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Herbjørn Gausta and His Altar Paintings (A virtual event)
June 16, 2021 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
FreeRegister here for this virtual event:
Herbjørn Gausta may be the best-known artist of Norwegian ancestry, but most people only know him for altar paintings. Gausta did more than 400 altar paintings, but he also captured scenes of Norway and the Midwest, painted portraits, and made satirical drawings. Even the photographs he took in preparation for paintings are works of art.
Born in Telemark, Norway, Herbjørn Gausta came with his family as a young man to southeastern Minnesota. While studying at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, it quickly became clear that he should abandon his idea of becoming a teacher and pursue his talent for art. Local benefactors helped make it possible for him to study in Oslo and Munich. Back in Minnesota, Gausta found some markets for his art. He was successful enough to be able to return to Norway to sketch, and later paint, what would become some of his most popular works. When a fire in his studio destroyed many of his sketches, he switched to photography in composing and capturing ideas for future paintings.
Our speaker, KRISTIN ANDERSON teaches courses at Augsburg University in Minneapolis, Minnesota on the history of art and architecture in the Department of Art. In 2005, she received the Distinguished Contributions to Teaching and Learning award for Excellence in Teaching. She holds the following degrees:
- M.A. University of Minnesota (Art History)
- M.A. Luther Seminary (Church History)
- Ph.D. University of Minnesota (Art History: American Art, Architecture, and Popular Culture)
From 2013 until 2018, Kristin served as the president of the Minnesota Chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians (MNSAH), and she was the local co-chair for the 2018 Society of Architectural Historians International Conference in St. Paul. She is the chair of the Minnesota State Review Board for National Register of Historic Places designations.
Her courses include art history and architectural history surveys as well as more specialized offerings like American Art, Scandinavian Art, and Women and Art.
From 2013 until 2018, Kristin served as the president of the Minnesota Chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians (MNSAH), and she was the local co-chair for the 2018 Society of Architectural Historians International Conference in St. Paul. She is the chair of the Minnesota State Review Board for National Register of Historic Places designations.