in Minnesota in the fall of 2022. She is a 2022 recipient of the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council “Next Step Fund” grant, and a 2023 Forecast Early Career Project grantee. She is a member of PF Studios in Minneapolis, MN and contributes to the development team of Public Functionary, a gallery, performance space, and café supporting BIPOC and LGBTQ artists in the Twin Cities.

This exhibition is generously supported by the Glen H. and Shirley Beito Gronlund Annual Exhibition Series Fund at St. Olaf College. Photo credit: Dance party documentation by Drew Arrieta. Installation images by Rik Sferra. All other images courtesy Alexandra Beaumont.