{"id":5421,"date":"2022-08-01T12:19:38","date_gmt":"2022-08-01T17:19:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/flaten\/?page_id=5421"},"modified":"2025-11-17T11:30:12","modified_gmt":"2025-11-17T17:30:12","slug":"student-led-acquisitions-2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/flaten\/student-led-acquisitions-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Student-led Acquisitions"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-modular-content-collection><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Art Now<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> acquisitions project is a collaboration between Assistant Professor of Art and Art History Hannah Ryan\u2019s Spring 2021 and 2022 <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Art Now<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> classes and the Flaten Art Museum. Students met their goal of bringing greater diversity to St. Olaf\u2019s visual culture through four new art acquisitions, thanks to support from the Dreyfus Foundation. These additions to the museum\u2019s collection fulfill current collecting priorities that seek to address the historic underrepresentation of contemporary Indigenous, LGBTQIA+, AAPI, Latinx, Somali, and Hmong artists in the collection, and advance the project\u2019s goal of fostering a greater sense of belonging and respect for marginalized students, faculty, staff, and campus visitors. <\/span><\/p>\n<h5>2022<\/h5>\n<div class=\"soliloquy-outer-container\" data-soliloquy-loaded=\"0\"><div aria-live=\"polite\" id=\"soliloquy-container-7553_1\" class=\"soliloquy-container soliloquy-transition-fade soliloquy-fade soliloquy-controls-active soliloquy-arrows-active  soliloquy-theme-base no-js\" style=\"max-width:900px;margin:0 auto 20px;\"><ul id=\"soliloquy-7553_1\" class=\"soliloquy-slider soliloquy-slides soliloquy-wrap soliloquy-clear\"><li aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"soliloquy-item soliloquy-item-1 soliloquy-id-5426 soliloquy-image-slide\" draggable=\"false\" style=\"list-style:none;\"><img decoding=\"async\" id=\"soliloquy-image-5426\" class=\"soliloquy-image soliloquy-image-1\" src=\"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/flaten\/files\/2022\/08\/Lillah.jpg\" alt=\"Lillah\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/li><li aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"soliloquy-item soliloquy-item-2 soliloquy-id-5428 soliloquy-image-slide\" draggable=\"false\" style=\"list-style:none;\"><img decoding=\"async\" id=\"soliloquy-image-5428\" class=\"soliloquy-image soliloquy-image-2 soliloquy-preload\" src=\"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/flaten\/wp-content\/plugins\/soliloquy\/assets\/css\/images\/holder.gif\" data-soliloquy-src=\"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/flaten\/files\/2022\/08\/SEE-DESCRIPTION-FOR-IMAGE-CREDITS.jpg\" alt=\"SEE DESCRIPTION FOR IMAGE CREDITS\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/li><li aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"soliloquy-item soliloquy-item-3 soliloquy-id-5425 soliloquy-image-slide\" draggable=\"false\" style=\"list-style:none;\"><img decoding=\"async\" id=\"soliloquy-image-5425\" class=\"soliloquy-image soliloquy-image-3 soliloquy-preload\" src=\"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/flaten\/wp-content\/plugins\/soliloquy\/assets\/css\/images\/holder.gif\" data-soliloquy-src=\"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/flaten\/files\/2022\/08\/breath-2.jpg\" alt=\"breath 2\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/li><li aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"soliloquy-item soliloquy-item-4 soliloquy-id-5427 soliloquy-image-slide\" draggable=\"false\" style=\"list-style:none;\"><img decoding=\"async\" id=\"soliloquy-image-5427\" class=\"soliloquy-image soliloquy-image-4 soliloquy-preload\" src=\"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/flaten\/wp-content\/plugins\/soliloquy\/assets\/css\/images\/holder.gif\" data-soliloquy-src=\"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/flaten\/files\/2022\/08\/ScreenShot2020-06-19at11.02.02AM.jpg\" alt=\"Screen+Shot+2020-06-19+at+11.02.02+AM\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/li><\/ul><\/div><noscript><div class=\"soliloquy-no-js\" style=\"display:none;visibility:hidden;height:0;line-height:0;opacity:0;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"soliloquy-image soliloquy-no-js-image skip-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/flaten\/files\/2022\/08\/Lillah.jpg\" alt=\"Lillah\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"soliloquy-image soliloquy-no-js-image skip-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/flaten\/files\/2022\/08\/SEE-DESCRIPTION-FOR-IMAGE-CREDITS.jpg\" alt=\"SEE DESCRIPTION FOR IMAGE CREDITS\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"soliloquy-image soliloquy-no-js-image skip-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/flaten\/files\/2022\/08\/breath-2.jpg\" alt=\"breath 2\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"soliloquy-image soliloquy-no-js-image