Katelyn Jerman

Hasting College Intern @ Graham Gallery Spring 2009

     Maurizio Cattelan, a contemporary Italian, artist in an interview once stated, "I’m more curious about other people’s opinions. In the end, without others, without their ideas, without their stories, you don’t really exist and neither does your work. That’s why one should listen to others rather than to oneself."  Perhaps this quote lends insight to my experience this last semester at Graham Gallery. I have been enlightened to understand that art is only as imporant as the community that chooses to support it and the group of people who choose to question, disassemble and ponder such works. This is what the community of Hastings and Graham Gallery does for art and local artists, simply put it lets them exist, in the way art should always exist- in an open, objective community willing to recieve it. The experience for me as a serious student of art from Hastings College, has been welcoming and meangingful.  I feel very much closer to the community as a whole, and more apt to obejectivley evalutate art while still appreciating the artist. While I have vaguley touched on the surface of what it means to be in the business of art, ( and by vaguely I mean it would take years to understand all the work Angela puts into her business!) I have immense appreciation for it as an art form in itself. Is not the presentation of such art works, just as important as the works themselves? By presentation I mean the amount of effort and time it takes into organizing a venue so that a community of people can let the works exist there, and share as Cattelan would say their stories in relation to those works? For the experiences at the gallery showings I feel most appreciative and in awe of. From the planning stages to the weeks afterward when the art work is actually sold, the entire process allows for deep evaluation and famailiarity of the work and how the community responds to such work. I feel Hastings as an art community is particularly encouraging at opening up friendly dialogue and critiques of work, and in the end is this not what the creation of art is all about?

     Although the opening shows have been marked as my most memorable I would also like to briefly touch on one more event this semester that was particualrly meaningful to me and a handful of other art students. Spring Fling and Earth Day this year became a collaboration between both Graham Gallery and the Artist's Guild of Hastings College in which we cleaned up the downtown and spent the entire day of Aril 18th collabroating on a recylced art project. Some of you down-towners may have seen our recycled sculptures hanging from the trees outside of the gallery (of which I might add the supplies were graciously donated from Milton at City Iron!). Well, the day was a hit as we symbolically 'bound' the trees in wire and energy meters, signifying the waste of renewable resources our world is currently experienceing and the 'binding' effects this waste has on our environments and ecosystems. In addition, many of the leftover energy meters were converted into self-sustaining terrariums for little plants, another equally symbolic act as were were changing an instrument once used to measure human energy depletion into a symbol of sustainability and renewability. Overall, the day was a fantastic collaboratioin between the college art students, SEAC (Student Environment Action Coallition), and Graham Gallery. We all look forward to many more collaborations to come!

    With that I will end how I began by quoting the late great, Robert Motherwell when he stated, "Art is much less important than life, but what a poor life without it." And I will go one to add, that life is in itself a work of art and I feel truly blessed to understand that and be able to have experiences where being surrounded by art is an essential lifestyle and a tangible reality for me. Thanks, especially to Angela at Graham Gallery, and Turner McGehee my advisor for this opportunity! Go buy some art!!

Please consider entering this exhibition and encouraging others.

Elinor Bartholomew Memorial

Fine Arts Festival

Saint Mark’s Episcopal Pro-Cathedral

One of the dearest men I ever met…The Very Reverend John P. Bartholomew.  Dean Bartholomew (Dean Bart) passed away July 2008.  It was such a treasured moment to be in his presence.  Please help me honor him by making the 2009 Elinor Bartholomew Memorial Fine Arts Festival spectacular.

Click here for Due Dates and Information!

Click here for the Application!

I had a request at christmas time.  Max Miller from Geneva gets all the credit.  Max requested that I put together a calandar of events.  He doesn't get a chance to visit Graham Gallery enough to get the day to day of what is going on in our wonderful art community.  He notices that there are a few annual events that he wanted to participate in but being a busy farmer by day and photographer in the middle he needs to have more advanced notice and prepare.  As I started to put the calandar of events together I realized that everyone is as busy as the next person and it would be nice to have some of these dated on a calandar instead of just assumed.  I will attempt to provide a Calandar on my website, but for now...here are some highlights to look forward to in 2009

January   

                    Mads Anderson "Near Death of the Cadillac" Gallery reception Saturday, Jan 10th 

                    12th - Wings over the Platte Competition entries due 

                    31st -  Prairie Winds Regional Photography Competition entries due

February   

                     Todd Brown "over & over" Furniture & Photography  Reception Sat, Feb 7th

                    Prairie Winds Regional Photography Competition Reception Fri, Feb 6th

                    21st - American Red Cross Art Auction Sat,   (Art Due Friday Feb 13th)

March       

                    Turner McGehee "Inheritance" Reception Saturday, March 7th 7-9pm

                    Patricia Scarborough Pastels & Paintings @ Minden Opera House March1 - April 15th

                    St. Marks Episcopal Church Art entries Due March

                    Crane March Minden Nebraska

April       

                    N. Gustafsson, J. Krueger & S. Fettin "Landskipping" Reception Sat April 4th 7-9

                    St. Marks Episcopal Church Exhibit

May       

                     Pleinair Workshops

                    Prairie Loft Event May 31st

June       

                 6th & 7th - Cattleman's Ball Art Exhibitors 

                12,13 & 14th - Cottonwood Prairie Festival 

                26, 27 & 28th - Flatwater Folk Festival   

July       

                 Graham Gallery

                3, 4 & 5 - Goose Creek Jam in the Sandhills 

                 Kearney & Grand Island Art in the Park TBA

August   

                Graham Gallery Juried Competition "Collaboration - Dead or Alive" 

                Hastings Art in the Park

                Prairie Loft Big & Small Show

                14-16th - Rocky Mountain Folk Festival

September

October   

                    Graham Gallery

                    Prairie Winds "Miniature Show"

                    Prairie Loft Harvest Celebration

November    

                    Graham Gallery Cody Carson Brown & Angela Graham    

                    Graham Gallery Holiday Showcase               

                   5th - 8th  Ervin Dixon Cedar Creek Pottery Weekend

Van Wechel Oil Painting Workshop

Back by popular demand... Van Wechel!!!!!

Here are some images from Friday and Saturday's class.

Value again eing the key to a readable painting.

Working wet on wet technique.

Tooting Tuesday

Nicole Guatafsson!!!!!  

If you don't know about this young artist get on board for a wonderful adventure and sweet ride. 

Nicole graduated from Hastings College in 2007.  She started working in the gallery in 2005 and has been a big part of the art community in Hastings ever since.   She has taught watercolor and gouasche workshops.  She has since moved to Lincoln and is involved in a art residencey program and teaching at the Lux Art Center. 

Top seller in Graham Gallery, Nicole's images are whimsical, illustrative, nestalgic worlds.  Those who have discovered her images can't seem to live without them.  Her images reach such a diversity of art lovers.  Young & old, artists & collectors, art enthusiast and the regular Joe off the street.  I have never experienced an art style like hers and a subject matter that can relate to so many.

Visit her very interesting BLOG http://ngustafsson.blogspot.com/