Egg Basket Full of Hollyhock Dolls
Paintings by Amy Rice
Christensen Center Art Gallery
September 15-October 27, 2006

Reliquiae
Sculpture by Sam Spiczka
The Gage Family Art Gallery, Lindell Library
September 15-October 27, 2006

Art of the Storm
Featuring 15 Gulf Coast artists
September 11-October 7, 2006

For Minneapolis-based artist and Augsburg alumna Amy Rice (’93) the commonplace is anything but boring. In Egg Basket Full of Hollyhock Dolls, handmade stencils, spray paint, and “found” farm materials are the materials out of which Rice creates iconic images of her childhood.  At her request, family members send truckloads of history to her, such as roof shingles and red stained boards from her grandfather’s barn.  These items have become her “canvas” as they literally support her pictorial reappraisal of growing up on a Midwestern farm. Artist reception will be held during Art Attack.

Sam Spiczka’s most recent sculpture series Reliquiae (Latin for “sacred relics”) is a visual and visceral leap into the fissure that separates life from death, the sacred from the profane and the past from the present.  These monumental vertebrae forms, each measuring about five feet in length, look to have been recently exhumed from the earth and nailed to a wall with massive steel spikes.  These innovative wall sculptures draw upon and allude to the artist’s own religious upbringing and associations with rural Minnesota. Artist reception will be held during Art Attack.

Art of the Storm is an exhibition made possible by MinnesotaHelpers that features artwork created by 15 Gulf Coast artists who are still rebuilding their lives and careers in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.  In addition to the fine art, the exhibition includes a special debris-filled re-creation of hurricane damage and a video that documents the stories of these spirited artists and the heroic effort of one woman, Mary Gray, to connect these talented artists with art audiences and collectors in Minnesota.

A closing reception and silent auction for this show will be held in conjunction with Art Attack. A special presentation featuring Mary Gray will begin at 7 p.m.