skip-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/flaten\/files\/2022\/08\/ScreenShot2020-06-19at11.02.02AM.jpg\" alt=\"Screen+Shot+2020-06-19+at+11.02.02+AM\" \/><\/div><\/noscript><\/div>\n<p>Image Captions (in order of appearance):<\/p>\n<div class=\"page\" title=\"Page 4\">\n<div class=\"section\">\n<div class=\"layoutArea\">\n<div class=\"column\">\n<div class=\"page\" title=\"Page 5\">\n<div class=\"section\">\n<div class=\"layoutArea\">\n<div class=\"column\">\n<div class=\"page\" title=\"Page 2\">\n<div class=\"section\">\n<div class=\"layoutArea\">\n<div class=\"column\">\n<p>Renluka Maharaj (b. 1966, Trinidad and Tobago)<br \/>\n<em>Lillah (Pelting Mangoes series)<\/em><br \/>\n2020<br \/>\nFound photograph, acrylic paint, paper, rhinestones on canvas<br \/>\n40 x 30 inches<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Cara Romero (b. 1977, Chemehuevi Nation)<br \/>\n<em>Julia<\/em><br \/>\n2018<br \/>\nArchival pigment print on paper<br \/>\n50 x 40 inches<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Muna Malik (b. 1993, United States)<br \/>\n<em>Silence<\/em><br \/>\n2020<br \/>\nArchival inkjet print<br \/>\n24 x 36 inches<\/p>\n<div class=\"page\" title=\"Page 3\">\n<div class=\"section\">\n<div class=\"layoutArea\">\n<div class=\"column\">\n<p>Muna Malik (b. 1993, United States)<br \/>\n<em>Safe<\/em><br \/>\n2020<br \/>\nArchival inkjet print<br \/>\n36 x 24 inches<\/p>\n<div class=\"page\" title=\"Page 2\">\n<div class=\"section\">\n<div class=\"layoutArea\">\n<div class=\"column\">\n<p>Purchased by the Flaten Art Museum at St. Olaf College with support from the Dreyfus Foundation and Brenda Berkman \u201873.<br \/>\nSelected by the 2022 students of ART 280: Art Now Critical Issues in Contemporary Art taught by Professor Hannah Ryan: Emily Barta (staff), Lily Braafladt \u201822, Sophie Call 24, Zoe Golden \u201822, Emma Haren \u201822, Marcus Hauck \u201824, Cris Hernandez \u201823, Elias Ravn Iversen \u201825, Lauren Jacobson \u201824, Manaw Kyar Phyu \u201825, Jessenia Mia Prado \u201824, Lauren Schilling \u201825, Martha Slaven \u201824, Charlotte Smith \u201824, Han Timm \u201822, Kira Vega \u201824.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thanks to the generous funding from the Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation, Professor Hannah Ryan\u2019s Spring 2022 Art Now class, in collaboration with Jane Becker Nelson and the Flaten Art Museum, acquired works of art by underrepresented artists of color for <\/span><b>The Acquisitions Project 2.0: Art Acquisitions to Diversify the Visual Culture of the St. Olaf Community<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. This has increased the visual representation of people from historically marginalized groups on the St. Olaf College campus in a meaningful way and the works will now be part of the Flaten Art Museum\u2019s collection in perpetuity.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Guest speakers were welcomed into class throughout the semester to expose students to artwork and artists from historically underrepresented groups and critical issues in contemporary art. Speakers focused on contemporary Indigenous art, work by immigrant and refugee communities highly represented in Minnesota, art by LGBTQIA+ artists, and works by Asian American Pacific Islander Artists. The speakers expanded the students\u2019 frame of reference and enabled them to make informed decisions about which art to propose for accession. These conversations were pivotal to the success of the overall project.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Each individual member of the class gave a proposal presentation for one or more pieces of art to add to the Flaten\u2019s collection. The students proposed work discovered through the guest speaker\u2019s presentations and their own research. Prior to presenting, students corresponded with galleries and artists to obtain information necessary for their proposals such as pricing, availability, and additional insight into the artwork. This gave them real world experience working with professionals within the art world.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A vote was held and the Art Now class chose to accession <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lillah<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by Renluka Maharaj, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Safe<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Silence<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by Muna Malik, and <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Julia<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by Cara Romero. This fulfilled the Flaten\u2019s collecting priorities of acquiring artwork by Asian American Pacific Islander, Somali, and Indigenous artists. Each piece in the chosen grouping is a work of portraiture. The class responded to the weight of figurative representation as a valuable component in making campus a more welcoming place. These works directly interrupt the legacy of a lack of diversity in St. Olaf\u2019s art collection and will help make the college a more welcoming and inclusive place.