His work was initially to be featured in the gallery in 2020 but, due to restrictions during the COVID pandemic, the showcase didn’t happen. In fact, the entire gallery was closed until October 2023, when the gallery re-opened.
Clearly influenced by apartheid, Claassen creates pictures of enforced separation and barriers – pictures that invite the viewer into conversation. “I wouldn’t describe myself as an activist,” he says. “I’m a bit introverted. I find if I make art that brings up those kinds of issues, then that’s an opportunity to talk about them.”
Once the drawing classes that were housed in the spot were relocated to other rooms in the building, Claassen began to utilize it as an art studio. The long wall between the two doors, approaching 100 feet in length, became the focal point of the entire space.
“Many people I told about the event for my class wanted to talk about horror films as well, thus, proving Scott’s theory and tagline that, ‘…You used to LOVE horror movies… and you secretly still do!” Golden said.
Harris was hired to create the mural, 21.5 feet long and 8.5 feet high, on a wall inside the Chief Standing Bear Justice Administration Building in Nebraska.
Over 70 qualified artists from across the state of Idaho applied for the Idaho Commission on the Art Visual Art Fellowship. Claassen and Fisher were two of the three selected.
Johnson remains a Langroise Fellow at the College following recent retirements by Samuel Smith and Geoffrey Trabichoff. He serves as the Trio’s violist in performances and will be joined by Shea (violinist) and Kettler (cellist).
The list continues to the point Strother and Moulton say the College contains one of the widest and most diverse selections of music instructors in the region.
