New exhibitions at the Birger Sandzén Memorial Gallery include works spanning the career of former Sandzén Gallery director and artist, Carl Wm. Peterson; art by Colorado Springs artist Eric Bransby and his late wife, Mary Ann Bransby; and the Gallery’s annual “Holiday Gift Show.”  The shows will be on display from Nov. 8, through Jan. 24, with an opening reception planned on Sunday afternoon from 2 to 4 p.m. on November 8. Eric Bransby and Curator Cori North will talk about the exhibitions beginning at 2:30 p.m.
Lindsborg resident Carl Peterson (1919-2009) got his start at Bethany College studying with Swedish-American artist Birger Sandzen, and taught in Kansas public schools for sixteen years. In 1963 Margaret Sandzen Greenough asked him to help run the Sandzen Gallery, which had opened its doors to the public in 1957. He enjoyed interacting with Gallery visitors, telling stories on Sunday afternoons, and guiding youngsters through new exhibitions. After retiring from the Gallery in 1981, Peterson kept a studio in the Sundstrom building in downtown Lindsborg where he drew and painted every morning. This retrospective exhibition pulls together more than 60 pieces lent by Peterson’s numerous friends and relations around the region. The earliest work in the show is a watercolor done when the young artist was attending Lindsborg High School and there are also a few examples of oil paintings executed in the recognizable Sandzen style, dating from his Bethany College years, 1938-1942. Known as a watercolorist, Peterson’s favorite views to paint were autumnal Smoky Valley landscapes and wintery snow scenes with pink and orange skies.
As the last surviving mural student of Thomas Hart Benton, 99-year-old working artist Eric Bransby continues to draw every day and plan his next big project. A selection of 36 paintings and sculpture have been borrowed from Eric and Mary Ann Bransby’s Colorado Springs home. Eric Bransby will speak at the opening reception, sharing anecdotes from a rich life led among great artists. The Bransbys met while attending the Kansas City Art Institute near the end of America’s Great Depression.  They were married at the Institute in 1941, just prior to their graduation. Mary Ann (1920-2011) studied with Benton but took his rhythm and line in new directions, as her watercolors included in this exhibition attest. Her bold colors waltz and swirl in wild abandon, expressing landscapes rather than capture in likenesses. Eric emulated Benton’s approach to figure drawing and love of large-scale mural projects. He went on to create more than thirty commissions in diverse locations around the Midwest, including murals for the WPA relief program and wall paintings for schools such as Kansas State University, Colorado College, Brigham Young University, and the United States Air Force Academy. He has done sweeping historical panoramas for communities in the region, such as for the Sedalia, Missouri, Municipal Building and most recently for the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center in 2012.
The third new exhibit is the Gallery’s annual “Holiday Gift Show” – which has become a favorite for many visitors. Over forty invited artists are represented in the show along with special works from the artists of Clayworks at Disability Supports in McPherson. Art includes paintings, prints, ceramics, jewelry, sculpture, blown glass, Swedish-inspired folk art, woodcarvings and mixed media pieces.  All are ideal for holiday shopping.
The Sandzén Gallery is located at 401 North First Street in Lindsborg and is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday. The Gallery is closed on Mondays. Admission is free, with donations welcome. Docent tours for groups are available by two-week advance appointment with the Gallery. For more information about Birger Sandzén and the Gallery visit the website www.sandzen.org or call (785) 227-2220