Hundreds of high schoolers explore art careers at MSUM

Just north of the Gaede Stage where that took place, a single day of art action saw works in various media flood into the Roland Dille Center for the Arts Gallery, giving students the chance to exhibit their work in a professionally curated space alongside fellow artists working at a high caliber.“Every time I walk into the gallery, I’m always blown away at the quality of work that the schools bring in,” says Tara Hager, an instructor of art at Hawley (Minn.) High School.

A graduate of MSUM, Hager and her students have attended the art fair since its inception. This year, her school took home two big awards during the ceremony, including Best Minnesota Art School and the individual Best in Show award presented to Maya Kruger for her piece entitled “Squint.”

“I fought it a little bit, but I knew from an early age that I wanted to go into art education,” Hager says. “Art called me from an early age. I was a creative and curious kid. Both my mom and dad did a good job of providing materials for me, and that love kept blossoming.”

Interactive sessions offered throughout the day at Art-A-Fair featured over 20 workshops, including psychedelic screen printing with assistant professor Brett Lysne, Chinese brush painting with professor Zhimin Guan, special effects makeup for theater and film with associate professor Ricky Greenwell and drawing a “real” dragon with Red River Zoo animals lead by professor Jim Park, plus many more.

Teachers weren’t left out of the fun, either, with professional development sessions held throughout the day. Among others, these sessions included an introduction from Gallery Director Wendy Fuglestad as well as building with plaster molds led by Tara Swartout. The program director and art education professor at MSUM, Brad Bachmeier, drove the point home with his workshop “Yes You Can,” an exploration of all the career options in the arts.

As varied as the background of the young participants involved were, Bachmeier offered a snapshot of the expanding fields in demand including arts education. He grew up in a small town with limited art opportunities, but was encouraged to pursue art by his mother. The second he picked up clay for the first time, he says he found his calling.

Now, Bachmeier works with students and regional teachers to inspire more people with educational opportunities, including at MSUM, which is the largest art education program in the tri-state area. Through the art fair, he’s been able to inspire educators and encourage the pursuit into art fields.

“I tell them this all the time and they’re so surprised, but I came from the little tiny town of Marion, N.D., and we did not have any art in high school,” says Shelli Fenske, an art instructor with Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton Public Schools. “I was well supported by my mother because she knew I was passionate about it. That’s what I tell my students, to grab onto something you’re passionate about.”

Support from Art-A-Fair also comes from the Kiwanis Club of Fargo, which provides funding for awards presented to 26 students as well as faculty members, providing gift cards for art supplies.

“Our mission is to serve the children of the world,” says Mark Hensrud, the local Kiwanis Club president. “Since this is a showcase of high school students, we feel this was a great way to give back to our community.”

While the artwork from the sixth annual Tri-State High School Exhibition is no longer on display, the art gallery in MSUM’s Roland Dille Center for the Arts now features another group of young artists in the Student Juried Exhibition, on display through Feb. 27. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.

This article is part of a content partnership with the Fargo Forum and appeared in print on Monday February 10, 2019.