For Minneapolis-based artist and Augsburg alumna Amy Rice ('93) the commonplace is anything but boring. Handmade stencils, spray paint, and "found" farm materials are the materials out of which Rice creates iconic images of her childhood. At her request, family members send truckloads of history to her, in the form of roof shingles and red stained boards from her grandfather's barn, "seamless" feed sacks with the family name printed on them, rusty pieces of a chicken coop, and a battered weather thermometer. These items have become her "canvas" as they literally support her pictorial reappraisal of growing up on a Midwestern farm.

Rice is also known for her work as an advocate for adult artists living with severe mental illness. She founded and manages Spectrum ArtWorks in Minneapolis, a non-profit arts organization that assists in integrating artists with mental illness into the larger arts community. Rice has received national recognition for her efforts; in 2005 she accepted the Eli Lilly Pharmaceutical Company's "Helping Lives Move Forward Award" on behalf of the Spectrum ArtWorks.

The reception for this show will be in conjunction with "Art Attack," a multi-campus college art gallery crawl on Saturday, October 7 from 4 to 8 p.m. Special buses will shuttle visitors to Bethel's 9th Street Entry Gallery, the College of St. Catherine, the College of Visual Arts, Concordia University, Macalester College, and the University of St. Thomas.

All events at the Augsburg Art Galleries are free and open to the general public.

Christensen Center Art Gallery
Augsburg College
22nd Avenue South at 7 1/2 Street

Gallery Hours:
Monday-Sunday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

For more gallery information call 612-330-1524