Will Swanson (1947-) grew up in Minnesota and studied ceramics, art and design at the University of Minnesota. After working at Fairview Hospital for fifteen years, Swanson married Janel Jacobson and began making pottery full-time at their home studio in Sunrise Township, Minnesota. He also helped co-found the St. Croix Valley Pottery Tour. Janel Jacobson (1950-) grew up in various parts of Minnesota and studied ceramics at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa before establishing her own studio in the St. Croix Valley. After graduating, she studied studio pottery techniques with renowned Bauhaus artist Marguerite Wildenhain, but soon adopted her own style of carving small sculptures in clay. In 1995, Janel stopped carving in stoneware and porcelain and began using wood. In this interview, Swanson and Jacobson discuss their respective childhoods; ceramics education; connections to the local and national pottery communities; and thoughts on the past, present and future of the St. Croix Valley Pottery Tour. This interview was conducted by local oral historian and PhD Candidate from the University of Minnesota Anduin Wilhide. ""A Measure of the Earth: An Oral History of the Potters of the St. Croix River Valley"" explores the anomalous community of potters in Eastern Minnesota who host an annual cooperative tour for participating ceramic artists from around the world. This annual three-day event attracts art enthusiasts from across the country. Together the project's ten oral history interviews, representing diverse perspectives from within the local pottery community, tell the story of how, from the 1950s to today, Minnesota�s St. Croix River Valley has developed into a major center for pottery, and a destination for thousands nationally.
In this interview, Warren MacKenzie (1924-) discusses his childhood and early experience with art; being drafted in 1943; his early ceramic education and studies at the Chicago Art Institute; his first wife, the late Alix MacKenzie, who was also a ceramist; studying in England under renowned potter Bernard Leach; Korean and Japanese influences; setting up his studio near Stillwater, Minnesota; teaching at the University of Minnesota; meeting his second wife, the late fiber artist Nancy MacKenzie; and his involvement with the Minnesota Craft Council and the St. Croix Pottery Tour. This interview was conducted by local oral historian and PhD Candidate from the University of Minnesota Anduin Wilhide. ""A Measure of the Earth: An Oral History of the Potters of the St. Croix River Valley"" explores the anomalous community of potters in Eastern Minnesota who host an annual cooperative tour for participating ceramic artists from around the world. This annual three-day event attracts art enthusiasts from across the country. Together the project's ten oral history interviews, representing diverse perspectives from within the local pottery community, tell the story of how, from the 1950s to today, Minnesota�s St. Croix River Valley has developed into a major center for pottery, and a destination for thousands nationally.
Ted Larson, Assistant Professor of Speech/Director of Critical Film Studies, has been teaching at MSU since 1968. He is also the managing director for the Straw Hat Players. Mr. Larson discusses his family background and how this background influences his career. He also evaluates some major films.
Robert (Bob) Briscoe (1947- ) grew up in Kansas City, Kansas and studied pottery with James Vandergriff in Zarah, Kansas, then with Lou Wynne in Colorado Springs, before moving to Minnesota where he established his pottery studio and co-founded the St. Croix Valley Pottery Tour. In this interview, Briscoe discusses his childhood; ceramics education; his introduction to the pottery community in Minnesota; and his thoughts on the past, present and future of the St. Croix Valley Pottery Tour. This interview was conducted by local oral historian and PhD Candidate from the University of Minnesota Anduin Wilhide. ""A Measure of the Earth: An Oral History of the Potters of the St. Croix River Valley"" explores the anomalous community of potters in Eastern Minnesota who host an annual cooperative tour for participating ceramic artists from around the world. This annual three-day event attracts art enthusiasts from across the country. Together the project's ten oral history interviews, representing diverse perspectives from within the local pottery community, tell the story of how, from the 1950s to today, Minnesota�s St. Croix River Valley has developed into a major center for pottery, and a destination for thousands nationally.
Richard Vincent (1955-) grew up in White Bear Lake and studied pottery in high school and at Lakewood Community College in Minnesota. In this interview, Vincent discusses his childhood; ceramics education; teaching experience; the establishment of his studio in North Branch; faith and religious experiences; and his thoughts on the past, present and future of the St. Croix Valley Pottery Tour. This interview was conducted by local oral historian and PhD Candidate from the University of Minnesota Anduin Wilhide. ""A Measure of the Earth: An Oral History of the Potters of the St. Croix River Valley"" explores the anomalous community of potters in Eastern Minnesota who host an annual cooperative tour for participating ceramic artists from around the world. This annual three-day event attracts art enthusiasts from across the country. Together the project's ten oral history interviews, representing diverse perspectives from within the local pottery community, tell the story of how, from the 1950s to today, Minnesota�s St. Croix River Valley has developed into a major center for pottery, and a destination for thousands nationally.