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Following the selection of the works of art, the class wrote interpretive texts for each piece and voted to select the text which will accompany the pieces once they are installed on campus. During the proposal presentations students held many enlightening discussions on potential locations for the art to live. This gave students the opportunity to examine the meaning of placement of artwork and its impact on the audience. Students discussed reasons for why these locations should be considered including foot traffic, lighting conditions, sounds, nearby activities and the likely demographics who would be exposed to the work. The class has made several proposals to the Flaten for where they would like to see the pieces hung, and has given their blessing for the museum to make the final decision for installation locations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since acquiring these works, we are now better able to convey the values of inclusivity and equality across campus. Institutional portraiture gives a clear impression of exactly who the institution values. We are now able to better communicate our values of diversity and promote a sense of belonging for the future students, faculty, staff, and visitors at St. Olaf.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>For more information about the selected artworks, <a href=\"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/flaten\/contact-us\/\">contact us<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h5>2021<\/h5>\n<div class=\"soliloquy-outer-container\" data-soliloquy-loaded=\"0\"><div aria-live=\"polite\" id=\"soliloquy-container-7556_2\" class=\"soliloquy-container soliloquy-transition-fade soliloquy-fade soliloquy-controls-active soliloquy-arrows-active  soliloquy-theme-base no-js\" style=\"max-width:900px;margin:0 auto 20px;\"><ul id=\"soliloquy-7556_2\" class=\"soliloquy-slider soliloquy-slides soliloquy-wrap soliloquy-clear\"><li aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"soliloquy-item soliloquy-item-1 soliloquy-id-5440 soliloquy-image-slide\" draggable=\"false\" style=\"list-style:none;\"><img decoding=\"async\" id=\"soliloquy-image-5440\" class=\"soliloquy-image soliloquy-image-1\" src=\"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/flaten\/files\/2022\/08\/Screen-Shot-2022-08-01-at-12.13.24-PM.jpg\" alt=\"Screen Shot 2022-08-01 at 12.13.24 PM\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/li><li aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"soliloquy-item soliloquy-item-2 soliloquy-id-5437 soliloquy-image-slide\" draggable=\"false\" style=\"list-style:none;\"><img decoding=\"async\" id=\"soliloquy-image-5437\" class=\"soliloquy-image soliloquy-image-2 soliloquy-preload\" src=\"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/flaten\/wp-content\/plugins\/soliloquy\/assets\/css\/images\/holder.gif\" data-soliloquy-src=\"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/flaten\/files\/2022\/08\/1.1.2021_Baker.png\" alt=\"1.1.2021_Baker\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/li><li aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"soliloquy-item soliloquy-item-3 soliloquy-id-5439 soliloquy-image-slide\" draggable=\"false\" style=\"list-style:none;\"><img decoding=\"async\" id=\"soliloquy-image-5439\" class=\"soliloquy-image soliloquy-image-3 soliloquy-preload\" src=\"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/flaten\/wp-content\/plugins\/soliloquy\/assets\/css\/images\/holder.gif\" data-soliloquy-src=\"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/flaten\/files\/2022\/08\/1.3.2021_Palmer.png\" alt=\"1.3.2021_Palmer\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/li><li aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"soliloquy-item soliloquy-item-4 soliloquy-id-5438 soliloquy-image-slide\" draggable=\"false\" style=\"list-style:none;\"><img decoding=\"async\" id=\"soliloquy-image-5438\" class=\"soliloquy-image soliloquy-image-4 soliloquy-preload\" src=\"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/flaten\/wp-content\/plugins\/soliloquy\/assets\/css\/images\/holder.gif\" data-soliloquy-src=\"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/flaten\/files\/2022\/08\/1.2.2021_Palmer.png\" alt=\"1.2.2021_Palmer\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/li><\/ul><\/div><noscript><div class=\"soliloquy-no-js\" style=\"display:none;visibility:hidden;height:0;line-height:0;opacity:0;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"soliloquy-image soliloquy-no-js-image skip-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/flaten\/files\/2022\/08\/Screen-Shot-2022-08-01-at-12.13.24-PM.jpg\" alt=\"Screen Shot 2022-08-01 at 12.13.24 PM\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"soliloquy-image soliloquy-no-js-image skip-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/flaten\/files\/2022\/08\/1.1.2021_Baker.png\" alt=\"1.1.2021_Baker\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"soliloquy-image soliloquy-no-js-image