Northwestern and Dordt have swapped artwork in exhibits featuring pieces by professors from each college. Dordt has NW artwork on their campus and the Te Paske Gallery displays the work of Dordt’s professors. Paintings by Matt Drissell, prints by David Versluis, and Sara Alsmu-Wassenaar’s three-dimensional art will be on campus until Feb. 5.
“[All of the professors are] passionate about what they do,” Hannah Lindsey said. “To be able to see someone else’s ideas come to life and then have them explain it to you is so interesting and opens up a greater understanding of the work and its creator.”
Sara Alsmu-Wassenaar’s artwork is heavily influenced by her travels. Part of her display includes a bicycle pulling a cart of buffalo shoes and a ceramic tea set. David Versluis’s is vastly different from Alsmu-Wassenaar as it is a variety prints. These include traditional and digital photographic montages. He also has various poster designs for the Sioux County Oratorio, letterpress typographic prints, and small scale models to be used for public sculptures. Matt Drissell has a unique medium for his paintings: local foods. From the college favorite Ramen noodles, to Kool-aid and popsicles, Drissell used many edible mediums for his artwork.
“[I]enjoyed the artwork that had things like cereal and Ramen noodles attached to it, and still looked like beautiful art,” Maria Vander Plaats said. She enjoyed the experience of seeing artwork from Dordt.
“The art show switch was a good idea,” Vander Plaats said. “It allowed Northwestern students to see a different perspective through the lens of the Dordt professors’ art work.”
With such close proximity between the two colleges Vander Plaats was amazed how different the art was.
NW and Dordt are known for their rivalry, but the artwork shows no sign of competition.
“It is really cool to be able to come together with Dordt through the field of art,” Lindsey said. “[Through] this trading of artwork between the schools we were able to join together to appreciate what our members have done.”
