| Exhibit showcases artist’s conservationist spirit |
By: Melissa Kaelin
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Posted: Saturday, June 6, 2009 11:02 pm
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The paintings and photography of the late Steve Olson will be on display at the Owatonna Arts Center June 7 through June 28.
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By MELISSA KAELIN
mkaelin@owatonna.com
OWATONNA — Nature is on display today at the Owatonna Arts Center, depicted through the eyes of an artist, Steve Olson, who at heart was a conservationist.
“It’s a rather unusual show in a number of ways,” said Silvan Durben, director of the arts center. “Steve passed away last August.”
Durben said Olson had approached him about hosting an exhibit last year, and Durben was excited to give the Owatonna native the opportunity. But Olson was suddenly taken ill with renal cancer, and his mother said there wasn’t much the doctors could do.
“It had mestastized to his lungs,” said Shirley Olson. “We caught it too late.”
She said the illness came as a shock to the family, and Olson died while he was visiting his sister in Sioux Falls, S.D.
“He first found out that he was sick in April,” she said, “and he passed away in August.”
Before departing, however, Olson made a name for himself in artistic and conservationist circles in the Twin Cities and Owatonna. While studying graphic arts and journalism at the University of Minnesota, he worked at the University of Minnesota Press, contributing to many projects on land and water conservation. Olson went on to work with West Publishing and Nelson Graphics in Brainerd — where he produced art work for “In-Fisherman” magazine.
Shirley Olson said though he focused on fine arts during his college career, Olson had always had a profound love of nature — so much that his siblings called him “Nature Boy.” And as Olson matured, he discovered a drive for conservation work.
“Later on, he was sorry he didn’t choose conservation (in college) and do art on the side,” his mother said.
Still, Olson found many ways to combine his artistic talents and his love of nature, designing maps for municipalities in Minnesota, Wisconsin and South Dakota, and producing a few booklets as well. Olson designed a map for the city of Owatonna in the 1980s with artwork along the borders, a treasure that will be on display during his exhibit at the Arts Center.
“They were commissioned projects,” said Shirley Olson. She said as well as producing artwork for several municipalities and private businesses, like Schumacher’s Hotel and Restaurant in New Prague, Minn., Olson was able to make a livelihood with art. “Toward the end, he was self-employed,” she said.
Along with the many booklets Olson produced, and many images of Minnetonka Lake — a lake his mother said he loved dearly — one of Olson’s booklets is featured in the Owatonna Collection at the Owatonna Public Library.
Olson also left behind him a wealth of artwork, much of which his mother said was undiscovered until recently. She said he hardly had room for all of his art in his home and a lot of it was in storage — so much that the family will be putting several artworks up for sale at his show. Olson also produced a number of 5-inch-by-7-inch prints, which can be used as postcards or framed to be used as small wall hangings. These will be on sale as well.
“We have all the scores of stuff he left behind that we didn’t know he had,” said Shirley Olson. “We thought this would be a good opportunity to share it with the public.”
The exhibit, which features photos, paintings and drawings by Olson, opens at 1 p.m. today at the Arts Center and will continue through June 28. The gallery will be open from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, and it will be closed on Mondays. Admission is free and the show is open to the public.
Melissa Kaelin can be reached at 444-2372.
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