skip-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/flaten\/files\/2022\/08\/1.3.2021_Palmer.png\" alt=\"1.3.2021_Palmer\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"soliloquy-image soliloquy-no-js-image skip-lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/flaten\/files\/2022\/08\/1.2.2021_Palmer.png\" alt=\"1.2.2021_Palmer\" \/><\/div><\/noscript><\/div>\n<p>Image Captions (in order of appearance):<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Florine D\u00e9mosth\u00e8ne<br \/>\n<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Untitled 11<br \/>\n<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2020<br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Collage on paper (ink, mylar, glitter)<br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">15 x 11 inches<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Georgette Baker<br \/>\n<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lakefront Music Festival- Fusion<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n2020<br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Collage on crescent 400 hot press board<br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">30 x 24 inches<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Charly Palmer<br \/>\n<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Toni Speak<br \/>\n<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2019<br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Acrylic on canvas<br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">24 x 12 inches<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Charly Palmer<br \/>\n<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Baldwin \u201cTime\u201d<br \/>\n<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2021<br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Acrylic on canvas<br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">24 x 18 inches<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Purchased by the Flaten Art Museum at St. Olaf College through The Glen H. and Shirley Beito Gronlund Fund for Art Acquisition. Selected by the students of ART\u00a0280:\u00a0Art Now Critical Issues in Contemporary Art taught by Professor Hannah Ryan: Mal Alford &#8217;22, Emmanuel Araba Ameri &#8217;24, Vazgen Ananyan &#8217;24, Tija Atkins &#8217;21, Israel Baltazar &#8217;22, Eric Besonen &#8217;21, Madalyn Brandt &#8217;23, Amalia Buck &#8217;22, Anne Clark \u201921, Anna Clements &#8217;22, Aimi Dickel &#8217;22, Emily Domres &#8217;24, Sadie Favour &#8217;23, Olivia Jager &#8217;23 Ted Jorstad &#8217;22, Chloe Joy &#8217;21, Thomas Lako &#8217;22, Hongye Lyu &#8217;21, Casey Parker &#8217;22, Amanda Rose &#8217;21, Ashley Sarpong &#8217;23, Levi Scott\u00a0&#8217;23, Madeline Shields &#8217;23, Eamonn Stanton &#8217;21, Justin Vorndran &#8217;23, Evelyn Wakeley &#8217;21, Caleb Wood &#8217;24, Malee Yang &#8217;22.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Going anywhere on St. Olaf College\u2019s campus, it is all but impossible to not be enveloped in works of art \u2014 from sculptures dotting the campus green, to student work lining the walls of academic buildings, to community members sipping their coffee from mugs made by ceramicists. On a campus so saturated with art, it can be easy to not pay much mind to the larger meanings of a piece or the artist who created it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Students in this spring\u2019s <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Art Now: Critical Issues in Contemporary Art <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">course led by Assistant Professor of Art and Art History Hannah Ryan embarked on a student-led acquisitions project that ultimately led to the purchase of four new pieces to join the Flaten Art Museum\u2019s collection and be displayed around campus, intentionally working to diversify the college\u2019s collection.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Prior to starting the journey of finding what art they hoped to bring to campus, students learned about the themes, trends, and materiality of contemporary art, then applied this knowledge to the visual culture of their campus. They looked for what they felt was missing, going around the Hill purposefully contemplating whose work was present, and whose wasn\u2019t.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For the project, students worked in groups based on their interests; in those groups they formulated a presentation outlining what specific artworks they hoped to acquire, the reasoning for each piece, and where they envisioned the work housed on campus. The group whose proposal was ultimately picked focused on showcasing Black artists.