The John P. Monahan Gallery – located on the first floor of the recently opened Schoenecker Center – has opened its inaugural exhibit featuring the work of a range of unique artists from Minnesota and beyond.
MPLSART recently spoke with Victoria Young, art history professor at the University of St. Thomas College of Arts and Sciences, and Marria Thompson, curator of the collection, to learn more.
From the story:
It’s been a priority of university curator Marria Thompson to purchase more work by local artists, in addition to bringing out-of-state artists to campus, to expose students to a wide range of contemporary art and provide pieces that resonate with the campus community.
“The current exhibition showcases seven different artists that I’ve curated on our campus over the years,” said Thompson. “All of the pieces in the show are works that we’ve acquired, giving visitors an idea of where we want to take the permanent collection.” ...
Housing the gallery prominently on the first floor of the new building, St. Thomas faculty and staff hope that the art on view can offer a learning opportunity not just for art history students but for those in engineering, math, and sciences, as well.
“For years we’ve been trying to make art visible on campus and have done a great job at this generally. But now that we are in a space with other disciplines that many will move through regularly, our outstanding exhibitions and collections will be right there for all to engage with,” said Victoria Young, PhD, a professor of art history.
In addition to the gallery, there are several large-scale commissions in place and in progress for the Schoenecker Center. “The art on the walls in the rest of the Schoenecker Center keeps the significance of art present once visitors leave the gallery on the main floor,” Young added.
