Dr. Pearl Hansen's "Diary of an Artist" exhibit will run from Sept. 2 through Oct. 7.
Dr. Pearl Hansen, a retired Wayne State College professor of art, returns to campus with her exhibit “Diary of an Artist,” which opens Wednesday, Sept. 2, with a 4:30 p.m. reception in the Nordstrand Visual Arts Gallery, located on the main level of Conn Library at Wayne State.
An artist’s lecture precedes the opening at 3:45 p.m. in Connell Hall, Room 131. Both events are free and open to the public. The exhibit runs through Oct. 7.
It will be Hansen’s first exhibit at Wayne State since she retired in 2015 after 39 years of teaching at Wayne State. Hansen has also served as the division head of the Fine Arts Department and chair for the Department of Art and Design.
Hansen says “Diary of an Artist” is a visual record of more than five decades of making, teaching, observing, learning, and responding to the world around her.
“I have always thought of my work as my sense of place – a way of interpreting daily life, experiences, relationships, travels, and the world immediately around me,” said Hansen. “My farm in particular, has been a constant source of observation and inspiration.”
“Travel and education have also shaped my artistic life,” continued Hansen. “Meeting people from other cultures; experiencing great works of art; meeting artists; studying literature, history, science, and psychology; learning how things are made; and, perhaps most importantly, teaching and learning from my students have continually expanded my way of seeing. At Wayne State, I developed large collaborative projects involving college students, K-12 schools, and the community, creating two- and three-dimensional works and installations on and off campus.”
Hansen, whose exhibits have been presented locally, regionally, and nationally, gave her art education students the opportunity to attend at least one national convention during their college careers.
Hansen has made numerous presentations and served on several committees regarding the dangers of art hazards such as toxic materials and chemicals, as well as safety and precaution measures.
In 2014, Hansen received the National Art Education Award from the National Art Education Association. She received the Nebraska Art Educator of the Year Award in 2013 and 1990 and the Nebraska Higher Education Art Educator of the Year Award in 2013 and 1989 from the Nebraska Art Teachers Association.
Hansen earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Education degree from Wayne State College, her Master of Arts degree in Sculpture and Art History from Kansas State University, and her Ph.D. in Administration, Curriculum and Instruction, with research interests in the area of art hazards, from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
The gallery is open Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sunday, 3 to 7 p.m. It is closed on Saturday. Shows end at noon on closing day. For more information on this exhibit and upcoming shows, visit the Nordstrand Visual Arts Gallery or contact Dr. Andy Haslit, professor of art history at Wayne State and director of the Nordstrand Visual Arts Gallery, at [email protected].