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are four pieces joining the Flaten collection: <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Toni Speak <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Baldwin \u201cTime\u201d by <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Charly Palmer, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lakefront Music Festival: Fusion by <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Georgette Baker, and <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Untitled 11 by <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Florine D\u00e9mosth\u00e8ne. The works by Palmer depict novelist Toni Morrison and author James Baldwin, respectively, celebrating the life and work of two revolutionary Black writers. Palmer\u2019s work was acquired through ZuCot gallery, a Black-owned gallery in Atlanta that the class was in contact with throughout the process. The chosen work by Baker incorporates archival photos of Black Americans into a collage celebrating live music. This piece by D\u00e9mosth\u00e8ne \u2014 like much of her work \u2014 is focused on showcasing a duality within Black female bodies in an otherworldly mixed media composition. All of the works acquired were created by Black artists and depicted Black people; according to those in the course, these pieces were chosen in an effort \u201cto uplift and support contemporary Black artists; work towards dismantling white supremacy on campus; disrupt spaces dominated by whiteness; and to prompt conversations around important art being made today.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A core goal of the project was to advance Flaten Art Museum\u2019s collecting priority to increase the representation of historically underrepresented artists in its collection. Flaten Art Museum has never had a dedicated budget for acquiring new works. As a result, Flaten Art Museum Director Jane Becker Nelson \u201904 says the collection has grown mainly by <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">donor serendipity, largely by alumni of the College<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cwhose identities align with the historically dominant Norwegian-American and Lutheran identity of the College, leading to a collection that reflects the same.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The impact of whose work is \u2014 and is not \u2014 present in any collection impacts the physical space it holds, which in turn permeates through the culture of any given place.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThere\u2019s nothing neutral about art. And depending on our identities we read these artworks, and we read these spaces differently,\u201d Becker Nelson says. \u201cSo I would argue that art plays a really big part in setting the tone in physical space, and has a role in establishing, or diminishing, an environment that is respectful of many different identities.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This model of student-led acquisition is something that Ryan had been hoping to implement in a course since she arrived at the college two years ago. The project was inspired by initiatives her mentor Cheryl Finley has led at Cornell, where Ryan was her doctoral student, and now at the AUC Art Collective, where Finley now serves as the <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Director of the Atlanta University Center Art History + Curatorial Studies Collective. Finley\u2019s Lunchtime Conversations on Instagram Live provided an opportunity for Ryan to hear from Onaje Henderson at ZuCot Gallery, and these conversations encouraged Ryan to initiate an acquisitions project, partnering with ZuCot. ZuCot became an integral part of the project; Henderson spoke to the class about how to embark on the project in ways that would be the most actively thoughtful and anti-racist. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Throughout the process, students also connected with other gallery owners and artists. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The class partnered with Black-owned Mariane Ibrahim Gallery in Chicago to acquire the piece by Florine Demosthene, and benefitted from these gallerists visiting virtually as well.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the end, the students voted on what group\u2019s chosen works would ultimately be acquired, the artists that created all four of the pieces \u2014 Charly Palmer, Georgette Baker, and Florine Demosthene \u2014 also virtually visited the class and interacted with students<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201c[This project] activates students as true\u00a0 participants in the visual culture of their campus. Instead of just sort of being surrounded by art, which is a wonderful part of St. Olaf, [the project is also about] being really intentional and thoughtful about what kinds of art surrounds us, and what does it actually do for us,\u201d Ryan says. \u201cEspecially for folks who are already marginalized, and perhaps not feeling totally welcome; what is the power in very intentionally seeking out artists and works of art to fill these spaces?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Just as St. Olaf works to diversify its collection, so does much of the art world. Through this project, students were able to ideate changes that can, and ought, to be made both on the Hill and beyond.