Newswise — North Dakota State University in Fargo today announced the establishment of the James Rosenquist Artist Residency Program for Visual Arts at NDSU. Rosenquist, born in Grand Forks, N.D., is considered one of the greatest living artists of the Pop Art movement of North America. "This residency program allows us to honor Mr. Rosenquist, who is one of the greatest artists this state has ever produced," said Thomas Riley, Dean of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at NDSU.
"This artist residency program will allow our students to interact with artists from different parts of the world and learn through this professional exposure," said Riley. "It brings new blood and new talent into the institution so students become inoculated with new ideas."
"NDSU has long had a strong visual arts program, but until the addition of NDSU Downtown, we had some of the least desirable physical facilities. Now we have some of the best," said NDSU President Joseph A. Chapman. "The James Rosenquist Artist Residency Program gives our program remarkable stature, which combined with our outstanding facilities, will lead students and artists from around the world to NDSU as a place to spark their creative expression."
The artist residency program will benefit the visual arts at NDSU as well as the community and region, according to Kimble Bromley, associate professor of visual arts. The program, scheduled to get underway in the fall of 2006, will bring a guest artist to campus for a semester, providing studio space, equipment, a stipend and accommodations. During the time in residence, the artist will be developing his or her work and interacting with students and the community. The visiting artist is expected to give a number of guest lectures, maintain studio hours and potentially teach a one-hour seminar. The residency will culminate with an exhibit and the donation of a piece of the artist's work to the James Rosenquist Artist Residency Collection.
"This program allows NDSU to show its dedication to the arts," said Philip Boudjouk, vice president for research, creative activities and technology transfer, which is funding the program. "Support of artistic endeavors is important. It's something a great university should be doing as it expands opportunities for students and is involved in the community."
Professor Kimble Bromley sees additional benefit in providing visiting artists an opportunity to focus on their work for a semester. "Watching an artist's concepts and ideas develop on a daily basis could give students insights into their own development as working artists. They could assist the guest artist in the studios. There are always new techniques to be learned from a visiting artist. The community will be invited to observe and interact with the artists through guest lectures and exhibits," he said. A studio in the new NDSU Downtown campus will be available for this residency. Studio areas include painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, ceramics, sculpture and digital media. A national and international search for artists for the NDSU residency will be conducted through a proposal process.
The fact that James Rosenquist has lent his name to the NDSU Artist Residency Program is significant, according to university officials. Rosenquist's work and career are internationally known. Rosenquist's original vision and constant search in seeing and presenting the world in new ways has been relentless for the past 40 years. Along with Jasper Johns, Andy Warhol and about 20 others, he has become one of the truly internationally known and respected artists of 20th century America. James Rosenquist was awarded an honorary doctorate from North Dakota State University in May 2005.
Rosenquist's work is included in the collections of such leading institutions as the Guggenheim Museum, Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Chicago Art Institute, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco, Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Art Gallery of Ontario, Yale University Art Gallery, Tate Gallery in London and the Hara Museum of Contemporary Art in Tokyo.
Rosenquist's work has been featured in such news media as the New York Times newspaper, Art News magazine, Artforum magazine, Vanity Fair magazine and CBS Sunday Morning. "He is such an influential artist," said Bromley. "For us, it's a great honor to have someone of this magnitude connecting with NDSU. I think it will have far-reaching implications. Once we get artists here, I think the program will grow. It will also bring in students who will see the exciting things we have going on at NDSU."
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