Marria Thompson
- Email: marria.thompson@stthomas.edu
- Phone: 651-962-5877
The art and architectural collections and galleries at the University of St. Thomas serve as teaching opportunities for our students and the public. For undergraduate and graduate students in art history, the VISUAL ARTS@St. Thomas provide the experience of working with artwork, learning proper curatorial and exhibition techniques, and fostering a better understanding of the works' cultural context.
The VISUAL ARTS@St. Thomas include:
The American Museum of Asmat Art is dedicated to preserving and exhibiting the visual cultures of Asmat while educating students and the general public about this region.
The term “Asmat” refers to a people, a language, and a geographic area. Today, Asmat homelands lie within Papua Province, Indonesia on the southwest coast of the Island of New Guinea. Many Asmat live in villages along rivers that wind through the dense rainforest of a vast muddy coastal plain. They are among the finest and most prolific wood sculptors and weavers in the Pacific Islands with artists working in a variety of materials such as seeds, feathers, and shells.
The American Museum of Asmat Art at St. Thomas engages students and the global community through preserving, exhibiting, and interpreting the art of Asmat people, in order to expand human understanding and promote intercultural awareness.
The vision of the American Museum of Asmat Art at St. Thomas is to be a preeminent teaching collection, interdisciplinary in nature and programmatically diverse, that promotes global understanding of Asmat art and culture consistent with the mission and values of the University of St. Thomas.
Covid-19 Prevention Policies
Please help us maintain the health and safety of museum visitors, students, faculty and staff by observing the following guidelines.
Groups wishing to schedule a visit must contact Gretchen Burau, Museum Director in advance of their visit.
The AMAA@St. Thomas showcases rotating exhibitions on view in the gallery on the second floor of the Anderson Student Center.
Street parking is available in non-permit areas along Cretin Avenue and Summit Avenue. Guests are also welcome to park in the Anderson Parking Facility and the Morrison Parking Ramp.
The American Museum of Asmat Art at St. Thomas engages students and the global community through preserving, exhibiting, and interpreting the art of Asmat people, in order to expand human understanding and promote intercultural awareness.
The vision of the American Museum of Asmat Art at St. Thomas is to be a preeminent teaching collection, interdisciplinary in nature and programmatically diverse, that promotes global understanding of Asmat art and culture consistent with the mission and values of the University of St. Thomas.
Covid-19 Prevention Policies
Please help us maintain the health and safety of museum visitors, students, faculty and staff by observing the following guidelines.
Groups wishing to schedule a visit must contact Gretchen Burau, Museum Director in advance of their visit.
The AMAA@St. Thomas showcases rotating exhibitions on view in the gallery on the second floor of the Anderson Student Center.
Street parking is available in non-permit areas along Cretin Avenue and Summit Avenue. Guests are also welcome to park in the Anderson Parking Facility and the Morrison Parking Ramp.
The American Museum of Asmat Art at the University of St. Thomas presents Regions and Rituals: The Role of Missionaries in Preserving Asmat Art, an exhibition exploring the roles that Catholic missionaries played in preserving the artistic expression of four Asmat cultural regions: Bismam, Becembub, Safan, and Unir Sirau.
Image: Albertus Kep, Ajour Carving, Becembub region, village of Atsy, Before 1981, Wood, (24 x 7 7/8 x 0 13/16 in.), Gift of the Diocese of Agats (AMAA 0357)
By providing both the campus community and the public with access to contemporary and historical art exhibitions, the gallery supports local and regional arts communities and bolsters a wider understanding of artistic engagement with societal issues.
The Department of Art History Gallery is committed to providing an exhibition program that fosters dialogue centered around the issues of contemporary and historical art and architectural topics to encourage paths of inquiry and intercultural understanding to advance the common good.
The Gallery is currently closed. We will return to our normal exhibition schedule this fall 2021.
Covid-19 Prevention Policies
Please help us maintain the health and safety of museum visitors, students, faculty and staff by observing the following guidelines.
Groups wishing to schedule a visit must contact Marria Thompson, Gallery Curator, in advance of their visit.
The Department of Art History Gallery is located on the first floor of the O'Shaughnessy Educational Center (OEC) in St. Paul.
Street parking is available in non-permit areas along Cleveland Avenue and Summit Avenue. Guests can also park in the Anderson Parking Facility and the Morrison Parking Ramp.
Who can submit a proposal?
We welcome artists to submit proposals to exhibit their work in our gallery. Scheduled two years in advance, our Art Exhibition Program presents two major displays during the academic year (September through December and February through May). We welcome all emerging and established artists, working in all mediums, to submit solo and/or group proposals.
Application Cycle and Timeline
You are welcome to submit a proposal at any time and it will be reviewed during the next cycle. The current application cycle is closed, so please check back regularly for updates.
Proposal Guidelines
To submit a digital proposal, please include the following:
Digital proposals only, please. Do not mail anything.
