BEMIDJI, Minn. (Oct. 14, 2010 — UPDATED) — The perservation of America’s prairies serves as the central theme of “The Reluctant Advocate,” an exhibition of paintings by St. Paul-based artist Simon Huelsbeck that opens next week in Bemidji State University’s Talley Gallery.

Huelsbeck, who teaches drawing and painting in Rochester, Minn., will have his work on display at the University’s Talley Gallery beginning Monday, Oct. 18 and running through Nov. 12.

“The Reluctant Advocate” will feature a variety of Huelsbeck’s work and will include paintings in a variety of scales and paintings integrated into sculptures.

“This body of work has prairie preservation as a central theme,” Huelsbeck said. “As I began to work with this subject, I found myself asking ‘What is special about me that puts me in the position to talk about the prairie? What do I know that you don’t — and that you should know? What do I feel about the prairie that you should feel?’”

Huelsbeck was raised in Miami Beach, Fla., and received his bachelor’s degree from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design in 1997 and his master’s degree from the Pennsylvania Academy of Art in 2004. He currently teaches drawing and painting at Rochester Community and Technical College in Rochester, Minn.

An opening reception for the show will be held in the gallery from noon-3 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 18, and Huelsbeck will give a gallery talk about his paintings and creative process beginning at 12:15 p.m. Both events are free and open to the public.

Located in room 212 of the Education Arts building on the campus of Bemidji State University, the Talley Gallery is barrier-free and open at no charge to the public. All activities in the Talley Gallery are supported by the University’s Student Activity Fee Allocation Committee. The Talley Gallery is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday.

For more information, contact Talley Gallery Director Laura Goliaszewski at (218) 755-3708.

ON THE WEB
• Talley Gallery: http://www.bemidjistate.edu/academics/visual_arts/galleries/gallery_talley.php

• UPDATE: Oct. 15 – Talley Gallery hours corrected.