Mrs. Rhoda Hansen teaches English at Fargo North High School. She discusses her involvement in the Moorhead State University theatre program which her husband directs, Dr. Delmar J. Hansen. She discusses how she became involved with the theatre programs, the role she sees theatre playing in the community, and some of the problems the students and program have encountered.
At age eighty-three, Mrs. Mildred Heifort discusses a variety of topics related to her home business as a seamstress, including needlework, spinning, natural dyes, needle weaving, wall hangings, lamp shapes, and the collecting, repairing and dressing of dolls. Mrs. Heifort is the creator of the Red River Historical Dolls, a major collection of dolls with historic and ethnic costumes, now a part of the Clay County Historical Society collection.
Linda Christianson (1952-) grew up in Barron, Wisconsin, and studied ceramics at Hamline University (St Paul, Minnesota), and the Banff Centre School of Fine Arts (Banff, Alberta, Canada), before returning to Minnesota to start her own ceramics studio and co-found the St. Croix Valley Pottery Tour. In this interview, Christianson discusses her childhood; ceramics education; her connections to the local and national pottery communities; and her thoughts on the past, present and future of the St. Croix Valley Pottery Tour. This interview was conducted by local oral historian and PhD Candidate from the University of Minnesota Anduin Wilhide. ""A Measure of the Earth: An Oral History of the Potters of the St. Croix River Valley"" explores the anomalous community of potters in Eastern Minnesota who host an annual cooperative tour for participating ceramic artists from around the world. This annual three-day event attracts art enthusiasts from across the country. Together the project's ten oral history interviews, representing diverse perspectives from within the local pottery community, tell the story of how, from the 1950s to today, Minnesota�s St. Croix River Valley has developed into a major center for pottery, and a destination for thousands nationally.
Ken J. Frolund tells of his introduction to the Fargo-Moorhead Community Theatre and his involvement in set building and administration not only for the theatre but also for the Fargo-Moorhead Symphony.
June Dobervich describes her activities with both the Little Country Theatre at North Dakota State University and the Fargo-Moorhead Community Theatre. She discusses such factors as the costs of theater production, the types of productions, participants in the program, and the achievements of Alfred G. Arvold.
In this interview, Jeff Oestreich (1947-) discusses growing up in White Bear Lake; early experiences with music and art; undergraduate education at Bemidji State University; graduate studies with Warren MacKenzie at the University of Minnesota; apprenticeship at the Leach Pottery in St. Ives, England; local and national teaching and exhibition experiences; establishing his studio in Taylors Falls, Minnesota; and his involvement with the founding and legacy of the St. Croix Pottery Tour.
This interview was conducted by local oral historian and PhD Candidate from the University of Minnesota Anduin Wilhide. ""A Measure of the Earth: An Oral History of the Potters of the St. Croix River Valley"" explores the anomalous community of potters in Eastern Minnesota who host an annual cooperative tour for participating ceramic artists from around the world. This annual three-day event attracts art enthusiasts from across the country. Together the project's ten oral history interviews, representing diverse perspectives from within the local pottery community, tell the story of how, from the 1950s to today, Minnesota�s St. Croix River Valley has developed into a major center for pottery, and a destination for thousands nationally.
Janet Koplos is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Minnesota School of Journalism and Mass Communications and earned a masters degree in art history from Illinois State University. She has been writing regularly on all art mediums for 25 years, in newspapers, magazines, catalogs and books. In this interview, Koplos discusses her early interactions with potters from Minnesota while at the University of Minnesota; perceptions of the local and national ceramics field; her life as a journalist and art critic; and experience as a visitor to the St. Croix Valley Pottery Tour. This interview was conducted by local oral historian and PhD Candidate from the University of Minnesota Anduin Wilhide. ""A Measure of the Earth: An Oral History of the Potters of the St. Croix River Valley"" explores the anomalous community of potters in Eastern Minnesota who host an annual cooperative tour for participating ceramic artists from around the world. This annual three-day event attracts art enthusiasts from across the country. Together the project's ten oral history interviews, representing diverse perspectives from within the local pottery community, tell the story of how, from the 1950s to today, Minnesota�s St. Croix River Valley has developed into a major center for pottery, and a destination for thousands nationally.
James ORourke was born in Langdon, North Dakota in 1933. He went to Concordia College for history and art and spent 1957-1960 in Europe. Mr. O'Rourke opened the Rourke Gallery in 1960. It later merged with the Red River Arts Center to form the Plains Art Museum. He discusses community support for the gallery, participating artists, and the growing collection.
Mrs. Hildergarde Kraus, a well-known local organist, describes her musical training at a boarding school in Bismarck, North Dakota, and at the Dakota Conservatory of Music in Fargo. She discusses playing for silent movies and vaudeville and traces the events in her twenty-eight year career as organist for WDAY.
