Samantha Raghu – Staff Writer

While artwork is aesthetically pleasing to the eye, the use of artistic expression can be used as an educational tool to acknowledge, grow beyond and change individual and collective thoughts and beliefs.
As a means of reshaping our campus’ sentiments on identity, enforced societal norms and expectations, Gustavus’ upcoming art exhibition, An Active and Urgent Telling, seeks to manifest the lived experiences of six different artists through photography.
Continuing Assistant Professor and Studio and Visual Arts Programs Manager Nicholas Darcourt, provides greater insight into the organization behind curating the exhibition, known as the Strange Fire Collective (SFC).
“The Strange Fire Collective is a group of artists and mostly photographers. They wanted to start a group where they could show work and organize exhibitions as well as educational opportunities around artists who would be a part of non-dominant culture,” Darcourt said.

“[SFC] wanted to start a group where they could show work and organize exhibitions as well as educational opportunities around artists who would be a part of non-dominant culture.”
-Darcourt

Darcourt also elaborates on the financial and educational incentives behind the showcasing.
“What we want to do is bring this group in because this year we have access to the Johnson endowment for the arts artists series funds, so that means we have some more money for bringing in a national group. We also wanted to bring in this group to do some critiques with our studio arts majors,” Darcourt said.
Additionally, the photographic displays behind each artist express their experiences as members from a non-dominant group through an intersectional lens, detailing the social and political influencers shaping their sentiments of visibility or invisibility.
Darcourt expanded on the importance of this exhibition as a means of building greater inclusivity and representation to the Gustavus campus community.
“It was important for us to bring this group in because we liked the idea of having a curatorial group who focuses on artists from non-dominant cultures to have an exhibition that doesn’t happen very often at Gustavus, nor in this region,” Darcourt said.

“The exhibition includes national artists with works coming in from across the country. By having less of a focus on the in-person experience, we were able to bring more voices into our storytelling.”
-Darcourt

“The work is also about the artists themselves presenting their identity through their work. Some of the artists would be African American, Asian American, non-binary and Latinx,” Darcourt said.
Artists in this exhibition include Jennifer Ling Datchuk, Adama Delphine Fawundu, Penny Molesso, Rachelle Mozman Solano, Irene Reece and Chanell Stone.
Adhering to COVID-19 guidelines, the Arts department was able to incorporate artists from all across the globe as well.
“The exhibition includes national artists with works coming in from across the country. By having less of a focus on the in-person experience, we were able to bring more voices into our storytelling,” Darcourt said in a Fine Arts blog.
All campus and non-campus community members are able to access An Active and Urgent Telling online through the Schaefer Art Gallery website.
Additionally, a recording of the SFC panel discussion will be available online on the collective’s main website in the near future.