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt made me feel like it was possible to take this into the real world,\u201d says Aimi Dickel \u201922, a member of the course. \u201cI know we were really lucky to have all the support we did; a lot of art museums still have issues with performance activism, or suppressing people behind the scenes. But it kind of gave us a feeling of what it\u2019s like for that model to be successful.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The project was able to come to fruition this year largely as a byproduct of programming changes due to COVID-19 \u2014 Glen Gronlund \u201955 and Shirley Beito Gronlund \u201956 regularly fund an exhibition to take place in Flaten Art Museum. During the 2020-2021 school year though, programming was smaller and Becker Nelson had a difficult time administering the funds in their intended realm. So she approached the Gronlunds, who enthusiastically permitted the funds to be reallocated into funding the Art Now acquisitions project this year.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After the class made their final decisions on which pieces to acquire, the group presented their selections to the Gronlunds, and the entire class had time to reflect and share what they gained from the experience.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThey were just great,\u201d Beito Gronlund says. \u201cIt was very stimulating actually for us to hear these great young minds talking about the artwork and how they went about selecting it.\u201d While Gronlund added that: \u201cOur loyalty is to St. Olaf, but it became personalized when we were involved in talking specifically to students \u2014 because they make the college become real for us. And that was special.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While Art Now<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">is a course taught periodically, the syllabus is highly malleable from one semester to the next \u2014 as a result, Ryan was able to shape the coursework based on student interests and spend a significant portion of the semester entirely dedicated to the student-led acquisitions project.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dickel attributes much of the success of the project to Ryan&#8217;s pedagogy and devotion to students. \u201cHannah is a force to be reckoned with,&#8221; she says. &#8220;She is a wonderful person, and clearly has people\u2019s best interests at heart; she cares about learning more herself, and not sitting in the back and kind of just watching the students. And also making sure her students can move forward in the world with the tools she gives them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Across the board, those involved view the acquisition of these works as a concrete first step, creating a tangible change in the visual culture of the school \u2014 while still noting that there\u2019s much work to be done.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt feels like a drop in the bucket. It feels \u2014 and I think this is so important to convey \u2014 I don\u2019t see this as a token project, one and done. I think the imperative on us to keep evaluating our collection, and changing our collection is going to be ongoing and probably never-ending,\u201d Becker Nelson says. \u201cSo I see this as only the beginning, and I feel really thrilled to be able to make these additions this year. This launch is exciting, but you\u2019re still talking about four artworks in a collection that is 4,000 objects strong. So it\u2019s going to take a long time to move the needle, but we nudged it a little. We just need to keep working at it, endlessly.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p>For more information about the selected artworks, <a href=\"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/flaten\/contact-us\/\">contact us<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><!-- begin-migrated-from-panel-builder --><!-- end-migrated-from-panel-builder --><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Art Now acquisitions project is a collaboration between Assistant Professor of Art and Art History Hannah Ryan\u2019s Spring 2021 and 2022 Art Now classes and the Flaten Art Museum. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8158,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-5421","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/flaten\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5421","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/flaten\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/flaten\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/flaten\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8158"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/flaten\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5421"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/flaten\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5421\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7557,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/flaten\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5421\/revisions\/7557"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/flaten\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5421"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}