The Capital Gallery Society

IN 2023 THE CAPITAL GALLERY SOCIETY UNDERWENT A RESTRUCTERING OF MANAGEMENT AND MOVED TO A EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MANAGEMENT POSITION IN LIEU OF A CEO/PRESIDENT. THIS CHANGE PROVIDED AN OPPORTUNITY TO AFFECT SIGNIFICANT OPERATING COST SAVINGS WITHOUT A REDUCTION IN SERVICES PROVIDED. THE CAPITAL GALLERY SOCIETY CONTINUED ITS MISSION OF CELEBRATING ART, HISTORY AND CULTURE THROUGH VARIOUS EXHIBITS, OUTREACH PROGRAMS AND SPECIAL EVENTS, AS ARE MORE FULLY DESCRIBED BELOW.ExhibitsTHE CAPITAL GALLERY SOCIETY TYPICALLY HOLDS SIX EXHIBITS IN EACH CALENDAR YEAR, WITH EACH EXHIBIT OPEN FOR 6 7 WEEKS. ALL EXHIBITS ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC TUESDAY SATURDAY AT NO CHARGE.FEBRUARY 2023 SAW THE THIRD ANNUAL STUDENT ART FAIR. THIS EXHIBIT FEATURED ART BY APPROXIMATELY 60 YOUNG ARTISTS FROM HIGH SCHOOLS IN BURLEIGH, MORTON AND SIOUX COUNTIES. EACH ARTIST RECEIVED SPECIAL RECOGNITION AND ONE ARTIST WAS SELECTED TO RECEIVE A $1,000 COLLEGE SCHOLARSIHP GRANT. THE STUDENT ART FAIR INVOLVED HUDNREDS OF STUDENTS, PARENTS AND TEACHERS AND WILL BE CONTINUED NEXT YEAR.IN APRIL THE COME RAIN OR COME SHINE EXHIBIT OPENED, FEATURING GUEST ARTIST ZHIMIN GUAN, PROFESSOR OF ART AT MINNESOTA STATE UNIVERSITY, MOORHEAD, MN. GUAN HAS BEEN A PROFESSOR OF ART AT MSU MOORHEAD SINCE 1998 AND HAS EXHIBITED IN MUSEUMS AND GALLERIES THOUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES AND CHINA, INCLUDING THE CHINA NATIONAL ART GALLERY IN BEJIING.THE NATURAL BEAUTY EXHIBIT OPENED IN JUNE 2023. THE EXHIBIT FEATURED FARGO, ND ARTIST BRAD BACHMEIER AND GRAND FORKS, ND PHOTOGRAPHER DAVE BRUNER. BACHMEIER IS A NORTH DAKOTA NATIVE WHO HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED WITH THE PRESTIGIOUS ND GOVERNORS AWARD FOR ARTS EDUCATION AND THE CARNEGIE FOUNDATION AS A US PROFESSOR OF THE YEAR NOMINEE. HE SERVES AS BOTH A PROFESSOR OF ART EDUCATION AND AS CHAIR OF THE SCHOOL OF ART AT MINNESOTA STATE UNIVERSITY MOORHEAD.THE AUGUST 2023 BENEATH THE ARTISTS HAND EXHIBIT FEATURED ICON ARTISTS WALTER PIEHL, VERN ERICKSON, KAYE BURIAN, BUTCH THUNDER HAWK AND TODD CLAUSNITZER. PIEHL RECENTLY RETIRED AS ART PROFESSOR AT MINOT STATE UNIVERSITY. THUNDER HAWK IS AN ENROLLED MEMBER OF THE STANDING ROCK RESERVATION AND TAUGHT ART FOR MANY YEARS AT UNITED TRIBES TECHNICAL CENTER IN BISMARCK, ND. THE ICON ARTISTS PROVIDED INSTRUCTION AND PERSPECTIVES ON THEIR RESPECTIVE MEDIUMS DURING THE