Send all questions and submissions to:
Marria Thompson
Department of Art History Gallery Curator
ArtHistoryGallery@stthomas.edu
The Department of Art History Gallery is committed to providing an exhibition program that fosters dialogue centered around the issues of contemporary and historical art and architectural topics to encourage paths of inquiry and intercultural understanding to advance the common good.
The Gallery is currently closed. We will return to our normal exhibition schedule this fall 2021.
Covid-19 Prevention Policies
Please help us maintain the health and safety of museum visitors, students, faculty and staff by observing the following guidelines.
Groups wishing to schedule a visit must contact Marria Thompson, Gallery Curator, in advance of their visit.
The Department of Art History Gallery is located on the first floor of the O'Shaughnessy Educational Center (OEC) in St. Paul.
Street parking is available in non-permit areas along Cleveland Avenue and Summit Avenue. Guests can also park in the Anderson Parking Facility and the Morrison Parking Ramp.
Who can submit a proposal?
We welcome artists to submit proposals to exhibit their work in our gallery. Scheduled two years in advance, our Art Exhibition Program presents two major displays during the academic year (September through December and February through May). We welcome all emerging and established artists, working in all mediums, to submit solo and/or group proposals.
Application Cycle and Timeline
You are welcome to submit a proposal at any time and it will be reviewed during the next cycle. The current application cycle is closed, so please check back regularly for updates.
Proposal Guidelines
To submit a digital proposal, please include the following:
Digital proposals only, please. Do not mail anything.
Send all questions and submissions to:
Marria Thompson
Department of Art History Gallery Curator
ArtHistoryGallery@stthomas.edu
An exploration into the spiritual dimension of human experience, Idealized Imperfection showcases two artists who expand on contemporary life while utilizing historical traditions and text. Inspired by Orthodox iconography and fashion photography, Natalia Berglund’s paintings are a commentary on the modern ideals of femininity. Kelly Kruse blends sacred text and personal reflection to create illuminated paintings that consider the duality between time and the reality of pain. While appearing to be idyllic, contemplation and reflection allows the viewer to witness the limitations in life through this visual dialogue.
In memory of Dr. Shelly Nordtorp-Madson, teacher, mentor, colleague, and friend.
Natalia Berglund is a Minneapolis-based (Minsk-born) multidisciplinary visual artist who works in a variety of mediums, with a primary focus on portraiture. Her latest body of work is inspired by Orthodox iconography and fashion photography. Drawing parallels between the high drama of ancient icons and contemporary representations of women in the media, she explores the tension inherent in modern ideals of femininity. With each piece, Natalia represents her subjects both literally and symbolically. She captures the precise facial features, but then makes surrealistic background and color choices that help create a story filled with meaning and visual richness. Natalia has participated in numerous gallery and museum exhibitions. Her work can be found in private collections across the USA, Europe, Middle East, and Russia. Her piece "Vessel" is part of the El Paso Museum of History Permanent Collection.
The University of St. Thomas Art Collection seeks to bring the visual arts to the university, providing an enriching and engaging experience for all students, scholars, and community members. Diverse in scope, the collection fosters critical thinking about global cultures and the material world.
With historical oil paintings, large scale outdoor sculptures, intricate African carvings and more, the University of St. Thomas Art Collection has over 1,500 works of art that you can search and explore.
During Fall 2019, students in Professor Vanessa Rousseau's Museum Studies: Collections (ARTH 250) explored the Greco-Roman coins from the University of St. Thomas Art Collection. This hands-on project allowed the students to work with objects, metadata, and digital exhibitions while creating an online database that serves as a valuable resource for the collection.
The University of St. Thomas Art Collection seeks to bring the visual arts to the university, providing an enriching and engaging experience for all students, scholars, and community members. Diverse in scope, the collection fosters critical thinking about global cultures and the material world.
With historical oil paintings, large scale outdoor sculptures, intricate African carvings and more, the University of St. Thomas Art Collection has over 1,500 works of art that you can search and explore.
During Fall 2019, students in Professor Vanessa Rousseau's Museum Studies: Collections (ARTH 250) explored the Greco-Roman coins from the University of St. Thomas Art Collection. This hands-on project allowed the students to work with objects, metadata, and digital exhibitions while creating an online database that serves as a valuable resource for the collection.
The Voorsanger Architects Archive holds the work of Voorsanger Architects PC, a New York-based architectural firm. The physical archive focuses on highlights of the design and creative process from initial sketches to final photos of the firm's various projects, as well as items relating to Principal and founder Bartholomew Voorsanger, FAIA.
A curated collection of 25 projects was selected as representative of the firm's work from the 1970s through the 2010s. Quick facts on these selected projects are showcased on the archive website, while the archive database offers more detailed information and documentation on each of the 25 selections.
American Museum of Asmat Art
Voorsanger Architects Archive