Inside Iowa State
August 11, 2000
Museum readies for Petersen exhibition
by Linda Charles
The Brunnier Art Museum is closed
now, but inside there is a bustle of activity. The smell of
fresh paints wafts through the area as staff touch up walls.
Works of art and sculptures are covered in drop cloths,
waiting to be positioned in just the right spot. People shout
questions and answers back and forth as they sidestep
ladders.
Come Tuesday, Aug. 22, the chaos will be gone and the Brunnier's doors will open. On exhibition will be the legacy of an artist who came to Iowa State intending to stay a few months. Twenty-one years later, he was still here and had literally changed the face of campus.
Christian Petersen's works of art are familiar sights around campus, from the Fountain of the Four Seasons outside the Memorial Union to the Gentle Doctor sculpture at the Veterinary Medicine College. As an artist- in-residence at Iowa State, Petersen created 12 major campus public works of art, along with hundreds of smaller studio sculptures and drawings of families, friends, peers and national figures.
This fall, the University Museums will celebrate its 25th
anniversary as it highlights Petersen's art through a
retrospective exhibit, Christian Petersen, Sculptor,
at the Brunnier Art Museum.
The exhibition culminates years of preparation, from tracking down Petersen sculptures scattered around the state and nation to extensive conservation work on the fragile terra cotta works of art. On display will be 90 sculptures and 100 drawings, representative of Petersen's life work from 1900 through 1961 and reflecting themes of agriculture, education, war, memorials and family.
Events complementing the exhibit will be held throughout the semester and a new biography of the artist, Christian Petersen, Sculptor, will be published by ISU Press this month. The 250-page book includes more than 160 photographs and will sell for $45. Book signings with the authors are planned and lectures on Petersen and his art will be held throughout the semester.
In September, Petersen's family and friends, including his daughter and grandchildren, will be on hand to meet the public and the Brunnier Museum will hold its 25th anniversary gala.
In October there will be a Christian Petersen community-
wide open houses at local churches, the ISU Library and
Brunnier Museums. Later that month, Christian Petersen family
day will be celebrated with free craft activities, games,
food and prizes.
November will feature a one-man performance on the life of Petersen, performed by Iowa actor Tom Milligan and written by Iowa playwright Cindy Mercati. Milligan is an award-winning actor who has performed in hundreds of plays across the state. Mercati has authored 20 published plays, including Grant Wood: Prairie Rebel, which has won two major awards.
The exhibit will culminate with a celebration of Danish traditions. (Petersen was born in Denmark). Danish cookies, folk dancing and crafts will be featured. A guided tour of the exhibition also will be offered in December.
All events are free and open to the public. Watch the Inside calendar for dates of the Petersen events. The exhibition runs through Dec. 31.
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