EXHIBIT.IN OCTOBER THE GALLERY FEATURED ART BY JESSICA WACHTER DURING AN EXHIBIT ENTITLED, THAT IS MY STORY. A BISMARCK NATIVE, WACHTER IS WELL-KNOWN REGIONALLY AND NATIONALLY, WITH EXHIBITS IN VENUES RANGING FROM THE PLAINS ART MUSEUM IN FARGO, ND, TO THE INTERNATIONAL ART BASEL EVENT IN MIAMI, FL, TO CELEBRATE ART IN SCOTTSDALE, AZ.THE FINAL EXHIBIT OF 2023, ACROSS THE BURNING HILLS, EMPHASIZED THEODORE ROOSEVELT NATIONAL PARK AND THE BAD LANDS OF WESTER NORTH DAKOTA. FEATURED ARTISTS INCLUDED LINDA DONLIN, DAVE BADMAN, KATRINA CASE AND TAMA SMITH. DONLIN HELD RECEPTIONS IN THE GALLERY FOR EDUCATIONAL PRESENTATIONS OF HER RECENT ART BOOK, THE MAGIC OF MEDORA, WHICH CHRONICLES THE EXPERIENCES OF PRESIDENT THEODORE ROOSEVELTS EXPERIENCES IN MEDORA ND.Outreach Programs & Special EventsIN ADDITION TO OPERATING THE CAPITAL GALLERY PUBLIC AT NO CHARGE TO THE PUBLIC, THE CAPITAL GALLERY SOCIETY PROVIDES A ROTATING DISPLAY OF UPLIFTING ARTWORK AT TOUCHMARK, AN ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY IN BISMARCK. THE ARTWORK IS DISPLAYED AT NO CHARGE AND IS APPRECIATED BY BOTH THE MANAGEMENT AND RESIDENTS.THE GALLERY ALSO HOSTS THE BISMARCK-MANDAN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRAS CONDUCTORS CLUB ON A REGULAR BASIS. A SPECIAL EVENT, DEFIANT REQUIEM: VERDI AT TEREZIN, FEATURED THE CREATOR AND CONDUCTOR, MURRY SIDLIN, WHO GAVE AN IN-DEPTH PRESENTATION ON THE HISTORIC PERFORMANCE OF VERDIS REQUIEM BY JEWISH PRISONERS AT A GERMAN CONCENTRATION CAMP DURING WORLD WAR II.Special EventsAN AFTERNOON WITH BUTCH THUNDER HAWK WAS HELD IN AUGUST, ATTENDED BY NUMEROUS FRIENDS AND RELATIVES FROM THE STANDING ROCK SIOUX RESERVATION. TRIBAL ARTS INSTRUCTOR THUNDER HAWK GAVE AN EDUCATIONAL PRESENTATION ON HIS INSPIRATION AND EXPERIENCE AS A NATIVE AMERICAN LEDGER ARTIST. THUNDER HAWK AND HIS STUDENTS CREATED CULTURAL PIECES FOR THE THOMAS JEFFERSON HOME IN MONTICELLO, VA. HE ALSO CURATED EXHIBITS FOR THE PEABODY MUSEUM AT HARVARD UNIVERSITY.THE RECEPTION LED TO THE CAPITAL GALLERY INSTALLING SEVERAL OF THUNDER HAWKS PIECES IN THE NEWLY OPENED WOZU CULTURAL CENTER IN CANNON BALL, ND, ON THE STANDING ROCK RESERVATION. THE GALLERYS SIXTH ANNUAL ART GALA WAS HELD IN OCTOBER AT THE NEW NORTH DAKOTA GATEWAY TO SCIENCE CENTER. THIS ANNUAL EVENT ATTRACTS HUNDREDS OF GALLERY SUPPORTERS WHO GENEROUSLY BID ON ARTWORK THAT IS DONATED BY LOCAL AND REGIONAL ARTISTS TO HELP SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE GALLERY.