January 24, 2014, Friday - 2014 Minnesota Book Artist Award Reception at MCBA

Time: 5:30pm

Location: Minnesota Center for Book Arts, (Open Book Target Performance Hall)1011 Washington Avenue South

FRED HAGSTROM NAMED RECIPIENT OF 2014 MINNESOTA BOOK ARTIST AWARD

A reception showcasing the exhibit and honoring Hagstrom will take place on Friday, January 24 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Open Book, with a brief program and presentation at 6:30 p.m. The reception is free and open to the public, and features live music, hors d’oeuvres, and wine.  An exhibit celebrating Hagstrom's work will run January 24 through March 30 in Open Book's Cowles Literary Commons.

The Minnesota Book Awards is pleased to announce Fred Hagstrom as the winner of the 2014 Minnesota Book Artist Award sponsored by Lerner Publishing Group. This annual award, presented by Minnesota Center for Book Arts (MCBA) and the Minnesota Book Awards, recognizes a Minnesota book artist or book artist collaborative group for excellence of a new artistic work, demonstrated proficiency and quality in the book arts through their body of work, as well as an ongoing commitment and significant contributions to Minnesota’s book arts community. The award has previously been presented to Jana Pullman (2013), Bridget O’Malley and Amanda Degener of Cave Paper (2012), Regula Russelle (2011), Wilber H. "Chip" Schilling (2010), Paulette Myers-Rich (2009), and Jody Williams (2008).

A distinguished professor of art at Carleton College since 1984, Fred Hagstrom came to the book arts through a long background in printmaking. His recent work focuses on historical subjects, juxtaposing archival photographs with carefully chosen text to produce work both visually rich and emotionally provocative. His award-winning piece, Passage, examines the historic tragedy of the slave trade using archival photographs of former slaves combined with hand-drawn diagrams depicting the inhumane conditions aboard slave ships. These images are paired with selected texts from two historical books that were important for building opposition to the slave trade: An Essay on the Impolicy of the African Slave Trade by Thomas Clarkson, 1788, and Biographical Sketches and Interesting Anecdotes of Person of Color by A. Mott, 1837.

Hagstrom teaches printmaking, drawing, art and narrative, and artist's books at Carleton College. He received his BA from Hamline University in Saint Paul and his MFA from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. In addition, he studied at the University of Chicago for one year, as well as under S.W. Hayter at Atelier 17 in Paris, France. His prints have been shown in galleries throughout the United States and are featured in numerous museum collections, including the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and the Walker Art Center. Hagstrom's awards and honors include several research, travel, and development grants, as well as prestigious national printmaking awards. He has also received fellowships through the McKnight and Blandin Foundations.

Exhibits of Hagstrom’s work will also be featured at other venues throughout the state this year, including Saint Paul’s Central Library this spring.