Bismarck State College ArtsQuest presents a new event with "Journey as an Artist," a visual arts residency April 7-10 with alumni Tama Smith and Lee Hulteng. Both are 1977 graduates of BSC and have made a living from their art for more than 25 years.
Their work will appear in Elsa Forde Gallery, Schafer Hall, with an art sale April 10 from 3 to 8 p.m., and artist gallery talk at 7 p.m. in Sidney J. Lee Auditorium.
Smith is a ceramics artist who specializes in high fire stoneware pottery. She owns Prairie Fire Pottery in Beach, N.D., a business she started in 1995 on her hometown's main street. She fires her handmade brick kiln to more than 2,300 degrees to achieve her fluid glaze effects.
"I approach my work as much from the perspective of a painter as that of a potter," Smith said. "To me, clay is like canvas. I use my glazes like paint."
Hulteng made his career in journalism as a news illustrator and freelance graphic designer and sculptor. He was a child artist fascinated by storytelling, who found the perfect fit in journalism. Hulteng has always enjoyed realism and detail, but his illustrations span many styles and storytelling functions.
Between 1977 and 1985, he freelanced in Montana at ad agencies and a design studio and was art director for a TV station. He took his first newspaper job at the Grand Forks Herald in 1986. After the city's 1997 flood, he was offered the job of senior illustrator at Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service in Washington, D.C., just two blocks from the White House. It later became McClatchy Tribune, where Hulteng rose to deputy art director before leaving to work freelance full time at his Maryland home and shop.
Hulteng's award-winning designs have appeared in newspapers across North and South America, Europe and Asia. He is recipient of a bronze Malofiej Award from the Society for News Design, an international nonprofit organization for visual journalists. His metal sculptures derive from his interest in customizing motorcycles and the influence from his engineer father to build and fix things. His "Thundering Herd" series started from putting together unusable parts.
Smith focused on fine arts at BSC. She went on to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts in ceramics at University of North Dakota and Master of Fine Arts in ceramics at Michigan State University. After graduation, she moved to Detroit, Mich., where she built a studio and kiln and operated Tama Pottery for eight years. She and husband Jerry left Michigan to found Prairie Fire Pottery. Her customers come from all over the country.
About ArtsQuest
ArtsQuest is a month-long campus celebration of music, art, theater, literature and film held annually for the campus and community. It began in 1998 as a project of the Arts and Communication Department to widen educational experience by inviting guest artists and highlight the talents of BSC students. For a detailed schedule, visit bismarckstate.edu/artsquest.
About Bismarck State College
Bismarck State College, an innovative community college in Bismarck, N.D., offers high quality education, workforce training, and enrichment programs reaching local and global communities.
Their work will appear in Elsa Forde Gallery, Schafer Hall, with an art sale April 10 from 3 to 8 p.m., and artist gallery talk at 7 p.m. in Sidney J. Lee Auditorium.
Smith is a ceramics artist who specializes in high fire stoneware pottery. She owns Prairie Fire Pottery in Beach, N.D., a business she started in 1995 on her hometown's main street. She fires her handmade brick kiln to more than 2,300 degrees to achieve her fluid glaze effects.
"I approach my work as much from the perspective of a painter as that of a potter," Smith said. "To me, clay is like canvas. I use my glazes like paint."
Hulteng made his career in journalism as a news illustrator and freelance graphic designer and sculptor. He was a child artist fascinated by storytelling, who found the perfect fit in journalism. Hulteng has always enjoyed realism and detail, but his illustrations span many styles and storytelling functions.
Between 1977 and 1985, he freelanced in Montana at ad agencies and a design studio and was art director for a TV station. He took his first newspaper job at the Grand Forks Herald in 1986. After the city's 1997 flood, he was offered the job of senior illustrator at Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service in Washington, D.C., just two blocks from the White House. It later became McClatchy Tribune, where Hulteng rose to deputy art director before leaving to work freelance full time at his Maryland home and shop.
Hulteng's award-winning designs have appeared in newspapers across North and South America, Europe and Asia. He is recipient of a bronze Malofiej Award from the Society for News Design, an international nonprofit organization for visual journalists. His metal sculptures derive from his interest in customizing motorcycles and the influence from his engineer father to build and fix things. His "Thundering Herd" series started from putting together unusable parts.
Smith focused on fine arts at BSC. She went on to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts in ceramics at University of North Dakota and Master of Fine Arts in ceramics at Michigan State University. After graduation, she moved to Detroit, Mich., where she built a studio and kiln and operated Tama Pottery for eight years. She and husband Jerry left Michigan to found Prairie Fire Pottery. Her customers come from all over the country.
About ArtsQuest
ArtsQuest is a month-long campus celebration of music, art, theater, literature and film held annually for the campus and community. It began in 1998 as a project of the Arts and Communication Department to widen educational experience by inviting guest artists and highlight the talents of BSC students. For a detailed schedule, visit bismarckstate.edu/artsquest.
About Bismarck State College
Bismarck State College, an innovative community college in Bismarck, N.D., offers high quality education, workforce training, and enrichment programs reaching local and global communities.