Image Courtesy of The Kaddatz Gallery
A Year-Long Celebration of Artist Charles Beck’s Legacy: Presenting 3rd exhibition “C. Beck: Blocks & Prints”
To honor the late Charles Beck, a central figure in the local arts scene, a year-long tribute featuring exhibitions, educational programs, and special events has been coordinated throughout the year in Fergus Falls.
The series, dubbed “A Year of Beck,” is a joint effort from several institutions, including Kaddatz Galleries, M State, Otter Tail County Historical Society, and Rourke Art Gallery and Museum.
Kaddatz Galleries will kick off the third exhibition and tribute by presenting “C. Beck: Blocks & Prints” from July 5th to September 2nd.
The gallery plans to host a public reception on July 11th, followed by a lively block party on July 13th.
Nancy XiaoRong Valentine, Executive Director of Kaddatz, expressed her excitement about the homage.
“This year-long celebration allows us to honor Charles Beck’s artistic legacy. Many people are familiar with his woodcut block prints, but his creative career was much more expansive and prolific. We are eager to share Beck’s influence throughout the community with these special exhibitions highlighting different periods of his artistry,” she said.
Throughout 2023, the Kaddatz Galleries is celebrating the rich visual legacy of
Charles Beck, Fergus Falls’ acclaimed painter and woodcut printmaker, with a series of exhibitions, classes and printmaking workshops, and special events.
In this third exhibition of the Year of Beck commemoration, C. Beck: Blocks & Prints provides an intimate look at Beck’s printmaking process.
Many of the woodcut blocks he carved and printed from are featured, being premiered as works of art in their own right, along with a selection of corresponding prints.
Woodcut Printing: A labor of love.
Woodcut printing is considered the oldest type of printmaking.
Using a block of wood, the artist cuts away the parts of the surface not needed for their desired image.
The face of the carved block is then coated with ink, and a sheet of paper is evenly applied to the inked surface, often by running the block and paper through a printing press.
Through this process, a “print” is created.
Repeating this onto multiple pieces of paper creates an edition of single-color woodblock prints.
A woodcut with two or more colors requires a separate block for each color, adding more complexity to the printing process.
Between each color the ink must dry, and the entire edition must be printed one color at a time.
Charles Beck is renowned for his use of complex, multi-color layering in the majority of his woodcut prints.
His use of color and mastery of the woodcut block layering process created depth and richness to his woodcut prints, often in four layers or fewer.
This exhibition illustrates Beck’s print-making process, by showing the block and print layers from many of his multicolored works.
In addition to the opening reception, a Beck Block Party has been planned in conjunction with Fergus Falls’ community festival Shop, Move, ‘n Groove on Thursday, July 13th from 4-8PM, with an urban printmaking activity taking place at Spies Park, a wood carving demonstration by Karl Beck, son of Charles Beck, and a printmaking activity featuring a commemorative Year of Beck block design at Kaddatz Galleries.
Meanwhile, M State has curated “Beck and His Students: An Alumni Art Exhibit,” which opened on May 15th and will run until September 15th at the Charles Beck Gallery.
The exhibit showcases a broad range of Beck’s works and features creations by his former students, including Chuck Christianson, Mary Guttormson Erickson, Jim Fletcher, Scott Gunvaldson, and Bruce Thompson.
A public reception sponsored by the Fergus Area College Foundation is slated for July 27TH, from 4-6 pm, featuring remarks from the showcased artists at 5:15 pm.
The Otter Tail County Historical Society also plays a part in this tribute with its ongoing exhibit “Charles Beck: Love for History.”
This exhibition merges privately-owned pieces with those held by the OTCHS and features an updated version of its 2013 “Tribute to Charles Beck” presentation.
Throughout the year, more exhibitions and events are planned at Fergus Falls Library, Otter Tail County Historical Society, and the Rourke Art Gallery + Museum, including “C. Beck: Rarities & Masterworks,” which will be displayed from October 12th through December 23rd.
Charles Beck, born and raised in Fergus Falls, was a former Naval Air Force pilot in World War II.
He nurtured a lifelong passion for art, earning a Master of Fine Arts degree in 1950.
He then spent 27 years teaching at Fergus Falls Community College, now M State, actively contributing to an arts scene that today boasts over 600 creative professionals.
The “Year of Beck” celebration promises to illuminate the impactful legacy left behind by Beck in the world of art.
It is a fitting homage to an artist who made significant contributions to the artistic scene in Fergus Falls and the surrounding area.
The Kaddatz Galleries’ A Year of Beck is made possible, in part, by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund; and support from the Frank W. Veden Charitable Trust and the Dell Trust.
About Kaddatz Galleries
The Kaddatz Galleries is a not-for-profit organization that exists to foster visual arts education and appreciation and to maintain a gallery that celebrates the work of area artists and honors the legacy of Charles Beck.
The Kaddatz is in downtown Fergus Falls, Minnesota. Its main gallery presents focused exhibitions and a rotating selection of work by regional artists.
Studio K, the Kaddatz’s secondary gallery and community meeting space, displays smaller or more experimental bodies of work by established and emerging artists.
There is never a charge to enter the galleries.
Additionally, the Kaddatz regularly offers visual arts workshops and other educational opportunities to make art experiences accessible to diverse audiences
and participants.
In addition to the tribute, Kaddatz Galleries will also launch the Summer Arts Academy 2023.
Session 1, for grades K-4 and 5-8, will start on July 24th and July 31st, respectively.
Further details and registration information can be found at kaddatzgalleries.org.