History of the Fine Arts Collection

Herbjørn Gausta (1855-1924)
“Boy Setting Trap,” LFAC #32
oil, ca. 1905-1908

The Fine Arts Collection was begun late in the 19th century when Herbjørn Gausta, noted Norwegian-American artist and Luther College art faculty member, donated over 30 works to the college. This initial gift was augmented with additional works by Gausta, particularly portraits, donated by friends of the college.

Donations of important paintings and oriental rugs from Arthur Andersen in the 1930s, and over 15 significant works from the Nils Remmen family in 1941, formed the core of the collection for several years.

The Fine Arts Festivals, inaugurated by the college in 1956-57, were a source of acquisitions for almost a decade as works from artists of the upper Midwest were exhibited annually with many purchased for the college. From the late 1960s through the present, the collection grew as the result of purchases from artists who either taught and/or exhibitedtheir works at the college.

Marguerite Wildenhain (1896-1985)
“Persian Man”, LFAC #850
stoneware, ca. 1970

The late potter Marguerite Wildenhain was the chief patron of the collection in recent years. She donated a sizable collection of her own ceramics and drawings, a collection of woodcuts, drawings, and bronze sculptures from German Expressionist Gerhard Marcks, and a fine group of pre-Columbian ceramics.

Gerhard Marcks (1889-1981)
“Noah,” LFAC#474
Woodcut, 1948

The Drawings, prints, and sculptures by Gerhard Marcks comprise the largest body of Marcks’ work in the United Sates. Some of the works date from Marcks’ Bauhaus days while many others were done prior to 1933. Marguerite Wildenahain was a student of Marcks at the Bauhaus and maintained a close association with him throughout his life.

College responsibility for the Fine Arts Collection, while formally unassigned during the early years of the College’s development, was informally considered part of the library’s caretaking responsibilities. The library at Luther College assumed responsibility for other “non-book” collections too such as the Norwegian-American newspapers, manuscript collections, and museum objects. During the years that Koren Library functioned as the college library, works in the Fine Arts Collection were housed there and the library walls provided gallery space for displaying many of the works. With the opening of Preus Library in 1969, space was deliberately designed within the new building to house the Collection in a secure, environmentally controlled area. The Circulation Librarian was charged with maintaining circulation records for the art works while the Technical Services Librarian was responsible for cataloging the works, maintaining insurance records, and developing a photographic record for the Collection. The library provided suitable shelving, storage racks, and acid-free containers so the Collection could be properly stored.

During the late 1980’s, the Circulation-Special Collections Librarian assumed additional responsibility for the Fine Arts Collection so that currently the library considers the Fine Arts Collection to be part of its overall responsibility. With assistance from the Gallery Coordinator, the Collection is now managed according to professional standards promoted by the American Association of Museums and other professional art management associations. A management policy has been ratified by the college administration, preservation and conservation issues continue to be addressed, and a database and web-site for the Collection have been developed and are maintained on an ongoing basis. Various activities have been initiated to acquire additional works, to contact potential donors and maintain detailed donor records, and to continue research focusing on artists and works in the Collection. In addition, this teaching collection is regularly utilized for classes in a variety of subject areas including art, history, modern languages, aesthetics and museum studies. Significant events are planned to commemorate important anniversaries for artists represented in the Collection and to celebrate noteworthy gifts and acquisitions.