H.B. Teichmann was 89 years old at the time of this interview. He describes his love of theatre and his training at the Academy of Theatre Arts in New York. He is famous for his character bits and has been in 20-30 Fargo-Moorhead Community Theatre productions, working under a number of our resident directors.
Guillermo Cuellar (1951 - ) was born in Maracaibo, Venezuela, grew up in Caracas, and came to the United States to attend high school. He subsequently studied ceramics at Cornell College in Iowa. After graduation he returned to Venezuela and started making studio ceramics in 1980. In 1981 he worked as assistant to Warren MacKenzie, who was teaching in Caracas and with whom he regularly shared workshop experience from 1984 to 2006. In 2005 Cuellar moved to the upper St. Croix river valley near Shafer, Minnesota, where he established a home and studio. He joined the St. Croix Valley Pottery Tour as a host potter in 2009. In this interview, Cuellar discusses his ceramics education in the United States and subsequent practice in Venezuela; his introduction to the pottery community in Minnesota; and his thoughts on the past, present and future of the St. Croix Valley Pottery Tour. This interview was conducted by local oral historian and PhD Candidate from the University of Minnesota Anduin Wilhide. ""A Measure of the Earth: An Oral History of the Potters of the St. Croix River Valley"" explores the anomalous community of potters in Eastern Minnesota who host an annual cooperative tour for participating ceramic artists from around the world. This annual three-day event attracts art enthusiasts from across the country. Together the project's ten oral history interviews, representing diverse perspectives from within the local pottery community, tell the story of how, from the 1950s to today, Minnesota�s St. Croix River Valley has developed into a major center for pottery, and a destination for thousands nationally.
Hazelle and George Nassif were prime movers in Fargo-Moorhead Community Theater. George discusses his early interest in acting, his support of the F-M Community Theater and how some of the financial difficulties were overcome. The construction of the new theater building in Island Park, with labor donated by the Labor Union, is discussed by Hazelle.
Dr. Frederick Walsh discusses his years as a theatre teacher at North Dakota State University, Fargo. Dr. Walsh discusses his interests in outdoor drama, production at Medora, old and new theaters at NDSU, and his philosophy on the role of the theater in the lives of students.
Edie Abnet (1947-) is a painter who was married to the late Richard Abnet (1934-2011) , a potter and founding host of the St. Croix Valley Pottery Tour. In this interview, Abnet discusses her husband's childhood in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and subsequent studies in ceramics at the University of Minnesota under Warren MacKenzie, and at the School for American Crafts in Rochester, New York, under Frans Wildenhain. Abnet also talks about the home and studio she and her husband shared in the St. Croix River Valley and his involvement in the St. Croix Valley Pottery Tour. This interview was conducted by local oral historian and PhD Candidate from the University of Minnesota Anduin Wilhide. ""A Measure of the Earth: An Oral History of the Potters of the St. Croix River Valley"" explores the anomalous community of potters in Eastern Minnesota who host an annual cooperative tour for participating ceramic artists from around the world. This annual three-day event attracts art enthusiasts from across the country. Together the project's ten oral history interviews, representing diverse perspectives from within the local pottery community, tell the story of how, from the 1950s to today, Minnesota�s St. Croix River Valley has developed into a major center for pottery, and a destination for thousands nationally.
Dr. Delmar Hansen is director of the theatre program at Moorhead State University for 30 years, gives his assessment of a number of regional and local literary figures. He also describes some of the changes since he came to Moorhead State University in 1958 such as there was no real theatre program. He is the Chairman and a professor in the Department of Speech Communication and Theatre Arts.
Connee Mayeron-Cowles (1949 - ) grew up in Saint Louis Park, studied pottery at the University of Minnesota under Curt Hoard and Warren MacKenzie, and was a co-founder of the St. Croix Valley Pottery Tour. In this interview, Mayeron-Cowles discusses her childhood; ceramics education; her introduction to the pottery community in Minnesota; and her thoughts on the past, present and future of the St. Croix Valley Pottery Tour. This interview was conducted by local oral historian and PhD Candidate from the University of Minnesota Anduin Wilhide. ""A Measure of the Earth: An Oral History of the Potters of the St. Croix River Valley"" explores the anomalous community of potters in Eastern Minnesota who host an annual cooperative tour for participating ceramic artists from around the world. This annual three-day event attracts art enthusiasts from across the country. Together the project's ten oral history interviews, representing diverse perspectives from within the local pottery community, tell the story of how, from the 1950s to today, Minnesota�s St. Croix River Valley has developed into a major center for pottery, and a destination for thousands nationally.
Life long Minnesota resident Dr. Clair Haugen has been the Director of the Concordia College theater program since 1960. He discusses the theaters history, growth and development, recollections of people and productions and the philosophy that governs the Concordia College theater program.
